Motorcyclists usually do not fare well in collisions on an interstate highway. A recent accident on I-485 near Moore’s Chapel Road demonstrates this unhappy truth.
The incident
A Charlotte man was riding his motorcycle on the outer loop of I-485 when he was caught in a chain-reaction accident. Police are searching for a gray Honda Accord that they allege initiated the accident. The Honda first hit the back of another car before spinning into an adjacent lane and striking the motorcyclist. The driver of the Honda left the scene and has not yet been apprehended. Police did not give any reason why the Honda rear-ended the car that struck the motorcyclist.
The cyclist died at the scene, leaving behind a wife and three sons, ages 11, 17 and 19. The deceased was a senior center director at Octapharma Plasma, a medical laboratory.
Wrongful death liability
North Carolina law gives the children and spouse of a person who is killed by the wrongful act of another the right to commence a legal action to recover damages. Damage can include medical care and treatment, compensation for the victim’s pain and suffering, funeral expenses and the reasonable present value of the deceased’s future income. The deceased in this case appears to have been a highly compensated technical employee, and the family’s loss of income may result in a large award of damages.
Sorting out the accident
No action can be started until police identify and arrest the person who is suspected of causing the accident. An experienced auto accident attorney can assist in understanding the exact circumstances of the accident and the sequence of events that caused the fatal collision. A knowledgeable lawyer can also provide an analysis of the evidence and an opinion on the likelihood of recovering the damages enumerated in the wrongful death statute.