Utah Law Talk

Kent David Ballard, 67 years old, is dead following a motorcycle accident in Summit County, Utah on May 9, 2010, the Salt Lake Tribune reports. According to the story, the motorcycle crash happened in Echo, on Echo Road about 2:20 p.m. According to witnesses, Mr. Ballard was on an older 1972 Honda motorcycle when he lost control of the bike and drove off the right side of the road. Upon impact, he was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Sadly, he was not wearing a helmet and died at the scene.

My condolences to the family of this man. Adding to the grief must be the realization that a helmet may have saved his life.

I comment on many motorcycle accidents. I have noticed that in most of the fatality cases, the rider or passenger on the motorcycle was not wearing a helmet. My blog isn’t going to change this fact. It would seem, though, that the repeated news of severe or fatalities from these types of crashes would and that riders would get smart and start protecting themselves and the families that love and depend on them.

Ron Kramer is a Utah motorcycle accident lawyer with offices in Draper, Utah and Bountiful Utah.

Two motorcyclists were injured following a collision that occurred in Draper, Utah on March 24, 2010. According to police and KSL news, the driver of a car turn left in front of the motorcyclists at 12300 South and Minuteman Drive in Draper, Utah and hit the two men on the motorcycle as they were riding through the intersection.

Emergency personnel arrived to transport the men to the hospital. They injured their backs and lower legs. The woman driving the car that hit the motorcycle was not injured.

Utah law requires that a driver making a left turn yield to oncoming traffic. This woman will most likely be cited for “failure to yield”. These two men would do well contacting a Draper, Utah motorcycle accident attorney who will help them explore all legal avenues available to them. I wish them the very best as they recover from their injuries.

As the weather gets warmer, we will see more and more motorcycles on the road. Approximately three-fourths of all motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle, and most are passenger vehicles. In two-thirds of these accidents, the passenger vehicle violated the motorcyclist’s right of way and caused the accident. Most drivers involved in this type of accident admit they never saw the motorcyclist or say their view was hindered by glare or obstructed by another vehicle.