In This Issue: Behind a $7.9 Million Settlement
How We Helped a Bicycle Accident Victim’s Family
We often overlook the needs of two-wheeled vehicles on our roadways, and the results can be tragic. We regularly remind our friends and family to assume that most drivers on the road are distracted, whether by their phones, radios, or other occupants. Evans Moore Law recently settled a case for $7.9 million that drove that point home. It serves as a reminder of how catastrophic distracted driving can be, particularly to bicycles and motorcycles.
Our clients were the family of a 50-year-old cyclist who died in an accident. One morning, he got on his bike for a pre-work ride, and a driver struck and killed him. The decedent was a U.S. Navy veteran and did a tour of duty during Operation Iraqi Freedom. During his service, he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in environmental studies and worked as an environmental coordinator. Most importantly, he was a husband and father of three.
Fortunately, his family acted quickly in their time of grief. Because they retained our services within 48 hours of the incident, our investigator could comb the collision area for video cameras. The investigator ultimately discovered home surveillance footage that captured the incident. Our team also obtained cellphone data, which may have been destroyed, overwritten, or lost with additional time.
The evidence allowed us to construct a detailed sight-line study and speed calculation. The ironclad proof assisted all parties in resolving the matter as quickly and efficiently as possible. We also avoided a long discovery period and trial that could have traumatized the family further.
The settlement in this case is more money than most of us can dream of, but even $7.9 million cannot make up for a lost life. Our clients would give up every penny to have their loved one back, but unfortunately, it’s not an option. Financial compensation is the only restitution that the laws of the United States and South Carolina provide in this situation.
But we can all do our part to make unnecessary injuries and death less likely. As we move into the summer, there will be a proliferation of motorcycles, bicycles, and golf carts legally sharing the roadways with us. We must all watch out for them and remember how vulnerable they are if struck by a vehicle. It’s long past time to put the cellphones down and concentrate on the road.
Meanwhile, if you or a loved one are involved in an accident, we cannot express the importance of engaging with legal counsel as quickly as possible. Doing so will allow us to preserve evidence as we did in this case. The video surveillance and cellphone data ensured we could obtain fast and comprehensive justice for this wonderful family. The settlement will not remove their heartache, but we hope it will provide them with the comfort that their loved one’s life had value and should never have been taken so soon.