A recent accident in Lafayette took the life of a 48-year-old Louisiana man. Although the man was wearing a helmet at the time, the injuries sustained in this motorcycle accident proved to be fatal.

The man was apparently leaving a private driveway on the evening of March 22 when he was struck by a truck. Investigators believe the pickup truck was traveling south on the same road and was in the left turn lane when the motorcycle entered the roadway. The vehicles collided, and the rider was thrown from the motorcycle.

There were no other injuries in this motorcycle accident and weather does not appear to have been a factor. At the time the news story was published, there were no indications that the pickup driver was facing any charges in connection to this accident, nor was it known if there were any witnesses to the crash other than the word of the pickup driver. From the news reports, it appears the investigation is ongoing and the cause of the crash has not yet been detailed.

Not every accident results in a successful claim for personal injuries or wrongful death. A wrongful death claim typically covers circumstances where a fatality occurs that was caused by the negligent or intentional acts of another. While it is too early to know if evidence exists in this motorcycle accident to support such a claim, the surviving family will surely want to know exactly what occurred in order to assess what legal relief, if any, to which they may be entitled.

Source: Hope Star, "Crash in Lafayette, La. claims Hope man," March 27, 2012