Motorcyclists in New Jersey may take every precaution they can in order to stay safe on the road and to be seen by other motorists. But when other drivers are distracted or fail to check their blind spots before making a turn, motorcyclists become very vulnerable to suffering serious injuries or death in an accident.

In August 2007, one man's injuries from a motorcycle accident were so severe that he now might never be able to have children. As a result of the extent of his injuries and the circumstances of the accident, the man filed a lawsuit against the driver who had hit him and the driver's employer. In December, the man was finally awarded $7.5 million by a jury after the jury concluded that the motorist who struck the man was negligent.

According to the lawsuit, the motorcyclist had the right-of-way at an intersection in San Diego when he was suddenly hit by a shuttle van that had turned directly in front of him. When the man's motorcycle collided with the van, he was thrown onto his handlebars and fractured his pubic ramus bone. His penis was also crushed in the incident which caused him to suffer nerve and artery damage. The man never fully recovered from his injuries. He had reconstructive surgery on his penis which resulted in doctors removing 1.5 inches in length of his penis.

The lawsuit claimed that not only is it uncertain if the man will ever be able to have children, but his relationships with women could also be affected as a result of the injuries he sustained in the accident. The lawsuit also argued that the driver who had hit the man was never trained to operate a shuttle vehicle.

In New Jersey, there is no personal injury protection coverage (PIP) on motorcycle insurance. This means that motorcycle accident victims could run in to some serious challenges when trying to get their medical care and expenses for their injuries covered by insurance. In these difficult and complex situations, the assistance of an attorney may be very beneficial so that motorcycle accident victims can receive the compensation they need and deserve in order to cover damages caused by a negligent driver.

Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune, "Jury awards man with penis injury $7.5 million," Greg Moran, Jan. 13, 2012