California police departments often utilize both police cruisers and motorcycles in order to patrol streets and respond to emergency or criminal situations. Sadly, a recent motorcycle accident sent a police officer to the hospital. Authorities are currently still investigating the exact cause of the wreck, and no criminal charges have been filed yet.
Shortly after noon, a police officer on a motorcycle was en route to an unspecified location on an official police call. Both the sirens and lights were reportedly on as he traveled northbound. At that time, an Uber driver was also traveling on the same road, although that vehicle was southbound. The Uber vehicle was also carrying a passenger at the time.
For reasons that are still not clear, the driver of the Uber vehicle attempted to complete a left turn onto the on-ramp for I-22, crossing the path of the police motorcycle. A witness to the crash went to Twitter to report what he had seen, tweeting that the officer tried to avoid the collision but was unable to do so. After making contact with the rear of the Uber vehicle, the officer was tossed approximately 20 feet away from the motorcycle. The police officer as well as the passenger in the Uber vehicle were transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Although the injured officer will most likely be able eligible for workers’ compensation benefits because his injuries occurred while he was on-the-job, workers’ comp does not provide any type of recourse for pain and suffering. When an outside, third-party individual is liable for these injuries, he or she can be held responsible through the California civil court system. A personal injury claim filed against negligent drivers is often the best option for the victim of a motorcycle accident to address the emotional trauma and ongoing suffering in addition to related medical bills and lost wages.
Source: ocregister.com, “Update: CHP motorcycle officer injured in crash near 22 freeway“, Mark Rightmire, May 3, 2016
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