Posted in Motorcycle Accident on April 22, 2015
On April 30, 2012, 20-year Navy veteran Greg Edwards was struck by a van when its driver ran a red light at the intersection of Cliff and Chambers in Denver. Edwards was thrown from his motorcycle upon impact, breaking his leg and sustaining other injuries.
Two years later, Edwards was given the tragic news that his leg needed to be amputated as a result of the accident.
In April of 2014, driver William Pettapiece hit a motorcyclist at the intersection of East Alameda Avenue and South Monaco Parkway and fled the scene. The motorcyclist did not survive the accident, but Pettapiece was identified and arrested by Denver police.
That same month, motorcycle rider Trever Rawson was killed when he ran into a rope that was strung across Colorado 92 in Montrose County. Two men had hung the rope at chest height to drag an elk carcass to their pickup truck.
A 2011 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration concluded that a person riding a motorcycle is 30 times more likely to die in a crash per traveled vehicle mile than a person in a passenger car. In 2012, motorcyclists represented 15 percent of all traffic fatalities.
Unfortunately, stories and statistics like these confirm what some motorcycle riders already know: Despite the rise in popularity, many drivers are still not knowledgeable enough about the two-wheeled vehicles to share the roads in Colorado with motorcyclists.
While you can’t guarantee the outcome of your ride every time you hit the road, you can take steps to protect yourself and those you care about.
While it may be tempting to engage in reckless behavior with a driver of a vehicle who has not shared the road with you politely, always keep in mind that you are jeopardizing your safety when doing so. As drivers get used to motorcyclists on the road, riding will get easier, but for the now, the odds aren’t usually in the motorcyclist’s favor.
For more information please contact Zaner Harden Law, LLP to schedule a free initial consultation with a Denver motorcycle accident lawyer.
Zaner Harden Law, LLP
1610 Wynkoop Street, Suite 120. Denver, CO 80202
(720) 613 9706