San Antonio, TX — July 18, 2024, James Martinez was injured in a car accident at about 10:55 a.m. in the 1000 block of South WW White Road.

A preliminary accident report indicates that a 2019 Ford Fusion turned in front of a southbound 2002 Harley-Davidson FLS motorcycle trying to turn left into a parking lot.

Motorcyclist James Martinez, 30, was critically injured in the resulting crash, according to the report.

The Ford driver was not injured, the report states.

Commentary by Attorney Michael Grossman

When a crash leaves someone badly hurt, there's a natural urge to make sense of what happened and why. But the answers aren’t always as simple as they seem. Even in situations that look cut-and-dried, experience shows there are often key pieces of the puzzle that never get turned over, unless someone makes sure they do.

Did the authorities thoroughly investigate the crash? Accidents involving motorcycles can be especially complex to untangle. The scene often gives only part of the story, and small details — like speed, distance or timing — can make all the difference. That’s why it’s worth asking whether investigators took extra steps here. Did they conduct a full reconstruction of the crash? Was laser mapping used to capture precise positions of the vehicles? Did they gather witness statements and examine whether either driver’s actions leading up to the turn were recorded on nearby cameras? Too often, especially in daylight crashes, authorities assume what happened without digging into how or why.

Has anyone looked into the possibility that a vehicle defect caused the crash? It’s not out of the question that the Ford’s steering, braking, or turn signals weren’t working as they should have. On the other side, motorcycles, especially older models, can also have mechanical quirks that affect handling or responsiveness. Unless both vehicles were inspected thoroughly after the crash, there's no way to rule out whether a defect played a role in the collision. That’s a step that gets skipped far more often than most people realize.

Has all the electronic data relating to the crash been collected? Modern vehicles can tell a story of their own, if someone pulls the data. The Ford Fusion almost certainly had systems capable of logging speed, braking, steering input and possibly even video from driver-assist features. GPS data could also help determine the precise path and speed of the motorcycle before the crash. This kind of information can confirm or challenge assumptions, but it's only useful if someone acts quickly to secure it.

Crashes involving motorcycles are rarely simple, and even when the facts seem obvious, important truths can get lost in the shuffle. Digging into what really happened means not settling for surface-level answers. It means looking at every angle.

Key Takeaways:

• Even straightforward-looking crashes deserve detailed investigation.
• Vehicle defects can play a hidden role in turning maneuvers.
• Data from the car or bike could show exactly what happened, if it was preserved.