The Galveston motorcycle injury lawyers of Denena & Points were deeply saddened to hear that Jim McNeil, “The Real Deal,” died Sunday during practice for a sponsor exhibition at the Texas Motor Speedway (TMS). CareFlight took McNeil, an accomplished extreme motorcycle stunt rider who had been active in the sport since the mid-1980s, to a Fort Worth Hospital following the crash.

A coroner reports that Jim McNeil died of blunt force trauma to the chest and neck. Cory Stem, the FMX tour manager, reports that Mr. McNeil crashed when he came up short on a landing. Jim McNeil, not part of the TMS official program of events on Sunday, was practicing in a souvenir area outside of the TMS gates when the accident occurred.

Jim McNeil, of Phoenix, AZ, was a five-time competitor in the X Games, a 9-year member of the Boost Mobile team, and a well-known, well-regarded competitor on the FMX (freestyle motocross) circuit.

Tour manager Cory Stem of Freestylemx.com places the blame for Jim McNeil’s tragic accident on an “unknown mechanical failure.” Witnesses reportedly had heard the engine of McNeil’s cycle running poorly prior to the motorcycle accident.

Jim McNeil’s tragic death illustrates the extreme danger of extreme motor sports. Just riding a motorcycle on Texas roads proves deadly to hundreds of people each year. Doing back flips and huge jumps on a motorcycle at heights reaching 30 feet or more presents incalculable dangers ofinjury or fatality to the rider and to nearby spectators, no matter how accomplished the rider. Jim McNeil’s accident shows that it only takes the smallest mechanical failure to cause a catastrophic, fatal crash. Equipment failure, tire defects, prop defects, and track conditions could all lead to fatal accidents.

Our Galveston motorcycle injury lawyers mourn the loss of Jim McNeil, a beloved and accomplished veteran of the FMX circuit, from Sunday’s accident. Those who worked with him report that his stardom didn’t go to his head; Mr. McNeil remained a warm and big-hearted man, “the nicest rider” one could encounter. Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest sympathies are with his family, friends, and cadre of devoted fans. The FMX circuit has lost one of its bright lights; the world of motor sports will be dimmer without him.

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