An SUV driver’s failure to yield right of way to a motorcycle rider once again caused a crash in Virginia Beach, VA, that nearly claimed the motorcyclist’s life. This latest tragic accident — which, sadly, will not be the last — occurred at the intersection of Virginia Beach Boulevard and Corporate Park Lane near Town Center on June 3, 2014.
Police charged the person behind the wheel of the larger vehicle with not allowing the motorcycle to pass before attempting a turn. The wreck took place just after 11 am on a bright, sunny day, leaving the at-fault driver little excuse for failing to see the biker.
It seems no matter how often my Virginia personal injury and wrongful death law firm colleagues and I take terrible accidents like this as an opportunity to stress the important of constantly looking out for motorcycles, the message never gets through. We have far too many chances to help victims of crashes between cars, trucks and SUVs and motorcycles in which the person on the bike sustains injuries that make returning to their normal lives difficult or impossible.
“I never even saw …” is never an excuse that works for at-fault drivers trying to explain away the damage they have inflicted. So to state this essential reminder as bluntly as possible: Make every effort to see motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians. Just look both ways, to the rear and straight ahead. Then look all around again. You have a very good chance of saving someone else’s leg, arm or life.
EJL