It’s been an unusually warm fall season in Kentucky this year and as of October, there have still been plenty of motorcyclists on the road, especially on the weekends. Unfortunately, this has also resulted in an uptick of calls from injured motorcyclists to our law offices.
On Friday, October 20, 2017, a tragic accident occurred on the Gene Snyder Freeway (I-265) in Middletown, only about 10 miles from our office. According to Wave3, a motorcycle ran into the rear of a second motorcycle and both drivers were thrown from their bikes. Tragically, the motorcyclist in the rear passed away from their injuries. The rider who was hit was sent to University Hospital.
Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this terrible accident.
Preventing rear-end accidents
Just a week or two ago we wrote about rear end accidents on motorcycles. In that article we pointed out that it doesn’t take a whole lot of force for a car to knock a rider off of their bike when being rear-ended. In this case, the vehicle in the rear was a motorcycle. While this is much more rare, it happens more than you’d think, and on a road such as the Gene Snyder Freeway which has a speed limit of 65MPH, the injuries sustained can be catastrophic.
In this case, we’re not sure if the two motorcyclists were friends or not or what led to the collision. Motorcycle on motorcycle accidents can occur when riders are following each other; this usually happens when the riders are enjoying their ride and taking in the scenery and the driver in the front needs to slow down suddenly.
One way to prevent hitting a another rider is to ride in a staggered formation. Doing so increases visibility and if the person in front of you stops while you’re gazing off into the horizon you’ll just zip right past them. The Kentucky Motorcycle Manual gives good examples of riding in a staggered formation.
Do I need a lawyer after a motorcycle accident?
Some people think that after an accident such as a rear-end accident, they may have an “open and shut” case. This is not necessarily true. Insurers delay and deny claims thousands of times every day. In some cases, they may even blame you for your injuries.
After any motorcycle accident in Kentucky or southern Indiana, contact us prior to speaking with the other party’s insurance company. We have a long history of working with motorcycle accident victims. In many cases, we can help accident victims obtain significantly more compensation for their injuries than they would have received without us.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in Middletown or anywhere else in Kentucky or southern Indiana, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation.
