Police report that a motorcycle that was traveling at a high rate of speed collided with a Honda sedan, resulting in the deaths of both the driver of the car and the motorcyclist. The accident happened around 11 p.m. on April 12 in Tarzana at the corner of Collins Street and Reseda Boulevard. The driver of the car was attempting to make a left turn when the motorcycle hit the side of the vehicle.
The motorcyclist was identified as a 30-year-old man, and the operator of the sedan was a 60-year-old woman. The Los Angeles Police Department said that the motorcycle struck the car with enough force that the rider was launched from the bike and through the window of the car’s driver side door. The motorcyclist’s body hit the driver and landed in the passenger seat of the car.
Both individuals were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Investigators closed the intersection to traffic until early Monday morning. Police said that this was the second fatal incident in this area of the city in the last three days.
A car crash can give rise to a wrongful death claim. The structure of a wrongful death settlement typically apportions percentages of responsibility to each driver involved in an incident. Plaintiffs should discuss how this process works with an attorney before moving forward with a claim.
The motorcyclist’s rate of speed at the time of the collision will receive a lot of attention, but the insurance company for the biker will also want to address questions about the line of sight available to the car’s operator before making a left-hand turn and whether enough caution was shown before attempting to enter the intersection. Ultimately, compensation will be determined based upon who is seen as the most responsible for causing the accident.
Source: NBC Los Angeles, “Motorcyclist, Driver Killed in Tarzana Collision,” Heather Navarro, April 13, 2015