In Marietta, a jury came back with a verdict in favor of a thirteen year old girl who had been crushed by a motorcycle. She and her family were attending a promotional event at a motorcycle store when an owner of the business rode through the parking lot to entertain the crowd. The bike went out of control crushing her against her mother's car. In the motorcycle accident, she suffered a broken pelvis and other broken bones. Fortunately, she has made a good recovery although she still has some back pain. Apparently, the jury felt the bike rider was reckless in putting on his impromptu exhibition.
Reckless behavior in a negligence case raises the stakes to gross negligence allowing a jury to find punitive damages against the defendant. Motorcycle accidents are often catastrophic even when there is not gross negligence. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation promotes safety for bikers by emphasizing not only safety procedures for avoiding motorcycle accidents but publicizing how cars and trucks can help keep motorcyclists safe.
For example, reminding drivers that a motorcycle can easily be hidden in a car's blind spots. Because of the motorcycle's small size it may seem further away than it is. It is important for all of us to be more aware of the vehicle traffic around us, especially in the Atlanta area.
