As spring slowly thaws out the snow from a winter that seemed especially harsh, motorcycle enthusiasts are brushing off their motorcycles and hitting the open road. While drivers in Illinois should always be vigilant, an increase in motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians on the roadways requires additional vigilance. Often, a motorcycle accident involving a traditional motor vehicle can have fatal consequences. Recently, a woman in Illinois was killed in such an accident.
The accident happened one afternoon in early April. Police reports indicate that the female driver of a car failed to yield to the motorcycle, causing a collision. The 45-year-old female passenger on the motorcycle died as a result of injuries suffered in the accident.
The male driver of the motorcycle was transported to an area hospital for treatment. He was listed in serious condition. The driver of the car has since been cited with three misdemeanor traffic violations. It is unclear if she was injured in the accident.
The family of the woman may now face an uncertain financial future as a result of the motorcycle accident. On top of funeral expenses, her family may also have to cope with the loss of her income. Additionally, the injured man will have to pay stacks of medical bills and lost wages as he recovers. To seek help with these expenses, the injured man and the family of the deceased woman have the option of filing a civil case. If they can prove that the car driver’s negligence caused the accident, the court could award them with monetary damages to cover the expenses stemming from the accident as allowed by Illinois law.
Source: kmov.com, “Female passenger killed in motorcycle crash in Caseyville“, Elizabeth Eisele, April 11, 2014