Residents of Pennsylvania may see more motorcyclists on the roads now that summer is here, but there are certain dangers associated with riding a motorcycle. One of them is that other motorists may not pay attention to motorcyclists in their vicinity, resulting in a crash. In one recent example, a motorcyclist who was driving in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, which most recognize as a suburb of Pittsburgh, died following a fatal accident with another vehicle.
According to reports, the accident happened at a parking lot near a restaurant. The rider, age 48, was traveling on a state road, and a car pulled out of the parking lot in a move that was apparently unexpected for the motorcyclist. The motorcyclist hit the car as it pulled in to the road, and the collision caused the fatal accident. The motorcyclist died at the scene of the crash after suffering catastrophic injuries.
Police declined to say whether they were contemplating a criminal charge or a traffic citation, indicating that their investigation in to the accident was ongoing. Generally speaking, however, the driver of a vehicle in a parking lot and wishing to turn on to a road has to yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is already traveling in the road.
Most people in the Pittsburgh area recognize that car accidents involving a motorcycle can and often do lead to serious injuries or fatalities. This is in part because of the size difference between motorcycles and other vehicles, and also because the driver of motorcyclist is relatively unprotected. After a motorcycle accident, it is important that victims or their families remember that compensation may be pursued through a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. This compensation can cover things like medical bills, funeral expenses and loss wages, as well as “non-economic” losses like pain and suffering.
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “Fatal crash shut part of Route 22 in Monroeville,” June 9, 2017.