Sometimes, when there is a fatality from an accident involving a motorcycle rider, the inherent added danger of riding on a motorcycle may lead to inaccurate perceptions about the cause of the accident. However, the reality is that every case is different, and in one case, here in Connecticut, it may be that a recent collision was the fault of the driver of the car involved.
When a negligent driver causes an accident with a motorcycle in which there are injuries or death, there can be severe legal consequences. Those legal consequences may come in the form of criminal and/or civil charges or even a wrongful death lawsuit.
Such is the case for a man who was recently charged for an accident that occurred in July 2012 in Shelton. The man in the 2012 case has been accused of negligent homicide with a motor vehicle, as well as failure to yield while turning left, after he hit a motorcycle on a busy road. The 30-year-old driver of the motorcycle died from the injuries he sustained in that collision.
Unlike criminal charges, civil court claims do not involve incarceration or the suspension of one’s driving privileges. Instead, a personal injury or wrongful death claim seeks compensation for the expenses incurred by an accident victim or his or her loved ones, due to a driver’s negligence.
Some of the expenses covered in a personal injury claim include medical bills, lost wages, physical rehabilitation, and pain and suffering. Wrongful death claims, filed by family members of fatal accident victims, may also seek reimbursement for expenses such as medical bills and pain and suffering, as well as burial expenses, loss of companionship and loss of future income.
Source: New Haven Register, “Monroe Man Charged in fatal 2012 Shelton Crash,” July 10, 2013
