Rider and Passenger Injured in Motorcycle Crash
On April 22, 2014, a motorcycle crash on I-75 left a rider and his passenger with serious injuries. The accident occurred around 11:30 in the morning, when a TDOT truck pulled onto the roadway in front of the motorcycle. The rider of the motorcycle, Elvis Daugherty, was unable to avoid hitting the truck and collided with it. Both Daugherty and his passenger, Barbara Harmon, were wearing helmets at the time of the crash.
This accident appears to be an example of a fairly common type of motorcycle accident, the “failure to yield” type accident. When a vehicle fails to yield the right of way to a motorcycle, the rider of the motorcycle is often unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the vehicle. The result is often serious injury or death for the motorcycle rider, and any passengers who may be on the bike with them.
The April 22 accident on I-75 illustrates one scenario where failure to yield can result in an accident. In this case, the motorcycle was traveling along a highway when the TDOT truck pulled onto the roadway in front of it. Failure to yield accidents can also occur at intersections, as well as any time that a vehicle is turning across one or more lanes of oncoming traffic.
Sometimes, when a motorcycle is involved in an accident where the driver of the other vehicle failed to yield, the driver may say that they were unable to see the motorcycle approaching. At other times, distracted driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, or aggressive driving may play a role in failing to yield to an oncoming motorcycle.
One thing which often happens in failure to yield motorcycle accidents which makes them different from other types of collisions is that the victim (the motorcycle rider) often strikes the vehicle that failed to yield. When most people think about car accidents, they tend to think of the victims as the passengers in the vehicle which was struck. This issue can become problematic during the investigation of the accident, if the parties involved in the accident and any witnesses who may have seen the accident provide differing accounts of what happened. In any failure to yield accident case, it is important that a thorough investigation be conducted so that important information about the crash is available to the accident victims and their attorneys.
As you might imagine, when the victims of a failure to yield accident are on a motorcycle, they are likely to be severely injured, if they are lucky enough to not be killed. Some of the types of injuries which may be experienced by motorcycle riders and their passengers as a result of a failure to yield collision are spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, broken bones, and concussions. Accident victims may have to endure lengthy and painful recoveries from their injuries, and, in some cases, they may have to learn to live with permanent disabilities.
Motorcycle riding season has arrived, and if you or someone that you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident, it is essential that you get help from an attorney right away. The skilled Memphis Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Bailey & Greer, PLLC are here to help you. We can answer your questions and explain your options. Once you decide how you wish to proceed with your motorcycle accident case, our attorneys will pursue the results that you deserve. To learn more, call us at 901-680-9777 to schedule a time to discuss your case. At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.
Since graduating magna cum laude in 2005 from the University of Memphis School of Law, Thomas has helped make a difference in the lives of victims of serious personal injury, wrongful death, and professional negligence. Thomas has extensive trial experience in both state and federal court. Among other victories in the courtroom, Thomas obtained several impressive jury verdicts and settlements
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