By: Staff Legal Reporter
California is a biker’s paradise. With 840 miles of coastline to ride along on one side of the state and the Sierra Nevada Mountains to ride through on the other, there is never a shortage of scenery for riding in California. Add to that the incredible weather that California enjoys almost year around and you have the perfect recipe for motorcycle enthusiasts. The over one million registered motorcycles in the state of California are a testament to the fact that bikers agree that California is indeed a biker’s paradise. Unfortunately, even in a paradise like California accidents can happen. All too often those accidents can be fatal. If a loved one -your spouse, parent, brother or child for instance – has been involved in a fatal motorcycle accident in California there are things that you should be aware of to protect the future for you and your family.
First you should understand the statistics. Motorcyclists represent just 2% of the total registered vehicles on the road yet they account for over 9% of all fatalities. Studies tell us that vehicle failure accounts for only 3% of all fatal accidents and roadway defects for only 2% of all fatal motorcycle accidents. Another vehicle is involved in a motorcycle accident three-fourths of the time. Of the accidents where another vehicle is involved, the other vehicle is at fault over two-thirds of the time. The most common cause given for other vehicles causing an accident with a motorcycle is that they failed to detect the presence of the biker. What these statistics mean to you, the surviving family member, is that there is a very good chance that the accident that took the life of your loved one was caused-at least in part-by the other driver.
Second, you should understand what legal option you and your family members have as a result of the fatal motorcycle accident. If the accident that took your loved one from you was indeed caused by another motorist, then you may be entitled to file as a claimant in a California wrongful death lawsuit. As a claimant in a wrongful death lawsuit you may be awarded compensation for the loss of loss, affection, financial and moral support as well as other losses that you have suffered as a result of the death of your loved one. A wrongful death award is intended to help you and your family with the financial realities that will affect you now and in the future. No one wants to think about lawsuits when they have lost someone they love, but it is important that you understand your rights and what compensation you may be entitled to. If your loved one supported you-financially or otherwise-while they were alive then wouldn’t they want you to be supported after their death as well?
If your loved one was killed in a fatal motorcycle accident in the state of California and you believe that another driver was at fault, please contact California motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger at Ledger & Associates for a free detailed evaluation of your case at 1-800-300-0001 or online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
