A recent motorcycle crash case raised several interesting questions of liability. In Wilson v. Harley-Davidson, Judy Wilson suffered a severe brain injury after her husband, Jack, slammed on the brakes of his motorcycle and she was thrown off the 2008 Harley-Davidson Road Glide touring bike. The motorcycle was not equipped with an anti-lock breaking system (ABS), despite an ABS icon on the motorcycle tachometer. The family of the victim filed a personal injury lawsuit asserting that the lack of or a defective anti-lock braking system caused Wilson's injuries.

If you have been injured in a Sacramento motorcycle accident, it is important to speak to an experienced Sacramento personal injury attorney to determine your next steps and answer your motorcycle accident questions.

Whenever any accident occurs several factors may be to blame. In some situations, driver error may be at fault. For example, speeding, distracted driving and failing to obey road signs or signals are all common causes of accidents. Further, negligent roadway design or maintenance can lead to a serious accident. Negligent roadway design includes such road issues as the failure to have adequate signs, too steep of curves, the lack of shoulder protection and other dangerous roadway elements. Other times, an accident may be caused by a design defect, defective parts, or other manufacturing issue.

Here, Jack Wilson asserted that when he put on the breaks at 65 mph after the traffic slowed down, his rear wheel locked and tossed his wife 35 feet forward onto the pavement. She suffered severe head injuries requiring a prosthetic skull and permanent brain softening. Representatives of Wilson posit that although Jack Wilson may be partly to blame, the lack of an ABS system was the main cause of her injury. The Wilsons believed that the bike had the ABS system based both on the existence of the ABS icon as well as a representation by a Harley salesman. Here, the case ultimately went to a jury to determine fault.

An experienced personal injury attorney can evaluate the different factors that play a role in any accident and work to ensure you obtain the compensation you deserve. For more information or if you or a loved one have been injured in any personal injury accident, contact a knowledgeable Sacramento personal injury attorney at the Law Office of Frederick J. Sette for a free, immediate consultation.