James Duffy, age 61, and Karen Marinko, age 57, were riding a motorcycle on Mulberry Street in E-Town, Kentucky when the motorcycle they were riding was involved in an auto collision. Duffy was the driver of the motorcycle and Marinko was a passenger of Duffy’s. Based upon reports, it appears that the motorcycle was traveling westbound on Mulberry when a Mercury Grand Marquis, driven by Daniel Cook, age 68, was traveling eastbound on Mulberry. Cook attempted to turn left into a Denny’s Restaurant parking lot and Duffy’s motorcycle then struck the right rear of Cook’s car. Based upon the facts surrounding the crash, Cook failed to yield the right-of-way to Duffy’s motorcycle, and attempted to make a quick turn into the parking lot. As a result of Cook’s failure to wait for a clear passage to turn, Duffy’s motorcycle struck the rear side of Cook’s car, which threw Duffy and Marinko from the motorcycle. Cook was not injured in the accident, but Duffy and Marinko were airlifted to UL Hospital, where Duffy died and Marinko is in critical condition.
Based upon the reports of the accident, Duffy’s Estate and family will have a Kentucky wrongful death claim against Cook and his insurance company for damages that relate to the loss of Duffy’s life. Additionally, Karen Marinko will have Kentucky personal injury claims against Cook and his insurance company for her injuries and legal damages related to the accident. This was a tragic accident that could have been avoided by driver awareness and patients.
For more information on the rights of families who have lost a loved one in a Kentucky auto accident or were injured in a Kentucky motorcycle crash, contact the Ackerson Law Offices and Kentucky injury & wrongful death attorney Brent T. Ackerson. Questions can be submitted online (by clicking here) or directly to attorney Ackerson at 502-882-5176.