Stayton man Killed when his Motorcycle was Hit by a Pickup

Date: May 27, 2015

Location Niagara County Park

Names: Ronald Riggs, James Martin

Stayton man Killed when his Motorcycle was Hit by a Pickup

Wednesday afternoon a 68-year-old Stayton man was killed when his motorcycle collided with a pickup at the entrance to Niagara County Park, east of Gates in Marion County.

A 2011 Ford F150 driven by James Martin, 77, of Silverton, was headed west on Highway 22 when it attempted to make a left turn into the park and collided with a 1995 Kawasaki traveling the opposite direction.

The motorcycle driver, Ronald Riggs, 68, of Stayton, was thrown from his motorcycle and struck a passing boat trailer being towed by another vehicle. Riggs was pronounced dead at the scene.

We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Ronald Riggs.

The rate of injury and death is much greater for motorcycle accidents than for normal car crashes because the rider is less protected than a driver. Unfortunately, this means a motorcycle rider is more likely to suffer serious injury and need extensive treatment, which will mean high medical bills.

If someone is injured in a motorcycle accident, like this one, there are several legal options. Unfortunately in Oregon, motorcycle insurance policy holders are not required to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) so most policies don’t have it. If the injury victim does have PIP, it will help pay medical bills and lost wages, no matter who is at fault.

To reach a settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance, the injury victim must show the bad driver’s insurance company three things:

1. That their insured driver was negligent in some way;
2. That the accident was caused by this negligence; and
3. That the injury victim suffered damages due to the accident.

If you have any questions about pursuing a motorcycle accident claim, call a Portland motorcycle accident lawyer for a free consultation. Make sure any lawyer you contact has ample experience with motorcycle laws, as this specialized area is different from car accident law.