Posts Tagged ‘motorcycle accidents’
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
If you are like most accident victims in California, you are looking for the right lawyer to represent you in your negligence lawsuit. Accidents can happen at any time and take many forms. Common types of California accidents include car accidents, motorcycle accidents, train accidents and airplane accidents. Regardless of what type of accident you were in, if you suffered injuries as a result of someone else’s negligence, then you may be entitled to recover monetary compensation for those injuries from the responsible party or parties. Many victims schedule consultations with a small number of lawyers in an effort to determine which lawyer they feel is the right one to handle their case. Consultations are a great way to get to know your prospective lawyer and to ask any questions that you may have. If you have gotten to the point of scheduling consultations, then you want to be prepared to make the most out of the limit time that you have with the lawyer. The California accident law firm of Ledger & Ledger says that there are a number of things that you can do to prepare for a consultation with an accident lawyer:
1. Bring documents with you. Exactly what documents you may have will differ from case to case and may depend on what type of accident you were involved in, but can include police reports, insurance policies, product warranties and sales receipts. You are better off bringing everything that you think may be useful and let the lawyer decide what he wants to see.
2. Bring medical reports or discharge summaries. If you received any medical treatment after the accident, bring any paperwork that indicates what injuries you suffered and/or what treatment you received or are continuing to receive. Again, more is better if you are unsure what to bring.
3. Prepare a list of questions. Most initial consultations are limited to under an hour so you want to make sure that you ask all the important questions while you are there. What is important to you may be different than what is important to someone else, but common questions are: “How long have you been practicing law?” “What type of cases do you take?” “What is your success rate” and “What are your fees”. You may also want to ask practical questions about where their offices are located, how you will be able to communicate with them and what hours they are available for appointments.
By preparing yourself for your consultation with a California accident lawyer, you will get the most out of the consultation and the lawyer will be in a better position to answer your questions and evaluate your case.
If you are in need of a California accident attorney, please call the law offices of Ledger & Associates and make an appointment for a free and detailed evaluation with accident lawyer Emery Ledger. With over a decade of experience in all types of accident cases, attorney Ledger can answer all of your accident case questions. The law firm can be reached online at www.ledgerlaw.com or by calling 1-800-300-0001.
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Monday, May 31st, 2010
With over 4 million motorcycles registered in the United States, it is clear that for those who love to ride, they are willing to risk the potential for injury. Statistics, as well as common sense, tells us that if you are involved in a motorcycle accident that the chance that you will suffer injury is great. With nothing between you and the road, or another car, you are likely to make direct contact with the road or another hard object. No airbags to soften the blow. Unfortunately, how safety conscious YOU are may not be as important as whether the other drivers on the road are watching out for you. Accident statistics tell us that well over half of the two vehicle accidents that involve a motorcycle are actually the fault of the person driving the passenger vehicle. What this means is that you can be obeying all traffic rules, wearing the proper reflective clothing and be an experienced biker and someone may still simply not see you and cause an accident. Motorcycle accidents, when they happen, can cause serious injuries. One of the most common injuries in a motorcycle accident is a head concussion or a traumatic brain injury. A concussion is a type of brain injury that is usually caused by a blow to the head and generally results in unconsciousness. A concussion can normally be treated easily and the patient may just need to go home and rest for a day or two. A traumatic brain injury, on the other hand, can have serious and lifelong consequences. That same blow to the head can cause the brain to become severely damaged. Many people think that a person must lose consciousness for there to be a serious injury. This is not so. You could be suffering from a serious brain injury after a motorcycle accident and not be aware of it. Wearing an approved helmet can reduce the risk of head injury by as much as 40%. Broken bones or joints are another common motorcycle accident injury. The most common breakages are the shoulder and the pelvis. Not surprisingly, when you collide with a hard surface, whether that is the road or another vehicle, your bones or joints can only withstand so much blunt force trauma before they snap. Road rash, or soft tissue injuries are also common injuries from a motorcycle accident. Some of these can be just minor surface scrapes, but others can be deep and leave serious scars. Road rash is what happens when exposed skin scrapes along the road during a collision. Wearing leather clothing or other protective gear can help reduce the risk or the severity of road rash in the event of an accident. If you have been in a motorcycle accident in the State of California and you believe that the accident was caused, in whole or in part, by the negligence of the other driver (or drivers), then you may have a valid California personal injury claim. If someone else was responsible for your injuries, then you may be able to receive compensation for those injuries – including money to repair your bike. Contact the motorcycle accident law firm of Ledger & Associates for a free detailed evaluation of your case. They can be reached at 1-800-300-0001 or visit them online at www.ledgerlaw.com
Tags: accident, accident attorney, accidents, airbags, amp, attorney, biker, blunt force trauma, brain injury, broken bones, california motorcycle, california motorcycle accident attorney, cars, claim, common sense, compensation, concussion, consequences, dents, fault, head injury, helmet, injury, injury claim, juries, law, Ledger, ledgerlaw.com, money, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle accidents, motorcycles, Negligence, Personal Injury, personal injury claim, reflective clothing, risk, road rash, safety, soft tissue, soft tissue injuries, state of california, states, statistics, suffering, traffic, traumatic brain injury, united states, vehicle, vehicle accident, vehicle accidents
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Saturday, May 29th, 2010
Motorcycle enthusiasts know that California is one of the best states to own and ride a motorcycle. The weather is conducive to riding for most of the year and the variety of topography keeps you from getting bored or seeing the same sights over and over again. With over 1.3 million registered motorcycles in California, it is clear that bikers are enjoying what California has to offer. Sadly, motorcycle accidents and fatalities are also on the rise in California. After reaching an all time low back in 1998, California motorcycle fatalities and serious injuries have been increasing each year since then. Motorcycle fatalities were down to 200 for the year 1998, however have been rising each year since then and are approaching the 500 number mark. Serious injuries have been rising as well over the last decade from a low of around 6,000 in 1998 to around 10,000 per year for the last few years. Motorcyclists also represent a disproportionate number of accidents compared to other forms of transportation. While bikers represent only 2.1% of all registered vehicles in California, they account for 9.4% of all traffic fatalities in the state. A motorcycle accident not only leaves you with damage to your bike – which may be your only form of transportation – but can leave you with serious or even life-threatening and permanent physical injuries as well. You may also suffer psychological trauma as a result of a motorcycle accident. So what legal options do you have if you have been involved in a motorcycle accident that was not your fault?
You may be entitled to receive compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. In the State of California, if the accident was not your fault, or your share of the fault (negligence in legal terms) was less than the other driver’s, then you may be entitled to compensation for the damages you have suffered. Damages is a legal term used to describe the injuries – physical and emotional – that you have suffered. In California, you may be entitled to receive both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those things were directly caused by the other driver and are easily quantifiable. Examples of economic damages are: damage to your motorcycle; lost wages or income; medical bills; hospital bills; towing expenses and rental car expenses. You may also be entitled to non-economic damages. None-economic damages are harder to calculate. They include things such as: pain and suffering; loss of use; disfigurement; humiliation; disability; mental anguish and emotional distress. The value of your non-economic damages can be difficult to calculate as many factors go into determining the value such as the type and severity of any physical injuries you suffered, your age and general health before the accident and how the injuries may affect your future ability to earn a living or your future ability to engage in personal relationships.
If you have been involved in a California motorcycle accident, you owe it to yourself and your family to seek legal advice from an experienced motorcycle accident attorney immediately. If you were not at fault, then you have every right to hold the responsible party accountable for their negligence. Contact California motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger at Ledger & Associates for a free detailed evaluation of your case at 1-800-300-0001 or online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
Tags: biker, bikers, california motorcycle, california motorcycle accident attorney, compensation, damages, dents, economic damages, emery, emery ledger, emotional distress, lawsuit, Ledger, ledgerlaw.com, legal advice, legal options, legal terms, medical bill, medical bills, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle enthusiasts, motorcycle fatalities, motorcycles, motorcyclist, motorcyclists, Negligence, offer, options, pain and suffering, Personal Injury, personal injury law, personal injury lawsuit, physical injuries, responsible party, state of california, suffering, traffic, traffic fatalities
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Saturday, May 29th, 2010
California is one of the most beautiful states to own and ride a motorcycle in by anyone’s standards. If you are a California resident and motorcycle enthusiasts then you already know this. Where else can be ride along the ocean, through the mountains and end up in the desert all in one day? The weather is certainly another good reason to own and ride a bike in California. Sadly, the biggest drawback to riding, in any state, is the disproportionate number of accidents that motorcyclists are involved in compared to passenger vehicles.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show us that for every 100 million miles of motorcycle travel there are approximately 632 injuries. Compare this to only 122 injuries for the same miles of passenger car travel. The facts all point to motorcycle riding being more dangerous than riding in a passenger car. What makes these statistics even more frustrating for bikers is that those same statistics tell us that over two-thirds of the time when a motorcycle is involved in an accident with a passenger vehicle, the passenger vehicles is ultimately found to be negligent (at fault) for the accident. Clearly, the efforts at motorcycle safety over the past few decades have failed to educate the public about the need to be aware of motorcycles. So what can you do if you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and you believe the other driver was at fault?
A personal injury lawsuit is a way for an injured person to receive compensation from the responsible party. The State of California follows the rules of comparative negligence for personal injury motorcycle accidents. What this means, in essence, is that more than one person, or entity, can share the blame for an accident. In other words, if you are found to be 10% at fault – or negligent – for your accident, you may still be able to collect compensation for any damages or injuries that you suffered in the accident. Your settlement, or jury award, will simply be adjusted to reflect the percentage of negligence that you had in the accident. Therefore, as long as the other person was MORE at fault, you may have a valid personal injury lawsuit.
In a personal injury lawsuit, you may be able to collect for economic and non-economic damages. Examples of economic damages include things such as damage to your motorcycle, lost time form work and medical bills. Non-economic damages represent the suffering that you went through as a result of the accident. The value of your personal injury case will vary depending on a number of factors. If you would like to get an idea of whether you have a valid California motorcycle personal injury accident case, feel free to contact motorcycle attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates. Ledger & Associates have been fighting for the rights of motorcycle enthusiasts in the State of California for over a decade and will be happy to give you a free and detailed evaluation of your case. They can be contacted online at www.ledgerlaw.com or by calling 1-800-300-0001.
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Thursday, May 13th, 2010
To understand how to beat the odds when it comes to motorcycle accidents, you must first know what those odds are. Statistics that we use here come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Agency, an organizations whose number one goal is making sure that motorists are safer on the roads, and as such they keep detailed statistics year after year so that you can see what the trends among vehicle accidents are and how to avoid making the mistakes that others are making, which is exactly how we’re going to beat the odds.
The first truth and statistic that you should be aware of is that riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than operating an automobile. In fact, analysis of the data tells us that you are fifty percent more likely to be involved in an accident as a motorcyclist than you are when driving your car. Now, let’s take a look at some solid numbers. In 2007, there were 5,154 deaths from motorcycle accidents in the United States, the highest that those numbers have reached ever, since the NTHSA began tracking accidents more than thirty five years go.
So, how do you beat the odds? Well, there are three factors that we’ll look at, beginning with alcohol use. The facts about riding a bike while you are under the influence is staggering. More than thirty five percent of motorcycle accidents that ended in fatalities involved alcohol. This makes it fairly obvious for any person that is planning on riding and has no desire to die a painful death – don’t drink and drive, especially motorcycles.
Secondly, ride your bike safely. Most motorcycle accidents are caused by other drivers, but that doesn’t give you license to drive unsafely. If you will follow all traffic laws and go above and beyond the safety precautions that you normally take, you may be able to pick up the slack from the drivers that aren’t paying attention, can’t see your motorcycle in traffic or at night, or are driving under the influence of alcohol themselves.
Finally, wear your helmet. It cannot be stressed enough that you should wear your helmet when you ride. Statistics have shown unequivocally that you will have a much better chance of surviving a motorcycle accident if you wear your helmet and the majority of motorcycle crashes where the rider or passengers were not wearing a helmet resulted in death. Even if you state doesn’t require it, wear your helmet at all time, and make your passengers wear one as well.
Of course, if you do get into a motorcycle accident despite your best efforts, you’ll want a motorcycle attorney from California that understands how to win motorcycle cases and collect the maximum amount of compensation for you, so that you can recover from your accident and get on with your life.
Tags: attorney specializing in motorcycles, California attorney beating the odds, california motorcycle accident attorney, California motorcyclist attorney, motorcycle accident adivce, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle injury lawyer, painful death, vehicle accidents
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Saturday, May 8th, 2010
A motorcycle accident can be devastating to the those that were involved in a motorcycle accident, and survived it, or to the family members that are living with the person that survived a motorcycle collision. This is especially true in cases where serious injuries were a result and the quality of life of both the accident survivor and his or her family is affected. Some cases are worse than others, resulting in loss of limbs, paralysis or brain or spinal damage, but even an accident that doesn’t cause serious injury can make life harder for someone.
The first thing, and some riders will tell you most important, is that getting into an accident affects your confidence to get back on the bike once again. After you have suffered a major accident, you may have fears of the accident occurring again and have a hard time getting back on the bike. This is natural and may be overcome with time. For serious injuries this may also affect family members and friends, who now have an innate – but natural – fear of getting on your bike as a passenger, or survivors of a loved one who died as a result of a bike accident may have no desire to get on a motorcycle.
If you are the survivor of an accident, you will likely have some sort of physical therapy after your hospital stay, depending upon the extent of your injuries, You may also require mental health counseling if the accident was particularly traumatic. This can go on for many weeks, months or in some cases years. You may not fully recover from your motorcycle accident, particularly in the case of more permanent injuries such as paralysis that resulted from a spinal injury or a severed arm or leg, which has been replaced by a prosthetic.
Of course, one factor that is a major problem for a motorcycle rider who wants to get on and ride again is that their bike may have been seriously damaged or totaled in the accident and they may now have to replace the bike again. If the person that hit you had insurance and the accident was their fault then you should receive some type of settlement from the insurance company. However, many people do not receive settlements for whatever reason, and so you may not have the ability to replace the bike. In addition, some bikes have been added to over a period of years and are worth more than the list price, as well as having sentimental value.
There are many factors that will affect the quality of life after you have an accident. However, if your accident was caused by someone else, and you have lost a limb, or use of a portion of your body, you should be fairly compensated for the other person’s error. You shouldn’t have to cover the medical costs yourself either. Also, if you are the loved one of someone that was killed in a motorcycle accident, you should contact a motorcycle accident attorney to discuss your options and make sure that you are compensated for the loss and damage that you suffered.
Tags: California accident survivor attorney, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident adivce, motorcycle accident survival, motorcycle accident survivor attorney, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle fatality, survivors of motorcycle accidents
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Friday, May 7th, 2010
The Hurt Report is a report that was conducted and issued by the University of Southern California and is officially titled Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures. The report is several hundred pages long, and more than nine hundred motorcycle accidents were examined in this study, all in the Greater Los Angeles area, under the direction of Harry Hurt and with funding from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As the study is so large and comprehensive, we’ll try to break it down for you.
More than fifty major findings were the result of this study, as Hurt examined every possible aspect of a motorcycle accident, and made some surprising determinations. First, let’s discuss the demographics of accidents. According to the study, craftsmen, laborers, and students were the most likely to get into a crash while professionals and sales persons were least likely. Most of the accident victims were between the ages of 16 and 24 and nearly all riders were either unlicensed, had a revoked license or did not have a specific motorcycle endorsement on their license.
The location of the crash was generally close to home and a significant number happened on short trips to the store or to run another errand. Also, many riders did not have eye protection which may have contributed to the crash, because their vision was less than perfect, and motorcycles that had windshields were underrepresented. As far as the specific locations of the accidents, intersections were where most of the incidents occurred and weather did not cause the accident in all but two percent of the total accident cases studied.
Getting trained and making sure you know what sort of safety procedures you should be following is vital because nearly all of the motorcycle accident victims in this study were without format training. In fact, 92% of the accident sufferers were taught by friends or family members or taught themselves to ride a bike. The average speed that bikes were going when they got into the collision was about thirty miles per hour. Motorcyclists who had gotten a lot of traffic tickets or had several previous accidents were most likely to get into an accident.
Now, let’s discuss the causes of the motorcycle accidents that were studied. In more than sixty percent of cases where more than one vehicle was involved, the crash was the fault of the automobile driver. The most common way for a collision to occur was a driver to take a left turn in front of a motorcycle that was going straight, causing the bike to run into the side of the car. In fact, motorists not realizing that there was a motorcycle present in traffic with them was by far the main cause of these accidents involving more than one vehicle. If this has happened to you, then you should contact a motorcycle accident attorney right away.
Tags: accident fault, California motorcycle attorney study, California motorcycle statistics, highway traffic safety, Hurt study, Los Angeles motorcycle accidents, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle accident data, motorcycle accident victim, motorcycle accident victims, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle attorney, motorcycle crash, Motorcycle data for accidents, motorcycle endorsement, motorcyclist, motorcyclists crash, motorists accidents
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