With the long, warm days gradually drawing to a close as fall is upon us here in Worcester, many are getting outside for some last-minute fresh air and what sunshine they can get before winter. Motorcycles are a great way to enjoy the mild weather and beautiful fall colors. But motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable to injury on the road, as a recent motorcycle accident demonstrates.
The motorcyclist was riding up Park Avenue. A Cadillac was driving in the opposite direction. When the car made a left turn at Maywood, the motorcyclist was unable to avoid a collision. The motorcycle accident victim was thrown from the bike; a local hospital confirmed that the rider suffered a head injury.
Intersections are often dangerous places for motorcycles because all too many car drivers simply are unaware of them when making a turn. This is due in part to their smaller size relative to a car; motorcycles can be more difficult to see when there is traffic or bad weather. But that doesn’t absolve car drivers of their responsibility.
In fact, whenever an accident occurs in which one party was making a left turn, that party will quite often be considered at fault. Vehicles going straight have the right-of-way at an intersection. It doesn’t matter if the oncoming vehicle was a motorcycle or another car. Failure to yield at an intersection will likely leave a left-turning driver on the hook for damages caused in a collision.
When we’re talking about a head injury, as was the case in the story above, those damages can be significant. We’ll take a look at how significant in an upcoming post here on our Worcester personal injury law blog.
Source: Telegram.com, “Motorcyclist injured in Park Ave. crash in Worcester,” Steven H. Foskett Jr., Sept. 24, 2014
