Motorbikes are a joy to ride for many motorcyclists’ the world over. However, they are also well known for being extremely dangerous. The danger of motorbikes is partially due to their power, partially due to the exposure the delicate human body has to dangers in the event of a collision and largely due to observation failures on the part of other road users which are the most common cause of motorcycle accidents.
Even those who are extremely well seasoned motorbike users are sadly not immune to their dangers. In a tragedy in South Africa, Kevin Ash passed away whilst testing a motorcycle – doing what he loved. Ash was a journalist for the Telegraph and he had been writing for them for a decade and a half. His articles were specifically focused on motorbikes, and he worked as the motorcycle correspondent for the Telegraph and also wrote for a number of other motorcycle publications. He was in the process of testing a new BMW bike, the R1200GS, when he crashed on a road outside of the South African town of George, 155 miles from Cape Town. The bike is specifically designed for adventure touring and is the best selling BMW model on the market at this time.
Details regarding the incident were kept private to respect the family of Ash, however, it is thought that he passed away when he was in the process of conducting a test ride and died at the scene. Many tributes were paid to Ash on his website, on blogs and forums online and also by his colleagues at the many magazines and newspaper publications he wrote for.
As is clear from this incident, motorcycle accidents can be life changing for motorcyclists and their family and friends. That is why it is vital that the opportunities to make a claim for personal injury is available for motorbike users who have been involved in accidents which are not their fault must be available and accessible. Many lawyers provide specialist personal injury claiming services for motorcycle accident sufferers. If you want to make a claim on behalf of a loved one – perhaps your spouse, son or daughter has been injured or killed in an accident which was caused by a third party’s negligence – contact one of these specialist motorcycle accident lawyers. You should also contact an expert motorcycle accident lawyer if you are claiming on behalf of yourself. Compensation claims must be made within 3 years of the accident date or they will not be viable. A rule of thumb to follow is that claiming sooner rather than later gives you the best chance of success.