Arlington Heights Motorcyclist Dies in Traffic Accident
In Illinois, 49-year-old Joseph Ketza died on Monday in a motorcycle accident that occurred close to Willow Springs. The Arlington Heights motorcyclist became involved in a traffic accident with a van that made a U-turn in front of him.
Ketza, a father of four, struck the van with his motorcycle, lost control of it, and skidded along the pavement. He was pronounced dead less than two hours later at Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn.
The driver of the van was Chicago resident Joseph Delgado. Delgado has been charged with one count of an improper U-turn and one count of failure to yield.
Motorcycle Accidents
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that 4,810 people died in motorcycle accidents in 2006. While motorcycle accidents can occur because the motorcyclist was negligent, they also frequently occur because another party, such as a trucker, a car driver, or a bus driver was negligent.
Motorcyclists involved in serious auto crashes are prone to catastrophic injuries, including spinal cord injuries, severed limbs, serious burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and death. Motorcyclists don’t have anything except for their helmets and protective gear to protect them from the impact of being thrown into a car, crashing into a wall, or skidding across the highway at high speeds.
According to the “Hurt Report”:
• 75% of motorcycle accidents involve another motor vehicle.
• 2% of motorcycle accidents are caused by roadway defects.
• In 2/3rds of multiple vehicle crashes involving motorcycles, drivers of other vehicles caused the collisions and violated a motorcyclist’s right of way.
Arlington Heights man killed in motorcycle crash, Daily Herald.com, August 4, 2008
Related Web Resources:
Please contact our Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers and ask for your free consultation. The Law Offices of Steven J. Malman, PC is conveniently located in Chicago, and we represent personal injury and wrongful death clients throughout Illinois.
