A 54-year-old man from Kinder, Louisiana, was killed on Aug. 27 when his motorcycle was struck head-on. The man was riding on LA 383 roughly two miles north of Iowa when the crash occurred. According to State Police, an oncoming 2003 Mercury Marquis crossed the centerline and hit the cyclist.
The rider was killed at the scene of the accident. The 38-year-old man in the Mercury sustained minor injuries and was taken to Lake Charles hospital for treatment. Police suspected that the driver may have been impaired. If so, the crash would mark yet another motorcycle crash caused by an impaired driver in a state where 63 percent of motorcycle crash fatalities investigated by Louisiana State Police Troop D are caused by impaired drivers. It is the eighth fatal crash they have responded to this year.
A motorcycle accident involving a car can often result in the death of the cyclist. The loss of a loved one can be an especially difficult experience. Surviving family members can seek compensation for that loss by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent driver responsible. They may be able to claim economic damages from that death. These damages can include lost income from wages and other benefits, the loss of or damage to personal property, funeral and after death expenses and other calculable losses.
In certain cases, surviving family can also seek non-economic damages. A likely form of non-economic damage is the loss of companionship or care that was provided by the deceased. A child or spouse can often make this claim. An older family member, such as an elderly parent, may also make the claim if the deceased person was primarily responsible for their care.
Source: KATC.com, “LSP: Motorcyclist killed by impaired driver”, Jeff Davis, August 28, 2014
