The motorcycle community is tight-knit. Bikers get together for rides through rolling plains and wide open stretches of Missouri to share the experience of the open road. They also rally behind their fellow bikers and support one another in times of need.
Recently, a group of bikers gathered to honor a Missouri man killed in a motorcycle accident. The 36-year-old was riding home to his wife when he was struck by another vehicle and killed. Local bikers honored the fallen man by organizing a motorcycle ride to complete the accident victim’s ride home. The accident victim served as an aviation maintenance duty officer in the United States Navy.
Sadly, fatalities from motorcycle accidents are not uncommon. A personal representative of a motorcycle accident victim may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit if a negligent driver caused the accident. The victim’s family may be able to recover monetary damages for actual pecuniary injuries such as loss of support, services, lost inheritance and medical and funeral expenses. When determining the amount of the award the family may receive, the victim’s age, earning capacity, health, intelligence and life expectancy, among other factors, are taken into consideration. Often, experts, such as economists, will present evidence to determine the victim’s value to the surviving family members. The amount a family could recover depends on the specific circumstances of the accident as well as the accident victim’s unique personal characteristics.
While money can never replace a loved one, a wrongful death lawsuit may provide the accident victim’s family with compensation to allow them to get back on their feet as well as to possibly provide much needed closure.
Source: Kitsap Sun, “Motorcycle crash victim to be honored by other riders finishing his ride,” Mar. 3, 2014