How Well Do You Know The Driver Of The Motorcycle You Are A Passenger On? - Your Life May Be in Extreme Danger
On Monday, September 21, 2009, the operator of a motorcycle whose female passenger was ejected from the rear seat and thrown over the railing of a highway bridge into the Schuylkill River was charged with vehicular homicide in her death. According to police and prosecutors, Julian Tyrone Mansfield, 21, was speeding on a stolen motorcycle when he hit the rear of a car while trying to pass it on the right side of Route 202, Dannehower Bridge, on the night of June 23rd. Unfortunately, his passenger Ryan Bonita Banjomin of Norristown flew off the bike, over the side of the bridge, suffering fatal injuries in the fall and her body was later recovered from the river.
Of course our hearts and prayers go out to the family of Ryan Bonita Banjomin but this case calls to question the issue of how well a passenger on a motorcycle knows the driver. In this case, the operator of the motorcycle was charged with vehicular homicide, driving with a suspended license and other offenses.
Just last week, I had another consultation with another client who was catastrophically injured while also the passenger on a motorcycle. In her particular case, she had no idea that the operator had little or no experience operating a motorcycle. The operator, in fact, was intoxicated at the same time.
If one is seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle accident as a passenger riding on the back of the bike, even though one is not the driver of the motorcycle, the law of Pennsylvania provides protection. The passenger on a motorcycle has the same legal rights and considerations as a passenger riding in a car. The passenger would have a cause of action against the motorcycle driver’s insurance company, as well as against any other person who is or may have been responsible for the passenger’s injuries. Many times people are afraid to file claims against the driver of the motorcycle because he was a family member or friend. However, what they fail to understand is that most times insurance companies are involved and responsible for payment of medical bills and compensatory damages.
The Philadelphia motorcycle accident lawyers of Reiff & Bily have been representing passengers injured in motorcycle accidents and car accidents since 1979 and fight aggressively for your rights. If you would like a free consultation, please contact one of our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
