A South Carolina man was injured in a motorcycle crash due to a bump in the Blue Ridge Parkway in 2016. Dallas Fischer has filed a $1.7 million lawsuit against the government claiming that the warning only gave him about 25 feet of advance notice of the bump. The bump in the road sent Fischer off Blue Ridge Parkway wrecking his bike, breaking his ribs, and puncturing a lung.
Dallas and his wife Cherie want to be paid for his injuries and the impact the crash had on their family. The lawsuit accuses the federal government of negligence and how it maintains and operates one of America’s widely-known mountain byways. The Blue Ridge Parkway attracts thousands of motorcyclists every year and Fischer and his friends were among them.
National Park Service investigator Cody Skyler Marsh states that the bump in the parkway was the main contributing factor of the crash. As Marsh was on his way to the scene, he wrote in his report: “I happened to travel over the bump and even stated out loud …’I didn’t see that coming,’” Marsh wrote “I believe a contributing factor besides the imperfect road surface is the fact that the (warning) sign is very close to the bump itself … It’s possible that by the time an operator sees and reacts to the sign that they have traveled over the bump.”
Fischer’s medical bills have reached $500,000. Due to his surgery and the length of his recovery, Cherie is asking for $100,000 damages for loss of consortium.
The complaint states that the bump in the parkway and the lack of properly spaced warning signs have led to several wrecks near milepost 465.
Since then, more signs have been installed near the area.
Conclusion
If you or a loved one have been injured in a motorcycle accident, our attorneys are here to help. Even the most experienced motorcyclists can be injured in an accident. All consultations with our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys are free and there is no obligation. For any questions about your rights and the claim process, call 320-252-1200 to see how we can help you.
Note: This article uses information adapted from Michael Gordon for charlotteobserver.com. The full articles may be accessed at the links below.
https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article218154650.html
