Motorcyclists are in danger when they take to the roads. It is generally not the fault of their own; rather, it is the fault of the many drivers who are reckless behind the wheel. Even a sober driver often endangers motorcyclists. Add alcohol to the equation, and a motorcyclist is bound to be injured by a drunk driver in a car next to him.
In July 2011, a group of cyclists in Pennsylvania called Last Chance Motorcycle Club hit the road to head to a friend’s funeral when death struck again. Two motorcyclists were killed by a driver who, to this day, is still trying to excuse his erratic driving and careless actions that caused the fatal motorcycle accidents almost two years ago.
A jury convicted the drunk driving defendant of involuntary manslaughter and drunk driving last December. He was sentenced to serve between 37 and 118 months in prison for the deaths of the two riders, as well as the injuries to four others. A jury didn’t believe the defendant’s story that it was a medical condition that caused the accident.
Still, the defendant fights to mitigate his legal situation. He has challenged the verdict and his sentencing, claiming there wasn’t enough evidence to find him guilty and that his sentencing is too harsh. A judge recently dismissed his challenges, though that is unlikely to stop the man (a former police officer) from taking his appeal further.
The two who died in this motor vehicle accident left behind widows. In response to their loss, those widows filed wrongful death lawsuits in Pennsylvania against the driver. Taking that legal action can help those who have lost loved ones recover any expenses they incurred related to the untimely loss of the victims as well as money for emotional loss and suffering, too.
Source: The Morning Call, “Judge dismisses claims of driver in Bangor fiery motorcycle crash,” Riley Yates, April 16, 2013