Florida court outcome

[reloader]

Just returned from court hearing in support of Carol McDonald. The outcome for Killing her husband and injuring her due to the negligence of this young lady with a history of traffic violations = $500 fine and 1 year revocation of drivers license (but may apply for a license to go to work-home). This was the maximum the law allowed for "Failure to Yield" The defendant didn't even bother to say she was sorry.
Mr. McDonald's 7 children and 7 grandchildren are surely asking where is the justice is in our system.

If your sick and tired of outcomes like this get involved! Write/Call your representative and demand that laws are passed to provide maximum jail time for those who are involved in causing mayhem with motorcycles due to carelessness

Florida Senate

Durell Peaden
484-9898

Don Gaetz
487-5009

Florida House

Greg Evers Dist 1
983-5550

Dave Murzin Dist 2
494-7330

Clay Ford Dist 3
595-5550

Ray Samson Dist 4
833-9328

If you ride or know someone who does, let us all work together to get the law where it should be for us = "HIT A MOTORCYCLE GO TO JAIL" Do your part, TODAY

Ride Safe
Reloader

To me, hitting a motorcyclist with a car is the same as hitting a pedestrian. It's NOT the same as hitting another car. They're not hitting a car, they're hitting a person. It's a shame that the law can't see it that way.

[chainsaw]

The American Motorcyclist Association is working real hard on this subject, you are right though,
we all need to voice our opinion on this.

[markusmaximus]

If I recall from the Hurt Report correctly, the single greatest cause of motorcycle accidents (74% to be exact) was multi-vehicle collisions (e.g. with an auto), with about 1/2 of those precipitated by the auto driver. I'm not sure if motorcyclists should be considered the same as a pedestrian, but the penalties for auto-initiated accidents should be more severe due to the relative risk for injury or death to motorcyclists. IMHO

[dano]

Pisses me off! but it don't supprise me none. Lot of Judges
are still under the influence of those old motorcycle gang
movies that reflect reality about as much as Peter Pan.
They think we deserve to be run over. http://s2.images.proboards.com/angry.gif:(" title=">:(" border="0"/>
Ride safe,
Dano

[racinchef]

There's always civil court and a wrongful death suit to punish monetarily.

[bigjohn]

Sheesh, charged with "Failure to yield." Should'a been Negligent Homicide. Looks like the local DA doesn't want to press the issue.

[Top Cat]

The American Motorcyclist Association is working real hard on this subject, you are right though,
we all need to voice our opinion on this.

They could use all the support they can get also. A persons membership dues is one way they raise funds to fight this stuff.
Join the AMA.

[dank]

Get a grip guys. Failure to yield is what happened. The other driver should not be penalized differently based on whether the person they hit is driving a Yugo or Suburban. Are you really saying you want a legal system where you are held responsible for and your penalty is based on the other person's choices? I don't.

[blowndodge]

Dank, I actually see your point. a motorcyclist has put himself in danger vicariously every time he or she rides. A driver in a car is no more responsible for the "failure to yield" and hitting a motorcyclist than hitting a train. Unfortunately the biker usually is severely hurt or killed. The car driver shouldn't be punished for this.

As pointed out above however civil court with only a pre ponderous of evidence threshold should allow the Dependants to be able to sue for wrongful death.

[misunderstood]

Dank, I actually see your point. a motorcyclist has put himself in danger vicariously every time he or she rides. A driver in a car is no more responsible for the "failure to yield" and hitting a motorcyclist than hitting a train. Unfortunately the biker usually is severely hurt or killed. The car driver shouldn't be punished for this.

As pointed out above however civil court with only a pre ponderous of evidence threshold should allow the Dependants to be able to sue for wrongful death.

I see Dank's point as well, but a difference here is the line about her having a history of traffic violations. A history and now her negligence ended someones life. She sounds like a threat to people in my book. http://s2.images.proboards.com/cool.gif

So they take her license away and she drives illegally....there isn't really anything you can do to prevent someone from driving if they are determined to...ya know?

[blowndodge]

Taking her license away is a seperate issue. Be carefull out there on your bike. We live in the land of "Idiots a Plenty".