Motorcycle Rear Ended Leaves One Dead, Over a Dozen Injured In Miami

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on November 10, 2016

Motorcycle accidents are always dangerous and – when hit by a car traveling at a high speed – are often deadly. This is unfortunately the case for a recent motorcycle accident in the Miami area that involved a traffic cop just shy of two years away from retiring. The incident started when a SUV rear-ended the officer’s motorcycle, which set off a chain reaction that left five vehicles damaged, two people in critical condition, 11 in the hospital and one police officer dead.

The officer was on his way to work, driving west on Southwest 8th Street, when he stopped in the left turn lane at the intersection of Southwest 137th Avenue. He was rear ended by a SUV while stopped. The impact forced his motorcycle into the intersection, where he was hit again by oncoming traffic. It was this second impact that threw him forward and back onto Southwest Eighth Street – four lanes from where he was initially struck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. As his motorcycle skidded across the road, it hit numerous other vehicles, causing the multiple injuries.

The crashed caused such commotion that it took Florida State Patrol troopers hours before they were able to determine how many people were injured and who was involved in the automobile crash. It took police days to sift through the accident scene and the investigation as to what caused the accident continues.

In this situation, the investigation will likely focus on how the driver of the SUV rear ended the motorcycle and why the impact – which occurred in a turning lane – was forceful enough to throw the motorcycle across four lanes of traffic. Although only speculation, the likely cause will be that the SUV was a) speeding and b) not paying attention. In other words, because of the SUV driver’s reckless and negligent driving, the motorcyclist, along with nearly a dozen other individuals, were either hurt or killed. As a result, the surviving family of the motorcyclist and all the other injured victims should be able to file a claim against the SUV driver to get compensation for their injuries.

To learn more about your legal rights following a Florida motorcycle accident, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham, P.A. today and schedule your free initial consultation.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.