Sometimes death is the result of badly designed roads and intersections. Throw in inattention and the results are not good.
The death of the motorcyclist in this reported case was completely avoidable, and his family may choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit, in the hopes that it will not happen to someone else. For certain, the witnesses to this wreck hope they never again see something this horrific.
The biker was traveling on a four-lane highway, doing highway speeds. The road he was on was noted for not being that safe, as it did not have turn lanes that allowed access to local businesses. That meant if someone needed to turn across the highway, they had to stop in the traveling lane and wait for a chance to turn. In this case, the biker had no chance to stop when the car ahead of him halted to make a left-hand turn into a local amusement park area.
With nowhere to go to get out of the way of the crash, the biker hit the back of the car and was catapulted over the vehicle, a distance of more than 50 yards. He landed in a driveway, a victim of severe and massive injuries; injuries that killed him. The witness to the deadly crash was with her grandson in another car, and was horrified to see the man flying in the air. From the way he landed, she knew he was badly, if not fatally hurt.
The witness saw the biker come up behind her on the road, pass her on the right, and then she saw the other car in front of her slow down to stop and turn. The biker could not get out of the way. Other eyewitnesses said that particular stretch of highway had a bad reputation because there were no turn lanes for drivers, except at major intersections instead. Law enforcement commented that the only way to make that stretch of highway safe was to divide the highway and add turning lanes, something the country didn’t have money to tackle.
How many deaths does take before someone does something? Fair question, and one that generally has no answer, until someone files a lawsuit. Often lawsuits are the catalyst for change. The family in this case may wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the county for their poorly designed roadways. If they are able to successfully prove negligence against the county, they would be able to recover compensation for the loss of their loved one. Compensation may include lost wages, loss of future income, pain and suffering, medical bills, funeral and burial costs, etc.
Cases like this are best handled by an experience Austin personal injury lawyer; one who knows what it means to have loyalty to a client, who works hard to represent those who have been injured and/or killed and one that fiercely represents the rights of victims. It’s the best phone call you could ever make.
Robert W. Lee is an Austin personal injury lawyer for The Lee Law Firm. If you need an Austin personal injury lawyer, contact an Austin personal injury attorney from The Lee Law Firm. Visit RWLeelaw.com.
