A 58-year-old Garden Grove man who was thrown from his 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycle died of trauma to his chest, The Orange County Register reports. Daniel Allen Dunn was reportedly thrown to the ground and hit his head, which was only protected by a novelty helmet, not approved by the Department of Transportation, the article said.
Dunn’s helmet was badly damaged in the accident, but the Orange County Coroner ruled that cause of death was trauma to the chest. The motorcycle accident occurred when Dunn was passing an intersection in Anaheim. He reportedly hit the north end of the raised concrete center median on the south side of the intersection. Officials say alcohol, speed or another vehicle was not involved in the accident.
This is indeed a tragic accident. The family of Mr. Dunn must be eager to find out what caused the crash, considering that all other factors such as speed, alcohol and another vehicle were ruled out by officials. It will be very important to find out why he lost control of the motorcycle at that intersection. Was his vehicle functioning properly or was there some sort of mechanical malfunction? Was there an inherent product defect or design defect that caused the malfunction? Was there a dangerous condition on the roadway that caused Mr. Dunn to lose control of his vehicle?
These are all the questions that must be answered to arrive at the truth. Mr. Dunn’s family would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury attorney who is well-versed in motorcycle accident cases and product liability lawsuits. It would also be highly advisable to preserve the motorcycle that was involved in the accident because it could turn out to be the most important piece of evidence in a product liability lawsuit.
The other lesson from this story, although Mr. Dunn did not die from head injuries, is to wear helmets that are safe and approved by the Department of Transportation. Please visit this Web site for more information. Here is another Web site, which has some very good information about motorcycle safety.