Almost two weeks ago, the former deputy chancellor of Texas A&M University, Jay Kimbrough, was critically injured in a motorcycle crash on Texas Highway 6 south of Navasota. Mr. Kimbrough, an advisor to Governor Rick Perry, reportedly lost control of the bike, flipped it over in a grassy median, and was ejected from the motorcycle. He has undergone surgery for several cracked vertebrae in his neck. Investigators from the Texas Department of Public Safety are looking into the possibility that gravel on the highway might have caused him to lose control of his motorcycle. (kbtx.com, 5/22/14) The thoughts and prayers of our Texas motorcycle accident injury attorneys are with Jay Kimbrough and his family as he recovers.
Two wheels are inherently less stable than four wheels in a moving vehicle. Almost anything can go wrong. And if one wheel slips out from under the bike, it’s almost certain that the operator will lose control of the vehicle and the motorcycle will spin or slide into a crash.
Things that will not affect a car in the slightest as it passes along the road can easily represent a fatal crash risk for a motorcyclist. A patch of loose gravel, debris, a small animal, a minor oil slick, or a puddle of water could all result in a sudden crash for a biker. Motorcyclists traveling at highway speeds will not always have time to avoid a crash by the time they notice the small obstacles in their path.
And if that’s not enough to contend with, bikers must remain alert for drivers of larger vehicles who fail to yield the right-of-way and suddenly turn in front of their oncoming motorcycles.
Click the link to learn about accident liability issues involved in a motorcycle accident caused by loose gravel.