Motorcycle Crash Takes Life of Texas Football Star

The Texas Longhorns and its huge fan base (including Mr. Berenson who graduated from the University of Texas in 1976) are in mourning after learning that Cedric Benson died in a motorcycle crash in Austin Saturday night. What a terrible way to begin the football season.

Cedric was one of the best running backs in the history of Texas high school and the University, then played eight years in the NFL with the Bears, Bengals, and Packers. He was 36 years old. We extend my condolences to his family and the family of his passenger who also died at the scene.

We at Berenson Injury Law want our roads to be safer for all motorists, including for those who ride motorcycles. You have to ask

  1. Why does Texas have more fatal crashes than any other state?
  2. Why do about 500 people die each year riding their motorcycles in Texas
  3. What causes us to be #1 in this terrible category?
  4. How can we stop so many motorcycle riders and other motorists from dying and being injured on our roads?

Causes of a motorcycle crash

While every case is different, we see that most are caused by one or more of these negligent actions:

  • Speeding;
  • Failing to yield the right of way at intersections;
  • Distracted driving;
  • Driving while intoxicated; and
  • Reckless driving

The facts detailing how Cedric’s motorcycle crash have not been released. This collision happened in the hills of West Austin late at night, where Mr. Berenson used to love riding his motorcycle when he was a student at U.T.  In many motorcycle crash cases, the other driver is in a hurry. The media reported that the van driver cut in front of the bike. Cedric was presumably harder to see at night. Here is his motorcycle before the collision from his Twitter account – sad that he had written “My Saturday Evening” at the top.

UPDATED: It has just been reported that both the van and motorcycle were engulfed in flames immediately after the crash, another horrible reminder of just how dangerous driving can be for motorcycle riders and vehicle drivers alike.

On the other hand, sometimes the cyclist is negligent by not following a traffic law set out in the Texas Transportation Code. We have blogged about this important topic here: Texas motorcycle laws: A rider’s guide to the roads

What you should do after a motorcycle crash

Hire a good personal injury lawyer. In the system of modified comparative fault that Texas courts use, one or both drivers can be determined to be partially at fault.

Therefore it is imperative that all evidence be obtained after the motorcycle crash. The attorney will get to the scene as soon as possible and have his accident reconstruction expert conduct detailed road and vehicle inspections. Our office has arranged for police departments to close down roads to measure skid and pavement marks and reenact the impact in motorcycle and vehicle collision cases.

The motorcycle accident lawyer and his staff will obtain the police report, talk to the investigating officers. drivers, and eyewitnesses, and get all critical evidence so his client can win his case.

Our latest motorcycle case was successfully resolved last week. Our client was on this Harley when a man in a truck cut in front of him at an intersection in Fort Worth in broad daylight. Our client was thrown off his bike and broke his ankle. We obtained the other driver’s insurance policy of $50,000, reduced our client’s Medicare subrogation lien, and got him paid his policy limit of $30,000. Our client netted $53,360.

How to avoid being in a motorcycle crash

What can we do to stop another motorcycle crash like the one that just took the lives of Benson and his passenger? This is not easy since it involves making all drivers more careful.

So for starters, motorcycle riders should protect themselves by doing these things:

  • Wear a helmet and protective bright clothes;
  • Leave sufficient room behind and between other vehicles;
  • Obey speed limits and traffic laws;
  • Not consume alcohol or drugs; and
  • Ride defensively

More safety tips are here: Five ways to reduce motorcycle collisions

We can help you

The tragic Austin motorcycle crash is another in a long line of tragedies that should serve as a wake-up call. Texas roads are the deadliest in the United States. The team at Berenson Injury Law sees how dangerous it is out there on a daily basis.

Mr. Berenson still rides a road bicycle and runs on our streets to stay in shape and he is all too aware of how dangerous it is to be so unprotected out on the roads.

If you have been hurt in a motorcycle, car, truck, or tractor-trailer crash, please call us at 1-800-801-8585 or fill out this form and we will call you back quickly. We have represented thousands of people who were injured and their families in wrongful death cases for almost 40 years.

 

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