Marijuana has been legal in the State of Washington for a year now—driving under the influence of marijuana, however, is not. A Bellevue man was recently charged with vehicular homicide after he collided with a motorcyclist on October 4th. Prosecutors allege that Caleb Floyd was driving high on marijuana when he collided with Bellevue motorcyclist Blake Gaston. Blood drawn from Floyd’s blood found levels of THC that were twice the legal limit.
The Bellevue motorcycle accident occurred when Gaston was crossing 102nd Avenue Northeast on Northeast 10th Street. Floyd was heading east when he suddenly cut left. Gaston was unable to stop and laid his KTM 450 motorcycle down and into the side of Floyd’s car. He suffered catastrophic injuries, including massive head trauma and was pronounced dead at Overlake Medical Center.
Now that marijuana is legal in Washington, law enforcement officials and state prosecutors now have to contend with drivers who are driving under the influence of pot. In the fist 6 months of 2013, 745 drivers tested positive for THC when pulled over by police officers. Over half of those were over the state’s new legal limit of 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood. Whenever anyone operates a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, the results can be deadly.
Motorcyclists, in general, are at risk for sustaining fatal injuries, due to the limited protection a motorcycle offers. Even when they are hit at relatively low rates of speed, motorcyclists can suffer serious head injuries, spinal cord injuries, and life threatening complications. Sadly, the majority of motorcycle accidents occur because of inattentive motorists who simply fail to recognize the motorcyclist on the road.
According to statistics, motorcyclists are not likely to escape an accident unharmed. In fact, 98% of multiple motor vehicle accidents and 96% of single vehicle accidents result in motorcyclists being injured. Of those, 45% of motorcyclists escape with only a minor injury. This means that the majority of injured motorcyclists sustain a serious injury after a motorcycle accident.
Contact Seattle Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit Attorneys
If a negligent driver injures you or someone you love, an experienced Seattle motorcycle accident attorney at Phillips Law Firm can help. If you are interested in learning more about your legal options, call us at 1-800-708-6000. Our Seattle personal injury lawsuit attorneys are waiting to assist you 24/7, offering a free case evaluation. Remember our no fee promise. If we do not recover anything for you, you do not owe us an attorney fee.
The personal injury lawyers at Phillips Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families in Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma, Everett, Redmond, South Hill, Bremerton, Shoreline, Woodinville, Lake Stevens, Kent, Federal Way, Olympia, Bellingham, and throughout the State of Washington.