Motorcyclists in the Boston area are usually aware of the hazards that they face while they are riding on city streets and Interstate highways, but those hazards are usually posed by other vehicles. Colliding with an automobile or truck can expose a motorcyclist to very serious injury. Trucks with open beds, such as pickup trucks, pose an additional risk if their contents are not adequately secured. A recent accident apparently caused by an unsecured load in the back of a pickup truck has inflicted serious injury on a motorcycle rider.
The victim was apparently following the pickup truck on Route 495 in Haverhill when a ladder that was being carried by the truck flew out of the bed. The ladder struck the motorcyclist and knocked him from the bike. The cyclist was taken to Lawrence General Hospital and then flown to a hospital in Boston for treatment of his injuries, which were described as serious. The driver of the pickup truck was not injured. He was, however, cited for driving with an unsecured load.
No additional details have been released about the cause of the accident. The police citation for hauling an unsecured load provides a helpful starting point for proving that the truck driver was at fault for the accident. The driver’s failure to adequately secure his load, if proved at trial, may be found to be an act of negligence because the driver failed to fulfill his duty to use due care in loading his truck. No information has been released about the motorcycle operator. He may have been following too close, or he may have been drinking prior to the accident.
Further investigation may be needed before a clear picture of the cause of the accident can be drawn. Only when that picture is completed will the parties know if they face litigation to recover damages.
