A motorcycle rider who is involved in a collision with a commercial truck often suffers significant bodily injuries, including head trauma and paralysis. Tragically, they sometimes lose their lives in the crash. The consequences, both financially and emotionally, are devastating and the law firm of Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos is experienced in representing motorcycle riders and their families in these types of collisions.
While most motorcycle collisions resulting in bodily injury involve passenger vehicles, injuries suffered in a truck vs. motorcycle accident are usually more catastrophic and are more likely to result in death. The motorcycle rider and his family are entitled to be fairly compensated for their losses. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos will vigorously pursue recovery against the truck driver, the owner of the truck, the business that maintained the truck and other persons and entities responsible for the collision. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos will obtain all the relevant evidence, including records of the truck driver’s experience and training, log book records of the driver’s recent driving history, and maintenance and repair records of the truck. These records are often helpful in proving liability for the collision. For example, a truck driver’s fatigue is sometimes a contributing cause of the accident and his detailed log that he is required to maintain of his driving schedule, including periods of meals, sleep and breaks, is proof of the inability to stay alert.
It is advisable to consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible after the collision. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos will immediately retain expert witnesses to investigate the cause of the collision and document the physical evidence at the scene. It is also important for a private investigator to interview all the percipient witnesses soon after the accident. The investigation always includes a determination of whether the owner or driver of the truck violated any safety regulations adopted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The investigation should start immediately.
The injured motorcycle riders should not always accept the findings and conclusions of the police investigators when deciding whether to pursue their claim against the truck driver. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos recently represented a motorcycle driver who was involved in a collision with a truck in Oakland, California. The motorcyclist and his passenger were seriously injured. The Oakland Police Department investigated the collision, photographed the scene of the accident and interviewed the witnesses who observed the accident. The police department then prepared a rather extensive traffic collision report that concluded the motorcyclist was speeding and was 100% responsible for the accident. As soon as Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos was retained, it conducted its own investigation by retaining an accident reconstruction expert and a trucking expert to recreate the circumstances of the accident. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos also hired a private investigator to immediately interview the percipient witnesses and obtain recorded statements from them. The evidence that Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos was able to develop established that the truck driver, not the motorcyclist, caused the collision. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos then filed a lawsuit in the Alameda Superior Court on behalf of its clients and after the extensive discovery, settled the lawsuit for $3.7 million.
Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos is one of the leading personal injury law firms in California and is experienced in handling truck vs. motorcycle accidents. Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos attorneys are available for a free consultation..