My coworker came in this morning bruised and sore with rope burn on his collarbone. Over the weekend, he was riding his dual sport motorcycle at a campground when he hit a clothesline strung across a gravel road. He was standing on the bike and going about 20 mph when he hit the line, causing him to do a backflip over the bike. He dislocated his right arm and suffered friction burns on his collarbone. He went to the ER to have his arm put back into place.
He mentioned that his wife had driven the same road earlier without hitting the line, and he had ridden it sitting down earlier that day without seeing it. A group of drunk men watched the incident happen but did nothing to help; they just laughed.
Could he have a case here? Is putting up a clothesline across a gravel road illegal? If he had hit that rope at a different angle, he might have been seriously injured or worse.
He absolutely should report this. The best time to do it was right after it happened, but it’s still vital to do it now. Whoever put up that clothesline could be held accountable, as booby traps are generally illegal in the U.S. They knew what they were doing.
Homeowners policies may cover campers or RVs, but figuring out whom to file a claim against is tricky. Was he allowed to ride that type of motorcycle on that road? Were they even allowed to hang a clothesline there? Which state did this happen in? Did he talk to them and get their information? Has he informed the campground owner? These are all basic questions to start with.
@Omar
This happened in Arkansas. Unless he’s withholding information, he basically just left to go to the emergency room. I’m assuming there’s not much that can be done now post-accident?
Chen said: @Omar
This happened in Arkansas. Unless he’s withholding information, he basically just left to go to the emergency room. I’m assuming there’s not much that can be done now post-accident?
He should consult a personal injury attorney. If there’s a claim to be made, the investigation needs to start immediately. If it’s a private campground, they might be able to retrieve other campers’ information from the owners. The campground owner might have some liability depending on the circumstances.
Brady said:
He needs to get the campground’s insurance info ASAP and file a claim. Those injuries could be serious.
Definitely reach out to a personal injury attorney. Insurance will care only about medical costs, but an attorney can help with other damages. The tricky part will be proving liability for the campground. What duty of care do they have in preventing this? Consult a PI attorney; they may work on contingency.