Unfortunately, for the first time in all 18 years of the Daytona Beach Biketoberfest there has been a fatal motorcycle accident. A 22-year old woman was struck by a Daytona resident who fled the scene immediately after the crash. He was apprehended by the police shortly after and apparently smelled very strongly of alcohol. He allegedly turned in front of 3 bikers, striking all of them. The Motorcycle Lawyer is saddened to bring you this news but would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone to Watch For Motorcycles!

The Motorcycle Lawyer received news today that the Harley-Davidson Museum is going to run an exhibit for this year's Cannonball Run.  Starting this past September, Bill Rodencal drove his 1914 Harley from Kitty-Hawk, NC to Santa Monica, CA at a top speed of 25MPH.  Now he'll be at the museum in Milwaukee, WI starting October 22 to recount stories from his epic cross-country trip.  If you visit the Harley Museum please tell us about it on our blog or any of our networking sites.  Twitter: @cyclelawyer1  Facebook: The Motorcycle Lawyer.

Happy Riding!

Jason Waechter, The Motorcycle Lawyer

BMW has taken notice of the increasing number of U.S. military members who are being injured or killed in motorcycle accidents.  In an effort to keep our men and women of service safe, BMW Motorrad USA has launched a promotion to add extra safety features to certain BMW motorcycles purchased by active United States military members.  Todd Andersen, BMW Motorrad USA Marketing Manager stated “To show our gratitude and appreciation to our men and women in uniform for their service to our country, BMW now offers them our safety package on the S1000 RR free of charge.”  This includes the Race ABS and Dynamic Traction Control worth $1,480.  The offer is good for any active USA military member who purchases a BMW S1000 RR motorcycle from August 19, 2010 through December 31, 2010.  The Motorcycle Lawyer always encourages bikers to wear approved safety gear and stay up to date on safety courses.
Authored by Jason Waechter
 

The California state Senate passed a bill that would make it a violation to ride your "roaring" hog.  The idea behind the bill is to make it a more severe violation to remove your standard exhaust and replace it with custom, after-market parts which, in theory, make your motorcycle louder.  Avid biker, Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger, has yet to make a statement on whether or not he will sign the bill by September 30th.  If passed, the bill would require bikes to have an EPA label that certifies that the exhaust system doesn't exceed 80 decibels (about the same as a vacuum) and is clean burning.  They are claiming that first time offenders will get "fix-it" tickets with a fine of $100 that will be voided if the exhaust is fixed, however if your bike doesn't meet standards after the first charge you can possibly pay up to $250.  Other major cities have already passed similar laws including Boston and Denver, but most bikers and product manufacturers feel that the change in standards will effect sales and performance of custom bikes. 

Imre Szauter, who works for the AMA stated "We're never going to advocate breaking the law, what we're trying to advocate is reasonable choices to allow consumers to customize their vehicles."

The Motorcycle Lawyer appreciates all views on this matter so feel free to let us know what you think.

The Motorcycle Lawyer received news today of a crash involving a motorcycle being hit by a semi truck.  Like most cases we see here at The Motorcycle Lawyer's office, the crash was a result of the biker not being seen as the truck made a left turn.  The University of Iowa student was thrown from the bike and as he was spinning through the air, lost his shoe.  We always stress the importance of wearing proper safety gear, however, this rider was in a sweatshirt and shorts with NO helmet on.  He's a lucky guy because, amazingly, this young biker walked away from the accident relatively unharmed.  The driver of the truck was cited for Failure to Yield.  

It's always best to take safety courses and wear a helmet and leathers.  As bikers you are much more vulnerable than drivers when on the open road.  In the event of a motorcycle accident, call The Motorcycle Lawyer and we'll get you the benefits you deserve.

Want an airbag for your motorcycle?  Currently the first and only brand for bikers that have installed airbags in their motorcycles to increase safety is Honda.  The "Goldwing Air Bag" is designed theoretically to lessen the force of impact and slow the ejection rate of the rider after a front-end collision.  While most bikers will appreciate the extra safety, they will agree that the real issue is not being seen by cars.  We need more auto makers to design cars that help avoid crashes.  Many auto manufacturers have new designs that can sense when objects are in their direct path therefore reducing crashes.  Volvo has even gone so far as to say "By 2020 nobody shall be seriously injured or killed in a new Volvo."  Although these new precautions are being put into place, single vehicle accidents where the riders error is the cause will still undoubtly happen, that's why The Motorcycle Lawyer believes it is always important to take safety courses to stay caught up on your riding skills.

1. Take a motorcycle safety class. Learn how to ride proficiently.
2. Practice in an empty parking lot and become proficient at breaking, turning and evading.
3. Ride using the SIPDE: scan, identify, predict, decide and execute.
4. I am an ABATE member and believe we should have the right to choose whether to wear a helmet or not. In Michigan it's the law.  If you're going to wear a helmet I recommend a good one. A DOT approved helmet and one that has full face coverage.  I've had many clients come to me after a crash and tell me they are happy they had one on.
5. Watch out for intersections.  The vast majority of all motorcycle accidents occur at intersections. The most common accident I see involves the at fault driver making a left turn.
6. Do not ride in bad weather.  The chances of going down go up.
7. When you ride don't consume any alcohol.  Just make it your policy. 
8. Make sure you insure your bike and do so properly with uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist protection.
9. Be conspicuous.  I remember my motorcycle riding instructor saying, “why is it that everything they make for us is black?”  Wear bright colored coat and helmet. Europeans have the right idea-- they don't think it's “uncool” to wear a high visible reflective vest while riding a motorcycle.  One of the best and most noticeable items I've seen a biker wear was a neon green and orange swirled pattern helmet. When the motorcyclist looked left and right at an intersection the sunlight bounced off of it almost as if it were a police siren.  And what do negligent drivers that hit motorcyclist say, “I just didn't see him.”
10. Watch for people pulling out of side streets, business parking lots and coming across backed up traffic lanes.  These are situations I see constantly where a motorcyclist gets hit.