Motorcycle Accident in Clarksville, Tennessee Claims Life of Soldier

By Thomas Greer | January 4, 2014

People’s reasons for riding a bike may vary.  It could be a love passed along from parent to child or a pleasure adopted on one’s own.  Regardless of how a person became a biker, it is with a passion for riding that each trip is made, even if gas economy is used for a justification now and then.  The sad fact is that riding is not without its risks.  In Tennessee, approximately 140 people are killed in bike accidents each year.  On December 16, 2013, an active duty service member lost his life while riding his bike.

Lefrederick Gray was riding his bike, a 2005 Yamaha, on Fort Campbell Boulevard when he was hit by a truck crossing through an intersection.  The accident occurred when the driver of Ford Ranger turned left through the intersection and impacted Mr. Gray.  Although he was wearing a motorcycle helmet that met Department of Transportation standards, it appears that the helmet was not properly secured.  This tragic accident is a reminder of the devastating consequences of a collision between a motorcycle and another vehicle.

The type of accident that happened here is a broadside or T-Bone collision.  This means that the impacting vehicle hit the motorcycle on the side, rather than the front or rear.  This type of accident normally takes places in an intersection, which is what happened in the accident between Mr. Gray and the truck driver.  Due to the fact that a motorcycle lacks a protective steel frame, any type of airbag, or other protections, the rider likely will suffer devastating injuries or death, which was the case in the Clarksville crash.  A T-bone collision is very common between cars and motorcycles because the smaller size of the bike makes it harder to see.  Frequently, these accidents happen when the driver of the other vehicle fails to yield at a traffic light or stop sign.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the use of motorcycle helmets are thirty-seven percent (37%) effective in preventing accident fatalities in motorcycle drivers and forty-one percent (41%) effective for passengers.  However, even when helmets are secured properly, they are not enough to prevent all injuries.  Most bike accident victims suffer harm to their head, neck, back, legs, and upper trunk area.  Often, these injuries are severe.

When a person has been injured in a motorcycle accident, the compensation from a personal injury lawsuit may be critical to getting the help that you need and paying your bills.  Recovery amounts can cover emergency medical expenses, long-term care and rehabilitation, lost wages, pain and suffering, miscellaneous expenses related to the crash, and property damage.  All of this is necessary to be able to move forward from the serious harm that the rider suffered in the crash.

A motorcycle crash can lead to severe injuries, including traumatic brain injury, paralysis, crush injuries, or internal organ damage.  Usually, these injuries require many years before the accident victim is able to resume a normal life.  In order to get the necessary long-term treatment, it is important to contact the experienced motorcycle accident law firm of Bailey & Greer, PLLC.  We understand how to get the compensation that you need to pay your bills, care for your family, and devote the time and energy that your recovery requires.  Our compassionate and skilled motorcycle accident attorneys in Tennessee will sit down with you and evaluate your case in order to provide reasonable legal strategies.  To schedule an appointment, please call 901-680-9777.  At Bailey & Greer, PLLC, we are small enough to care, big enough to fight, and experienced enough to win.

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