Motorcyclist is Killed in Accident on Chesapeake’s West Military Highway

I was saddened to read about the death of another motorcyclist on the highways of Hampton Roads. Police say the rider was killed Saturday afternoon in a multi-vehicle accident in the 5100 block of West Military Highway in Chesapeake.

WAVY.com reported that Chesapeake Police arrived at the accident scene where they pronounced the motorcyclist dead. The driver of the other vehicle that was involved in the accident was transported to Maryview Hospital in Portsmouth with non-life threatening injuries.

All lanes along Route 58-W in Chesapeake were closed for a few hours due to the crash and the investigation.

There are few other details about the tragic crash that again highlights the vulnerability of motorcyclists when they are involved in crashes on the highways of Virginia and North Carolina. My thoughts are with the family of the motorcyclist who died. At Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers we are strong advocates of the rights of motorcyclists in Virginia.

The crash comes just two months after a motorcyclist was killed at an intersection of Cedar Road in Chesapeake. Often the driver of a car or a truck will be making a left turn and will fail to notice a motorcyclist, with fatal consequences. Motorcyclists can lose their lives in accidents at a relatively slow rate of speed. They are more vulnerable than car drivers to serious head injuries, because they are not protected by a metal frame.

See our page about motorcycle crashes in Virginia, for a list of the most common serious injuries that riders suffer.

If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident, you will need to recover the most for your injuries, from the insurance policy of an at-fault driver. If you have lost a loved one, you may be able to make a recovery in a wrongful death action.

In Virginia, a jury may award wrongful death damages that they believe are “fair and just.” (Va § 8.01-52) The areas that you can recover under Virginia law include the following:

1. Sorrow, mental anguish, and solace which may include companionship, society, comfort, guidance, kindly offices and advice of the decedent;
2. Compensation for reasonably expected loss of (i) income of the deceased and (ii) services, protection, care and assistance provided by the loved one you have lost;
3. Hospital costs sustained by your loved one for the injury resulting in death;
4. Reasonable funeral expenses; and.
5. Punitive damages may be recovered in some circumstances where there has been willful or wanton conduct, or such recklessness as demonstrated by a conscious disregard for the safety of others.

If you have lost a loved one, call our Hampton Roads wrongful death attorneys at 757.455.0077 for a free consultation.