An accident on Rock Quarry Road in Raleigh led to the death of a 32-year-old woman on February 5. Pamela Melody Butler was driving her 2013 Suzuki motorcycle southbound on Rock Quarry when suddenly a Ford truck being driven by Belsazar Toledo-Garcia crossed into the southbound lane in an attempt to make a left turn. Toledo-Garcia apparently failed to see Butler coming, and the resulting collision caused extremely serious injuries.
When medical professionals arrived at the scene, they pronounced Butler dead from her injuries. Toledo-Garcia was charged with a misdemeanor death by motor vehicle crime, as well as charges for unsafe movement and driving without a license.
One of the most common types of motorcycle accidents is “left turn” accidents, those being when vehicles make a left turn into the motorcycle. These often happen because drivers fail to see motorcycles coming, as they are much smaller than other vehicles on the road and, especially at night, are not as visible. Motorcycle drivers can help to remedy this by wearing reflective clothing every time they are out for a ride, and making sure that they use all signals and follow all rules of the road.
Still, it is the responsibility of other drivers to abide by right of way rules when making left turns. In this particular case, Butler’s family could have a claim for a wrongful death suit against Toledo-Garcia, especially considering he was charged with several crimes in relation to the incident. A wrongful death claim could provide Butler’s family members with financial compensation for their loss, should it be successful.
To learn more about the factors impacting claims related to motorcycle accidents in North Carolina, contact a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer with Lanier Law Group.