Mississippi Injury Lawyer Blog

Three North Mississippi residents were killed in motorcycle accidents on Sunday, July 17th, according to The Commercial Appeal. While any fatal crash is tragic, this was a very unusual circumstance. As DeSoto County, MS Coroner Jeff Pounders stated, "In my job, I've never seen this many motorcycle deaths on the same day."

The first motorcycle fatality occurred in Marshall County. According to Mississippi Highway Patrol Trooper Joe Miller, former Holly Springs Police chief Robert Pearson ran off the road and his motorcycle flipped over. The circumstances surrounding the accident were unclear.

Two of the three accidents were in DeSoto County, MS. Danny Wayne Farris of Walls, MS, age 54, struck a vehicle at Goodman Road and U.S. 61, not far from his residence. Gregory W. Smith, age 49, was later killed in a head-on collision near Eudora, also near his home. Both victims were thrown from their motorcycles and pronounced dead on the scene.

Motorcycle accidents severely injure and claim the lives of hundreds of people every year. In fact, motorcycles are involved in 13 percent of all traffic fatalities nationwide, including 47 in Mississippi in 2009. Even safe riding skills do not prevent accidents from occurring due to the negligence of others on the roadway. If you are going to ride, it is important to have adequate insurance coverage (medical payments coverage and uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage) in the event that the person causing the accident is either without insurance or does not have enough to compensate you for injuries you may sustain.

Continue reading "DeSoto and Marshall County, MS--Three Motorcycle Accidents/Fatalities " »

On August 28, 2010, Private First Class Shedrick Gordon of Batesville, MS was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident near Sardis, MS.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration statistics for the State of Mississippi, in 2008, out of 28,171 registered motorcyclists, approximately 40 people were killed in motorcycle accidents. Of those 40 fatalities, only 80% were wearing a protective helmet.

While it has been proven that wearing a helmet can save lives, as noted above, it is not always a sure thing. Sometimes injuries result from equipment failure or malfunction, poor design of the motorcycle, or lack of proper safety instruction. Other times, the accidents are caused by other drivers who either fail to pay attention, who are speeding, or who are otherwise driving recklessly. Motorcyclists must take extra precautions, be extra vigilant, and make sure that they are easily seen by other drivers on the roadway. This could be as simple as wearing brightly colored clothing or making eye contact with other drivers to insure that they are aware of the presence of your motorcycle.

The Desoto Times Tribune, "Guard Soldier Killed in Bike Accident", September 3, 2009.

Continue reading "Sardis, Mississippi Motorcycle Accident Claims the Life of Batesville, Mississippi Soldier" »