Drunk Motorcyclist Plows Through Group of Cyclists

City bikers in San FranciscoGetting behind the wheel after you’ve been drinking is a bad idea. Getting behind the handlebars of a motorcycle? Also a bad idea. According to the California Highway Patrol, a man from Clovis lost control of his Harley Davidson while riding in Fresno County. He veered off the pavement and while trying to regain control of his motorcycle, he hit a group of three men riding bicycles. All three men were taken to a nearby medical center with major injuries. The perpetrator suffered minor injuries which were treated at the hospital before he was booked into county jail on felony DUI charges.

Drunk Motorcycling

Normally, when someone suffers injuries in an accident involving alcohol and motorcycles, it’s the motorcyclist being hit by a drunk driver. But drunk motorcyclists can inflict injuries, as seen in the above accident.

An NHTSA report from 2010 shows that motorcycle riders who have BAC levels above the legal limit are 28 percent more likely to be involved in fatal crashes, higher than for any other type of motor vehicle driver. The majority of those fatalities are the riders themselves, but thanks to dulled senses, judgment and perception, riders are also more likely to run into pedestrians or bicyclists. Motorcycles go fast and can weigh hundreds of pounds – steel missiles in control of an intoxicated driver are a recipe for disaster.

Motorcycles are unforgiving machines even for sober drivers who are slightly inattentive. They are a disaster waiting to happen for drunk riders. If you have suffered injury due to a drunk motorcyclist, you should know that any criminal charges the biker receives are separate from any action you can bring against the biker. Speak to a personal injury attorney to start your claim.



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