Riding a motorcycle can be fun, economical and exhilarating. Unfortunately, it can also be very dangerous. There are many different causes of motorcycle accidents. Some of them are due to the motorcyclist’s own inexperience or recklessness. However, many of them are due to the actions of other drivers, which make it very hard for even experienced drivers to avoid a collision.
In St. Louis County, Missouri, a recent motorcycle accident involved a 27-year-old motorcyclist and a truck. The motorcyclist was a teacher at Eureka High School and was leaving school when he collided with a truck. The accident occurred on Friday afternoon in front of the school and the teacher did not survive the accident. The driver of the truck was not injured in the crash.
Although news reports do not yet indicate who was at fault for this accident, it is similar in nature to many other motorcycle accidents that occur throughout Missouri. In many cases, other drivers fail to stop at stop signs or red lights or pull out in front of a motorcyclist because they do not see the motorcyclist. These actions can cause the driver of the vehicle to hit the motorcyclist or cause the motorcyclist to run into the other vehicle if the motorcyclist is unable to stop in time.
When motorcycle accidents occur, accident victims frequently suffer head injuries, broken bones and other serious injuries, especially if they are thrown from their bikes or run over by another vehicle after the crash. The medical treatment for these injuries can be very costly and recovery time can be extremely lengthy. In many cases, insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover the costs and provide for the accident victim’s needs and those of his or her family.
In order to recover compensation for these expenses and ensure that a negligent or reckless driver is held accountable for his actions in causing the accident, many victims file a personal injury lawsuit. Surviving family members of victims killed in a crash may also choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit, which can provide some form of closure for them after their sudden loss.
Source: Belleville News-Democrat, “High school teacher dies in motorcycle wreck,” May 23, 2014