A motorcyclist has been killed in Virginia (VA) after colliding with a trash truck at an intersection, just the latest in a spate of fatal accidents involving motorcyclists in the Commonwealth. Rakesh Bhatt, 54, died after a trash truck struck his motorcycle at the intersection of Van Dorn Street and Taney Avenue in Alexandria (VA) early in the morning on June 30, 2011, the Alexandria Times reported.
The truck was apparently heading north on Van Dorn Street. It struck Bhatt’s motorcycle while making a right turn onto Taney Avenue. Investigators say the trash truck driver is not facing charges, although this could change depending on the outcome of an investigation. City of Alexandria officials say the driver was not a municipal employee.
The experienced personal injury attorneys with our Virginia Beach law firm have reported on a number of cases in recent weeks in which motorcyclists have been killed or badly hurt in accidents. Even at slow speeds, motorcyclists are vulnerable. When speed is a factor, their chances of surviving an impact with a truck are reduced further. In a number of cases they have been killed after coming into contact with heavy trucks. A motorcyclist from Crozet, Virginia (VA), was killed over the 2011 July 4th weekend in an accident with a pickup truck in Albemarle County, VA, NBC29 News reported.
In far too many cases car or truck drivers who are traveling too fast have killed or seriously injured motorcyclists. In 2009 we reported on a case in North Carolina (NC) in which a driver speeding way over the limit at 100 mph swiped two motorcyclists and killed them. Our Virginia and North Carolina personal injury lawyers have reported on a number of wrongful death cases in which a motorcyclist lost his or her life. If speed is involved the victims and their families often have a case to seek legal action. This is also the case if the driver of a truck has committed a traffic offense.
Cities are regularly sued for the actions of their employees. In Chicago, Illinois (IL), for example, a lawsuit was recently launched after a truck driven by a sanitation worker mounted a sidewalk, injuring eight people. The driver tested positive for DUI.
Cities can be sued for the actions or inactions of their workers more easily in some states than in others. Generally, cities and counties in Virginia cannot be sued themselves under an old law called governmental immunity. But the individual municipal workers can be under most circumstances.
Our experienced VA personal injury accident attorneys can advise a potential client as to what types of suits are allowed and who may be sued when a municipal or state employee is involved in a car or truck accident in Virginia.
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