Tragic Motorcycle Accident in Centralia Leaves One Dead l Seattle Wrongful Death Attorney

KOMO 4 News has reported that a motorcyclist died yesterday in an accident in Centralia.  Few details of the accident are reported, but the motorclist was 31 years old.  He was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was later pronounced.

We offer our sincere condolences to the motorcyclist’s family. 

Motorcycle accidents involving wrongful death are complex and may raise several questions involving insurance coverage, damages and liability for the accident.  Hopefully the Centralia police is completing a comprehensive investigation, obtaining witness statements, taking measurements, and photographing the scene.

Unfortunately, I see too many motorcycle accident cases where the motorcyclist does not carry adequate insurance coverage.  Unlike automobile drivers, Washington law does not require certain types of mandatory insurance coverage for motorcycle operators, like Uninsured Motorists and Personal Injury Protection coverage. 

If you operate a motorcycle, please make sure you have full coverage, including UM/UIM, PIP and liability coverage with limits of at least $300,000.  When a motorcyclist is involved in an accident, often times the injuries and/or damages are much more severe so greater coverage is often necessary to make sure you have adequate protection.

In wrongful death cases, there must exist certain statutory beneficiaries, or surviving relatives, of the deceased to pursue such a claim.  There are first-tier and second-tier beneficiaries, and their damages may be limited in certain situations. 

First-tier beneficiaries include a surviving spouse, children, step-children, and registered domestic partners.  Second-tier beneficiaries include parents and siblings.  But the law states that second-tier beneficiaries must be financially “dependent” on the decedent at time of death.

There are other legal requirements in a wrongful death action, like the requirement that a Personal Representative be appointed by the court.  Furthermore, a claim for economic and noneconomic damages must be adequately supported by expert testimony, and sufficient documentation.

Davis Law Group has substantial experience handling wrongful death accident claims in Washington state.  DLG recently settled a wrongful death case for $4 Million that was featured on KOMO 4 News.