Thursday, October 19, 2017

Motorcycle lands on man at Sturgis

Motorcycle accident at Buffalo Chip leads to several lawsuits

STURGIS, SD. (October 19, 2017) — An Alaska man who had a motorcycle land on him during a show at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally has filed a lawsuit against the rider, the bike manufacturer and the show host.

Royce Rath was in the crowd during the Aug. 7, 2016, concert that featured performances by Lita Ford and Kid Rock. Between those performances, a designed and modified for race Indian motorcycle without a front brake was driven on stage by Roland Sands. The bike failed to stop and rolled off the stage, landing on Rath, who was one of four people injured in the accident. 

The Buffalo Chip's Main Stage

The bike was designed on purpose without front brakes.

Rath suffered permanent disability, medical expenses and the loss of wages and earning capacity, according to his lawsuit. Besides filing suit against Sands and Polaris Industries Inc., the owner of Indian Motorcycles, the suit names the Buffalo Chip Campground, which hosted the show, for failing to use reasonable care to ensure the safety of Rath and others watching the show.

The lawsuit says “Defendant Buffalo Chip Campground, LLC, knew or should have known that allowing an individual to ride on a motorcycle without front brakes, across the stage surrounded by patrons, could endanger those patrons”



SOURCE: Argus Leader