Posts Tagged ‘motorcycle enthusiasts’
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.
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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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Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Orange County California is undoubtedly one of the most desirable locations to be a motorcycle owner. Who wouldn’t want to jump on a bike and take a ride along the Pacific Coast or take a day trip up into the nearby mountains? For true motorcycle enthusiasts, there is simply nothing like the freedom you feel on your bike. Sadly, that freedom is interrupted all too often by motorists who pay no attention to bikes and cause collisions. Despite efforts in recent years to educate drivers about the presence of motorcycles, accidents continue to happen. In fact, motorcycle fatalities may be increasing not decreasing. According to a recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (HNTSA), fatalities per million miles traveled for motorcyclists have almost doubled from 1997 to 2004.
According to motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates, the Orange County statistics aren’t much better. For the year 2008 – the latest year for which records are available – there were 801 injury accidents involving motorcycles and 35 fatalities according to the California Highway Patrol. With almost 60,000 motorcycles registered in Orange County, it is not surprising that they are involved in collisions; however their involvement is disproportionate to the percentage of all vehicles driven in the county. Motorcycles represent about 2.5% of all vehicles registered in the county, yet they are involved in almost 7% of all injury accidents. Statistics also tell us that the vast majority of the time, the motorcyclist wasn’t at fault in the accident.
So how do you know what your Orange County motorcycle accident case is worth if you have been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault? There is no exact formula, however the value of your case will be a combination of economic and non-economic damages. Under California law, you are entitled to be compensated for all out of pocket expenses (economic damages) such as medical bills, damage to your bike and lost wages from missing work. You may also be entitled to compensation for your non-economic damages. These are the damages that people commonly refer to as “pain and suffering”. Non-economic damages actually cover a variety of non-quantifiable damages such as disfigurement, grief, loss of enjoyment of life and humiliation. These damages are much more difficult to put a number on as they are very case specific. In certain cases, punitive damages may also be applicable. Once all of these damages have been determined by you and your attorney, a demand will be made to the responsible party’s insurance provider. If a settlement amount that is acceptable to you is not reached, then you will take your case to a jury trial and they will decide how much you will be awarded
As every motorcycle accident case presents a slightly different set of circumstances, the best thing you can do is consult with an experienced Orange county motorcycle accident attorney to get an idea of exactly what your case is worth. For a free and detailed evaluation of your Orange County motorcycle accident case, please call Attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates r 1-800-300-0001 or visit www.ledgerlaw.com
Tags: accident, accident attorney, accident case, accidents, attorney, California highway patrol, california law, collisions, compensation, damages, economic damages, emery, emery ledger, fault, grief, highway traffic safety, injury, injury accident, injury accidents, law, Ledger, ledgerlaw.com, medical bill, medical bills, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle enthusiasts, motorcycles, motorcyclist, motorcyclists, motorists, national highway traffic, national highway traffic safety, national highway traffic safety administration, orange, pacific coast, pain and suffering, punitive damages, responsible party, settlement, suffering
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
With spring just around the corner, motorcycle enthusiasts are gearing up to get back out on the road. For anyone that loves to ride, there is nothing like getting back on your bike after a long winter spent waiting for the weather to break. Of course, if you are lucky enough to live somewhere where the weather cooperates year around, then maybe you haven’t had to wait, but the majority of us aren’t that lucky. Even in California, the torrential winter rains this year have prevented year around riding for many motorcycle enthusiasts so many have had to wait it out until spring decided to pop her head out of the clouds. For some, riding is a way of life, for others just a week-end hobby. Regardless of whether your bike is your primary form of transportation or a week-end luxury, remember that it can be dangerous.
Recent statistics report that in any given year, about 5,000 people are killed in motorcycle accidents and thousands more are injured, according to motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates in California. The cause of the majority (almost three-fourths) of motorcycle accident is a collision with another vehicle. Of the remaining 25% of the accidents, rider error was the most common reason for the accident. Roadway defects and weather conditions account for less than 5% of all motorcycle accidents. Of the accidents that involved a motorcycle colliding with another vehicle, the other vehicle was at fault more than two-thirds of the time. What these statistics tell us is what most riders already know – that cars don’t watch for motorcycles on the roadways. Despite efforts by motorcycle groups to educate the general car driving public of the importance of being aware of motorcycles, the statistics tell us that car drivers still don’t watch for motorcycles. Part of the reason for this is that we are trained from the moment we begin driving to be alert to visual cues from other drivers – drivers of automobiles. We are trained to look for traditional vehicles. We are also accustomed to watching for a pair of headlights to tell us that a vehicle is approaching or is in our path. The human brain can only take in so much information at a time and it tends to dismiss excess information if it feels it is not critical at that point and time. When we are driving, we are taking in a lot of information at one time – information that is critical to our ability to drive. If a single headlight enters our field of vision, we sometimes dismiss it as not critical because we are not trained to recognize it as a vehicle. Additionally, something smaller than a traditional car – like a motorcycle – sometimes gets filtered out when we are driving. For this reason, it is even more important that car drivers conscientiously make an effort to look for and beware of motorcycle riders.
For more information motorcycle safety, please feel free to contact motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates on his website at www.ledgerlaw.com or at his toll-free number – 1-800-300-0001.
Tags: bikers, cars, fault, field of vision, killed, law, Ledger, luck, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle enthusiasts, motorcycle groups, Motorcycle safety, motorcycles, roadways, safety, statistics, vehicle, weather
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Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
With the weather breaking in most of the country, motorcycle enthusiasts are getting their bikes ready to get back out on the road. There is truly nothing like the feel of the wind in your face as you cruise along a beautiful ocean highway or a mountain pass. For motorcycle riders, the dangers are often accepted as part and parcel of the love of riding. With over 5,000 motorcycle accident deaths each year, and thousands more injured though, it doesn’t hurt to follow some simple rules to try and keep you, and your passengers, safe. So what can you do to try and prevent a motorcycle accident or at least limit any injuries if the worst happens and you do have an accident? California motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates says that the following five tips may make you and your passengers safer:
1. Make sure that you and you passenger have on proper riding gear. People who don’t ride bikes assume that all that leather is just a fashion statement but riders know better. Having leg chaps, arm chaps, gloves, boots and a leather jacket not only keep you warm, but they help protect you from road debris and protect you from road rash if you do have an accident. Leather is tough and can withstand more wear and tear than almost any other material which is why riding gear is made with it – although it does look good too!
2. Wear a helmet. Head injury is the leading cause of fatality in a motorcycle crash. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that your chance of dying in a motorcycle crash is reduced by 29% just by wearing a helmet. If the full face helmet is just too cumbersome, then at least buy a three-quarter or half-shell helmet. While these types don’t offer quite as much protection, some protection is better than none.
3. Wear bright, visible clothing. If you can’t bring yourself to wear reflective clothing (which of course is recommended), then at least wear something that can be seen from far away. A bright shirt, bandana or helmet will help drivers see you better as you are approaching.
4. Limit your night driving. More accidents of all types happen at night and motorcycles are no exception. In fact, motorcycle accidents are even more common at night. If cars have a hard time seeing motorcycles during the day, it stands to reason that it is even harder at night.
5. Remember to obey the rules of the road. For instance, sometimes it’s tempting to skirt congested traffic by riding alongside stopped traffic, but when a motorcycle is riding somewhere where a car doesn’t expect a vehicle to be, you are just increasing the chances of the car not seeing you and causing a collision.
By following these simple tips, you will make riding for you and your passengers safer and ultimately more enjoyable. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and need legal advice, contact California motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates at 1-800-300-0001 or visit him online at www.ledgerlaw.com.
Tags: accident deaths, attorney, california motorcycle accident attorney, cars, crash, deaths, fatality, full face helmet, helmet, helmet head, injury, motorcycle accident, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle accidents, motorcycle crash, motorcycle enthusiasts, motorcycle riders, Motorcycle safety, reflective clothing, ride bikes, road rash
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