A Baton Rouge woman who was riding as a passenger on a Harley Davidson motorcycle was recently killed during a motorcycle accident. The motorcycle crash occurred after a driver of a Ford passenger car pulled out of a private drive directly in front of the motorcycle. After the motorcycle then struck the car, the operator and the passenger on the motorcycle were thrown.

The driver of the car was not injured, but the operator of the motorcycle had been transported to the hospital. The woman killed in the motorcycle accident was 48-years old.

Like so many other motorcycle accidents, the driver of the car likely did not see the motorcycle coming and pulled out in front of the motorcycle while making the assumption that no traffic was present. Though alcohol was not thought to be a factor in this accident, it has become increasingly obvious that inattention to the presence of motorcycles on the road presents another danger that can be equally deadly.

Drivers must be educated that motorcycle riders and their passengers have the same rights as drivers concerning right-of-way on the roads. What may result in minimum property damage when the accident results two cars in a crash will have a completely different result when one of the vehicles involved in the accident happens to be a motorcycle. There is practically no such thing as a minor motorcycle crash as such accidents can result in head injuries, paralysis and even death.

Lawyers experienced in personal injury work can hold drivers that ignore the rights of motorcycles accountable. Such lawsuits may at least put drivers on alert that they do not own the road.

Source: Bayou Buzz, "Motorcycle passenger killed in afternoon crash," by Samantha, Jan. 27, 2012