Fatal Motorcycle Accidents in Colleyville
Even if they do everything right and wear appropriate safety gear, motorcycle riders are still susceptible to serious injury when they are involved in a traffic accident. Unfortunately, that means life-threatening injuries are more common in these crashes compared to other types of motor vehicle wrecks.
Financial compensation alone can never fully make up for a loved one’s life being unfairly cut short, and lawsuits against people responsible for fatal motorcycle accidents in Colleyville are not built around that assumption. That said, demanding fair restitution for specific losses you will experience because of your family member’s premature death can be key to maximizing your family’s long-term quality of life, as can working closely with a compassionate motorcycle accident attorney throughout your wrongful death claim.
Who Has Grounds to Sue Over a Fatal Motorcycle Crash?
When someone loses their life as a direct result of a fatal motorcycle crash in Colleyville or anywhere else in Texas, their “cause of action” for civil litigation does not become void just because they are not able to file suit on their own behalf. Instead, the right to file suit passes on to their surviving immediate family members—more specifically, to:
- Their surviving spouse, child(ren), or parent(s) for the first three months after the decedent’s death
- Their “personal representative” after three months has passed, up until a maximum of two years after the date of death
All eligible family members can seek restitution through a wrongful death claim for economic and non-economic losses that they experience because of their loved one’s death, such as:
- Emotional anguish
- Lost “consortium” for a spouse
- Lost value of future inheritance
- Lost household services and assistance
- Lost love, companionship, and guidance
- Lost future financial support or benefits like health insurance through the decedent’s job
Rarely, in cases involving extremely egregious negligence or intentionally malicious actions, the court may award additional “punitive damages” expressly to punish the defendant(s) for their misconduct.
Building a Strong Case Based on Legal “Negligence”
Importantly, the fact that someone lost their life in a motorcycle crash involving another person does not automatically make that person liable to pay for damages like the ones mentioned above. Much like the motorcyclist would have had to if they had survived their crash, family members or a personal representative filing suit after a fatal motorcycle accident in Colleyville generally must prove “negligence” by the named defendant(s) to compel them to provide compensation.
Most of the time, this entails proving that a specific reckless, careless, or illegal act was the main cause of the collision in question, which in turn directly led to the decedent’s premature death. In some situations, though, a third party may hold “strict liability” for a fatal motorcycle wreck without needing to have acted irresponsibly in any specific way—for instance, a manufacturer that produced a dangerously defective motorcycle.
A Colleyville Attorney Could Help After a Fatal Motorcycle Accident
Everyone on public Texas roads has a duty to drive safely, carefully, and lawfully at all times—including and especially around motorcyclists. Anyone who causes a fatal motorcycle accident in Colleyville by violating that duty should be held accountable for the consequences of their actions; however, doing so can be complicated on both legal and personal levels.
Having help from a seasoned lawyer could greatly improve your chances of a favorable case result while minimizing additional stress for you and your loved ones. Call today to discuss your options.