On April 24, 2009, a Chicago woman died from injuries she sustained while a passenger of a motorcycle in Janesville Wisconsin. The accident occurred on Interstate 90/39 ramp to Highway 14 East, according to the Wisconsin State Police. The motorcycle accident occurred when the rider braked and lost control after mistakenly exiting the Interstate according to the state patrol.

Both the rider and passenger were transported to a local hospital. Although the passenger died, the rider was treated and released according to according to a hospital spokeswoman. Apparently, neither wore a helmet.

Motorcycle riders and passengers are more susceptible to serious injury because they do not have the physical protection of an automobile. For this reason, motorcycle helmets, while not required by law in many states including Illinois, can often make a difference in matters of life and death. It is unclear whether the passenger in this motorcycle accident would have survived had she been wearing a helmet.

Posted by: Chicago motorcycle accident lawyer Jason M. Kroot