Laura Blacklock, 51, claims that a police officer from the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office in Florida is responsible for the injuries she sustained in a motorcycle accident.

According to her lawsuit, police were pursuing a vehicle, which caused the vehicle to run a stop sign and crash into her. She says the police should not have pursued the vehicle because the situation did not warrant a pursuit.

The police deny that a pursuit ever took place. A police officer was driving to investigate a disturbance call, but an internal affairs investigation says that he never turned on his lights or pursued a driver.

The lawsuit states that the accident caused permanent injuries, pain and suffering, loss of earnings and loss of companionship on behalf of Blacklock’s husband.

Police departments are not immune to traffic infractions. In July of 2012, motorcyclist Aaron Wells received a $1.5 million settlement from the Indianapolis Police Department after a speeding officer crashed into and killed his son Eric, who was riding a motorcycle at the time.

Many states have carefully crafted procedures that detail when police are allowed to pursue a suspect. High speed police pursuits have the potential to cause serious property damage, injury and death. The National Highway Traffic Association (NHTSA) found that 314 people died in police pursuits in one year, and that a third of those deaths were innocent bystanders.

If you sustained serious injuries in a motorcycle accident, call us at (866) 377-3800 or submit a contact form. We can investigate the accident, identify the responsible parties and hold them accountable for their negligence.

Metier Law Firm, LLC – Wyoming and Colorado accident lawyers