A man has died after he was ejected from a motorcycle during a crash in Manassas on January 17.
According to news reports, the collision occurred just before 3:45 p.m. on Centreville Road near Breeden Avenue. A preliminary investigation by the Prince William County Police Department showed that a woman driving a Jeep Cherokee on Centreville Road tried to make a left turn, colliding with the motorcycle.
The force of the impact ejected the rider from his bike. He died at the scene of the accident.
The driver of the Jeep suffered minor injuries.
The crash remained under investigation.
Fatal motorcycle accident happen all too often in Virginia. According to the Virginia Highway Safety Office, there were 2,127 motorcycle crashes in the Commonwealth in 2023, a 3.6% increase over 2022 numbers. What’s even more disturbing is the number of motorcycle fatalities have also increased in 2023 to 12.6%.
Many fatal crashes involve collisions with larger vehicles, particularly at intersections where drivers fail to yield right-of-way to motorcyclists. Common factors contributing to fatal motorcycle accidents include speeding, alcohol use, and lack of proper safety equipment – notably, Virginia law requires all motorcyclists to wear DOT-approved helmets.
Many fatal motorcycle accidents in Virginia involve questions of comparative negligence.Virginia follows the “pure contributory negligence” rule – one of only four states plus DC to still use this doctrine. Under this rule, if a motorcyclist is found to be even 1% at fault in the accident, they are barred from recovering any damages.
For example, if a car driver runs a red light and hits a motorcyclist, but the motorcyclist was going 5 mph over the speed limit at the time, the motorcyclist’s family might be barred from recovery despite the car driver’s more serious violation.
This becomes especially complex in motorcycle cases because of common scenarios like:
For this reason, early investigation and documentation of accident scenes becomes essential. Establishing that the motorcyclist took all reasonable precautions and followed all traffic laws can make the difference between a successful recovery and no recovery at all.
Your best option in this scenario is to contact a Virginia motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your rights. Contact Regan Zambri Long today to schedule a free consultation.
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This post is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal or medical advice. If you or a loved one has been injured, please seek immediate medical care.