A man was injured in a Los Angeles motorcycle accident when his vehicle skidded on a patch of oil on the freeway. According to a City News Service report, the injury accident occurred on the 110 Freeway, near Century Boulevard, the early morning of September 29, 2011. The victim was traveling with a number of other motorcyclists at the time of the accident. They have stated that the oil in the number two lane caused the victim to lose control of his motorcycle. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. An investigation is ongoing.
My thoughts and prayers are with the injured victim of this Los Angeles motorcycle accident. I wish him the very best for a complete and quick recovery.
Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2009 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), 35 people were killed and 1,248 were injured in Los Angeles motorcycle accidents. During that same year, 83 fatalities and 2,719 injuries occurred due to Los Angeles County motorcycle accidents.
Debris on the Roadway
Based on this news report, it appears that there was sufficient oil on the roadway to cause the motorcycle to skid and go out of control. Motorcyclists are particularly vulnerable in these types of incidents not only to roadway debris or slick surfaces, but also to defective roadway conditions such as potholes and uneven surfaces.
California law prohibits anyone from throwing or dumping debris on the highway. California Vehicle Code Section 23112 (a) states: “No person shall throw or deposit, nor shall the registered owner or the driver, if such owner is not then present in the vehicle, aid or abet in the throwing or depositing upon any highway any bottle, can, garbage, glass, nail, offal, paper, wire, any substance likely to injure or damage traffic using the highway, or any noisome, nauseous, or offensive matter of any kind.”
Liability Issues
In such cases, the person or entity that dumped or spilled the dangerous substance on the roadway can be held liable for the victim’s injuries. In some cases, the governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway can also be held liable for failing to clean up the spill in a timely manner. Injured victims would benefit from a consultation with an experienced California motorcycle accident lawyer, who will advise them about how their own auto insurance policy applies to an incident where the at-fault party is never found, or in a case where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.