Dayton, Ohio May20, 2013
Dayton motorcycle car crash
Motor vehicle accidents that occur between cars and motorcycles can leave the motorcyclist with serious extremity injuries of the leg or arm that lead to amputations. Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma, prolonged constriction, or surgery. (1)
Traumatic Amputation
A traumatic amputation is the partial or total avulsion ( tearing away ) of a part of a body during an event causing serious bodily harm, like vehicle crashes, labor, or combat. 1 in 20,000 persons lost a limb by amputation in 2012. Car accidents were one of the most common causes.
Often in crushing or cutting injuries it is the damage to the vascular system that causes the need for amputation. If the exremity is so injured that no blood flows to it this can lead to death of the affected tissue. Infection is likely to set in that can cause death, thus the necessity of amputation.
Surgeons will make heroic efforts to avoid amputations if possible. I once represented a young lady that was stuck by a car while riding a motorcycle. Her leg was badly crushed and lacerated at the ankle. The surgeon battled with multiple procedures and was able to save her leg. Unfortunately many are not so lucky.
Dayton Car Motorcycle Crash May Lead to Amputation
Just yesterday a car turned in front of a motorcyclist in Dayton, Ohio. The car motorcycle crash occured at the intersection of Kammer Ave and Anna Street. WDTN initially reported the driver of a van turned into the motorcyclist’s path. Invsestigators were interviewing witnesses.
The injury to the motorcycle rider was called life threatening. The motorcyclist was thrown from his motorcycle. The Dayton Daily News later reported that the man may lose his leg.
A better description of the cause of the collision was given. The motorcyclist was traveling down Kammer Street when the van turned in front of it attempting to turn onto Anna Street. This sounds like a clear failure to yield the right of way to the motorcycle by the car. http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4511.42
But wait. The paper reports that police are still investigating the accident to see who is at fault, but do believe that speed may be a factor in the crash. This is the typical BS motorcycle riders face and is a standard insurance company defense. Unfortunately with prejudices that treat bikers as second classs citizens in the road, these statements can cause a travesty of justice.
Amazingly the paper quoted Dayton police officer Andrew Gillig as follows:
“People are taking (their motorcycles) for a ride and they need to remember that they are a smaller vehicle and other cars do not always see them, especially at night,” said Sgt. Andrew Gillig of the Dayton Police Department.
What in the world does that statement have to do with anything. Motorcycles can be seen if you are looking properly. May is motorcycle safety awareness month. It seems to have blown right past Officer Gillig. How insensitive and just biased and plain wrong are his words.
A man is battling for his life, battling to save his leg . By all reports the crash was caused by the failure to yield and look properly by the van driver, yet arbitrary statements attempting to place culpabilty on the motorcyclist are surfacing.
1. Source Wikipedia/amputations
About the Author
Anthony Castelli rides a Harley Dyna Low Rider and is a personal injury lawyer that represents injured motorcyclists. He authored The Ohio Motorcycle Bible – The Guide To Protecting Ohio Motorcyclists and Their Families. He can be reached in locally in Dayton 1-937-306-6410 or call 1-800-447-6549