Bicycle Motor-Vehicle Crashes Gaining Traction

Per Fox 13 News, The Utah man who was recently fatally struck by a vehicle while on his bicycle on 700 South in Salt Lake City has been identified as 31-year-old Christopher Watson. It is not yet known if Watson’s family has a case for a wrongful death lawsuit or if they have obtained a lawyer. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation reported that nationwide there were 726 bicycle deaths and 49,000 injuries in 2012. Per the Utah Department of Public Safety, three of those deaths occurred in Utah. It is unclear if any of the three were ruled a wrongful death. 

The 2012 Utah Crash Summary also noted that Salt Lake City averages the most bicycle motor-vehicle accidents per year and reported 484 accidents in the state capitol in 2012. 

Tour of Utah Crash Raises Questions

A horrific crash at the Tour of Utah this August placed a spotlight on bicycle motor-vehicle accidents. Per Fox 13 News Matt Brammeier, a member of the MTN Qhebeka Team, suffered severe injuries after losing control and riding into a support car at high speed. 

While race officials stated the support vehicle was cleared of any wrongdoing, the accident raises questions for the future of racing and the possible need for racing teams to obtain a lawyer.

Lawsuits On The Horizon? 

The world of professional cycling is extremely dangerous and athletes are well aware of this fact. Crashes among riders in Salt Lake City and elsewhere are common and typically lead to road rash, broken collarbones and cracked helmets. Matt Brammeier’s Tour of Utah crash was a whole different animal. 

Had the driver of the vehicle been at fault and Brammeier had succumbed to his injuries, would MTN Qhebeka have had a case for a wrongful death lawsuit? And if it did, what would such a case do to the world of racing? While these are merely hypothetical questions, there is no doubt that a lawyer could make this possibility a reality in the future. 

Alex Kirkwood is a legal writer reporter for Fusion 360, an SEO and content marketing agency. Information provided by Robert J Debry.