Belvidere Motorcycle Accident Kills Driver

Rrstar.com reported on February 28, 2018, that a motorcycle operator died after his vehicle struck a car. The crash occurred in the early morning hours at the intersection of South Appleton Road and Daimler Drive. The Boone County sheriff’s office said the motorcycle collided with a Ford vehicle which was turning left on Daimler Drive. The motorcycle rider was traveling south on Appleton. The accident happened in the intersection. The Boone County officer investigating the case said no determination had been made yet about whether the light for the Ford driver had turned green.

The motorcycle driver was a 29-year old male. His front tire broke from the motorcycle when the collision occurred. The Ford spun 180 degrees after being hit. The driver of the Ford was taken to a nearby medical center. The accident forced both roads to close so the accident could be investigated and the vehicles could be cleared from the roads.

The dangers of intersection collisions

Most motorcycle intersection accidents happen in one of two scenarios.

The first scenario is like the one in the reported case – both drivers are travelling in opposite directions. While right-turn accidents do happen, most serious and deadly intersection accidents occur when one of the drivers is making a left-hand turn. If the lights are the same color, then the driver making the left-hand turn is usually at fault. Generally, the burden is on the driver who is turning to make sure the opposite drive has either cleared the intersection or has stopped so the initial driver can make the turn.

The second scenario is when the drivers are going perpendicular to each other – for example, one driver is going north and the other driver is going east. Here, one driver usually runs a red light or goes through a stop sign.

There are often complicating factors:

• Other cars may also be turning or trying to clear the intersection.
• The question of fault becomes more complicated if there are multiple lanes of traffic
• Trees and branches may make it hard to see

Sometimes, the state or the county is responsible because they failed to fix broken lights, failed to have a stop sign at a dangerous intersection, or for other reasons.

Determining who is at fault requires an experienced Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer. Sometimes the damage to the vehicles can indicate fault. There may be cameras at the intersection that can show fault. In many cases, the question of fault is determined by what the witnesses to the accident say.

Negligent drivers should pay for your medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. If a loved one dies to the carelessness of another driver, the survivors should receive fair and just compensation for their grief, sorrow, mental anguish, and loss of companionship. The Chicago lawyers at Gainsberg Injury and Accident Lawyers have been successfully negotiating and trying cases before juries for more than 20 years. To speak with a strong advocate, please call us 312-600-9585 or schedule an appointment through our contact form. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis.