Eighty Years Ago: Lawrence of Arabia’s Fatal Motorcycle Crash

Almost a century after the fact, details about the May 19, 1935 motorcycle crash that killed T.E. Lawrence are still unclear.

Apparently, Lawrence swerved to avoid some boys on bicycles, who may have been on the wrong side of the road. But the other facts are pretty clear.

Hurled nearly a hundred feet when his motorcycle struck a telegraph pole, the 46-year-old military leader received a compound fracture of the skull, a broken leg and internal injuries.

Dr. H.W.B. Cairns, brain specialist, said “his lacerations were so severe that even in the event he recovered he would have regained only partial speech and eyesight.”

In 1914, as a young man of 26 who was three years out of Oxford, he was in Egypt with a British museum excavating expedition. When the First World War broke out, he entered the army as a second lieutenant.

Three years later he was uncrowned king of Arabia, and from being officially called Col. Thomas E. Lawrence, he came to be known in two hemispheres simply as Lawrence of Arabia. He organized the tribesmen who aided Great Britain in winning the Near East for the allies.

Gathering Evidence

Motorcycle design hasn’t changed much in the last eighty years. Then as now, a motorcycle is basically a seat, two wheels, an engine, and a pair of handlebars. This design may be the main reason the motorcycle crash fatality rate is so high. But that’s the subject of a different blog.

Evidence collection techniques have changed substantially, mostly because of electronic evidence. A vehicle’s Event Data Recorder may be the best example. Depending on the exact type of gadget, an EDR measures and records information like:

• Vehicle speed
• Steering angle
• Brake application
• Engine RPM

A skilled Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Los Angeles puts these random bits of evidence together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, so the jury sees the complete picture of a motorcycle crash.

Surveillance video footage may be valuable evidence as well. Much like human eyewitnesses, cameras often only catch part of a crash. Also like human eyewitnesses, that brief footage may be the critical missing piece of the aforementioned jigsaw puzzle. Unlike human eyewitnesses, cameras are never wrong or biased.

Motorcycle Wrecks Today

In 1935, almost all personal injury cases ended with expensive and time-consuming trials. Today, almost all personal injury cases settle out of court.

Meaningful settlement negotiations can only begin once medical treatment is at least substantially complete. This delay is frustrating but necessary. If a case settles too early, the settlement amount won’t account for all possible future medical expenses. If that happens, the victim is financially responsible for these costs. It’s practically impossible for a Beverly Hills Personal Injury Attorney to reopen a closed motorcycle accident or other personal injury matter.

Unfortunately, further delays are part of the process. Insurance companies usually make low ball or “take it or leave it” offers which leave little or no room for negotiations.

To jumpstart the process, the judge usually appoints a mediator. Professional mediators ensure that both sides negotiate in good faith. They must make realistic offers and be willing to compromise.

The duty to negotiate in good faith helps make mediation sessions successful even when they seem hopeless. Additionally, by the time a judge appoints a mediator, the trial date is approaching, and everyone wants to avoid this outcome.

Consult Our Experienced Lawyers Today!

Motorcycle crash victims eventually receive fair compensation for their injuries, but “eventually” could be a long time. For a free consultation with an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.

Credit: Photo by Midjourney