Fatal Motorcycle Accidents

Millions of Americans ride motorcycles. Many of them do it because they enjoy the rush of fresh air as they cruise the roads, unrestricted by the metal body of a car or truck.

However, the openness and exposure of a motorcycle also makes riders more vulnerable than drivers of other cars or trucks. Since they do not have a protective steel casing like other vehicles that can absorb some of the impact of a collision and protect the occupants of the vehicle, motorcyclists involved in collisions with another vehicle or other object tend to have more traumatic injuries. Unfortunately, motorcyclists do not always recover from their injuries.

Sometimes the reckless or negligent behavior of another party leads to the wrongful death of a motorcyclist or a motorcyclist’s passenger. For example, the wrongful death may be the fault of the manufacturer of a defective motorcycle or motorcycle equipment, another driver, a person who loaned their car to the driver at fault, the employer of the driver, a town or city that has not properly maintained a road, or another person or group.

Sadly, sometimes motorcycle drivers themselves act recklessly and cause the death of their passenger.

The loss of a loved one because of the negligence of another party in a motorcycle accident can have a devastating impact on the victim’s family. Since the wrongful death of a loved one in a motorcycle accident has such a heavy toll on the well-being of the victim’s family, Massachusetts state law entitles the families of motorcyclists who suffer wrongful deaths to compensation. Although nothing can make up for the loss of spouse, child, or parent, you may be able to get compensation under Massachusetts law for many of your losses, including:

  • Any pain and suffering the victim experienced before their death as a result of the motorcycle accident.
  • Costs associated with the victim’s funeral and burial.
  • Wages the victim would have earned during the course of his or her life.
  • The surviving family members’ loss of the society, care, consortium and guidance they would have received from the victim.
  • Emotional distress and physical injuries related to the emotional distress that family members may have suffered as a result of the accident.
  • Additional compensation meant to punish a party whose behavior was malicious, reckless, or grossly negligent, often referred to as punitive damages.

The experienced attorneys at Sheff Law have successfully advocated for the rights of the families of wrongful death victims for decades. In the past, we have won verdicts worth millions of dollars for the families of wrongful death victims. Our team can help ensure that you will be compensated fairly for the monetary and emotional losses that resulted from the wrongful death of your loved one.

Sheff Law will bring to bear not only the expertise of our team of attorneys, but also the knowledge of the experts we work with in the fields of engineering, forensic economics, and medicine. We offer an initial consultation free of charge. When you are ready to schedule your consultation, please fill out the form or call us at (617) 227-7000 or (888) 423-4477.