Washington State police are currently investigating a motorcycle accident after suspecting that drugs or alcohol could have been involved. In this case, a 56-year-old man was killed and a 60-year-old woman was injured. The pair had been riding the man’s motorcycle one afternoon when a car crossed the centerline. As a result, the motorcycle hit the car. After the initial collision both the car and the motorcycle left the roadway.
Despite wearing helmets, the couple on the motorcycle suffered serious injuries. The car’s driver — a 51-year-old woman — was also hurt in the motorcycle crash. Both women were taken to local hospitals to be treated for their injuries. At this time, no criminal charges have been filed against the 51-year-old woman but police do suspect intoxication.
While criminal charges can bring a certain sense of justice to motorcycle accident victims and their loved ones, they do very little to help with the everyday consequences of the collision. In many cases, motorcyclists are left with very serious injuries following an accident. These injuries can include broken bones, spinal cord injuries, road rash and head injuries. In cases where the accident victim dies, families can be left with severe emotional pain.
Both the physical and emotional pain can be expensive and time consuming to repair. When a negligent driver — such as a driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol — caused the motorcycle accident, the victims and their families should know that they have legal rights. With the right help, these people can recover medical expenses, lost wages, funeral costs, pain and suffering and more from the negligent driver or the person’s insurance company.
Source: Methow Valley News Online, “Arlington motorcyclist dies in accident south of Twisp,” June 8, 2014