Man Crippled in Florida Motorcycle Crash Awarded $5.2 Million

By Jim Greene

Published on July 01, 2010

A Florida jury this month awarded $5.2 million to a man confined to a wheelchair because of a motorcycle accident. The former Air Force staff sergeant was injured when an 85-year-old woman drover her car into the path of his motorcycle.

Richard Pollock, then 31, was riding on a major thoroughfare through Fort Walton Beach on his way to work at Eglin Air Force Base Aug. 7, 2008, when Mary McCary turned from a side street into the path of his oncoming motorcycle. The force of the impact threw Pollock from his motorcycle onto the center median.

Victim Required 25 Surgeries, Still in Therapy

David Swanick, Pollock's attorney, said his client's injuries were catastrophic. He said Pollock, now retired from the Air Force on medical grounds, required 25 surgeries in the first month after the crash and continues to receive rehabilitation therapy in Texas.

Pollock said a person of McCary's age should not be licensed to drive. He said he hopes his case will help bring a change to Florida law, including mandatory annual driving tests for those over 65.

While age may have been a factor in this case, police accident reports show that drivers of all ages are often unaware of motorcycles until it is too late to avoid a crash. Safety experts advise motorcyclists to assume that car drivers may not see them and always be prepared to take sudden evasive action.

Intersections Frequent Site of Motorcycle Accidents

Studies have shown that intersections are especially dangerous for motorcyclists. In addition to the risk of a motorist turning onto the road from a side street, there is an even greater risk of hitting a car coming from the opposite direction because a motorist makes a left turn into a motorcyclist's path.

If you've been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by a negligent motorist, contact an experienced attorney. The circumstances of a collision between a motorcycle and a car are often quite different from those of a collision between two cars. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney is best qualified to present those unique circumstances in a manner most favorable to your case and help you get the financial compensation you deserve.

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