Tragic Motorcycle Accident Leaves One Cyclist Dead | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

What Happened: A news report on wcnc.com explains that a woman was operating her motorcycle on Wilkinson Boulevard in Cramerton, North Carolina when a pickup truck made a left turn into a fast food restaurant and struck her, tragically killing her. The accident, which is still under investigation by local police, has not resulted in any charges filed against the pickup truck driver as of yet.

Here is where the accident occurred, on Wilkinson Boulevard near Market Street:


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Our deepest condolences are extended to the family and loved ones of the victim in this accident. While losing someone close to you is never easy, the suddenness and violence of a car accident makes the loss all the more harder to bear. 

While we are not sure of the full details of the accident yet—did the pickup driver make an illegal turn? Was he drunk or otherwise intoxicated while operating his car?—we know that the family of the victim may have grounds to file a wrongful death claim against the driver, depending on what the police investigation shows and what charges are filed.

The tragic accident highlights the reality that motorcyclists are involved in countless crashes every year, and that cyclists face a particular set of dangers while on the road, given the fact that their motor vehicles do not have airbags, seat belts or other safety features that come standard in cars and trucks. The attorneys at our North Carolina personal injury law firm have written a comprehensive guide regarding motorcycle accidents; you can click here to download it for free.

It’s also very important to be aware of the statistics surrounding motorcycle accidents and fatalities. Frighteningly, as one of our lawyers recently reported, it looks as though 2012 might set an all-time record for fatalities related to motorcycle accidents.  The factors related to the increase may be good weather, more expensive gasoline (of which a motorcycle will use less) and an uptick in the economy; regardless of the reasons, it’s clear that we need to be cautious of all drivers on the road, including cyclists.

You can also click here to read about a motorcycle injury case we argued wherein we secured a $450,000 settlement for our client.