Motorcycle Accident

Protect Yourself With the Right Motorcycle Helmet

If you ride a motorcycle, you know that getting around on two wheels is a unique experience that you just can’t replicate in a car, truck, or SUV. Unfortunately, the trade-off for the sense of freedom and exhilaration that riding a motorcycle brings is a significant reduction in safety, especially during crashes.

As a motorcyclist, you’re on your own when it comes to protecting yourself from injuries. Motorcycles have no built-in safety features, and there are no seat belts to restrain you or airbags to soften impacts. The best way you can protect yourself is by wearing riding gear, including a jacket, pants, gloves, boots, and—most importantly—a helmet.

Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers’ team of Virginia motorcycle accident attorneys knows how important helmets are for the safety of riders, but we also know that they’re only at their most effective when they’re the right type, size, and fit. You can ensure your helmet is suitable by following these guidelines:

• Buy a helmet that meets industry standards. There are three major safety standards for motorcycle helmets: DOT, ECE 22.05, and Snell. Make sure any helmet you buy meets at least one of those standards.
• Get a helmet that fits. Helmets should fit snugly without being too tight. Most helmets can be adjusted using inserts and padding to create a perfect fit, but some may be bad fits from the beginning. Try on different helmets until you find one that fits comfortably while riding.

Helmets can significantly reduce the risk of head and brain injuries, but they can’t eliminate them completely. If you or someone you love was seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash, we may be able to help. Contact us today for a free consultation to find out how we can put our years of experience to work for your family.

Winter Motorcycle Safety Tips

If you have the right gear, riding a motorcycle year-round in all climates and temperatures is feasible. All-weather gear can keep you warm and protect you from the elements even in freezing temperatures. Layering clothing can also make a big difference, as it allows you to adapt to changing temperatures throughout the day.

In addition to keeping warm, it’s also important to remember that riding a motorcycle in the winter can present some additional challenges and dangers that you might not face during other seasons. Ice is a major threat to all motorists, especially motorcyclists. Unlike four-wheel vehicles like cars, trucks, and SUVs, motorcycles don’t have the extra protection of an outer vehicle shell. Losing control of a motorcycle even briefly can result in a serious crash with little to no chance to regain control.

To protect yourself while riding during the winter, do your best to follow these tips:

• Check your tire pressure before you ride. Your tire traction is the one of the most important things to be aware of when you ride during the winter. When your tires lose traction and you drive over ice or snow, you face a high risk of losing control. Tires that are properly inflated have better traction than tires with low pressure.
• Watch the road. The roadway itself can be your biggest enemy during winter rides. In addition to snow and ice, you also must watch for cracks, fallen branches and tree limbs, and pot holes. Stick to riding on well-maintained roads when possible, and reduce your speed on roads that are in poor condition.

The Virginia motorcycle accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers know that motorcyclists face dangers throughout the year, especially when other drivers are negligent. If you were hurt by a careless driver, we’re here to help. Call today for a free consultation.

2 Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

All vehicle accidents have the potential to cause serious and even life-threatening injuries. But motorcycles lack the protection of seat belts and airbags, putting motorcycle accident victims at an even higher risk of severe injury.

Riders can protect themselves and reduce their risks by wearing full riding gear, including a full-face helmet, riding jacket and pants, gloves, and boots, but they’re still vulnerable during accidents.

New and veteran riders alike are taught to be aware of common dangers on roadways, including loose gravel, potholes, and slick pavement due to rain or ice. But other drivers remain one of the biggest hazards that motorcyclists face. The following scenarios represent serious threats to every motorcyclist in Virginia and throughout the U.S.:

1. Left-turning drivers – Whether they’re turning left at intersections or into parking lots, many drivers simply aren’t trained to look for motorcycles when crossing lanes of traffic. That can result in serious accidents when they make left turns into the paths of motorcyclists.
2. Drivers changing lanes – Because drivers often aren’t accustomed to watching out for motorcyclists, they may not check their blind spots. When they change lanes, they may drift directly into the paths of motorcyclists or force them off the road.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk motorcycle accident attorneys have helped many victims who were hurt in motorcycle accidents due to a wide variety of causes, including those listed above.

No matter how your motorcycle accident happened, we want to help. Call today for a free consultation.

Avoid Motorcycle Accidents by Increasing Your Visibility.

Riding a motorcycle puts you at a disadvantage in accidents involving cars, trucks, and SUVs. Unlike drivers and passengers, you don’t have seat belts to hold you in place during accidents or air bags to soften the blow of impact.

Riding gear can help protect you from head injuries and road rash, but motorcyclists still face the risk of suffering severe injuries if they’re thrown from their bikes. That’s why it’s important to do everything you can to prevent accidents from happening in the first place—and increasing your visibility is step number one.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Norfolk motorcycle accident lawyers know that riders can make themselves more visible to drivers when they:

• Wear bright and reflective safety gear. Avoid solid black safety gear when possible. Choose helmets, jackets, and pants that are brightly colored and covered in reflective materials.

• Know where blind spots are and avoid them. All vehicles have blind spots. Larger vehicles, including SUVs, semi-trucks, and buses may have big blind spots that extend several car lengths in adjacent lanes. Avoid those spots to maintain maximum visibility.

• Keep headlights on, even during the day. Headlights are motorcyclists’ best friends when it comes to being seen. Keep them on even when you don’t need the light they emit, as they’ll make you more easily visible to drivers.

Were you or someone you love hurt in a motorcycle accident that was caused by a careless driver? If so, you may be eligible to pursue a claim for compensation for your accident-related expenses. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Motorcyclists: Wear All the Gear, All the Time

With summer temperatures soaring into the high 90s in Norfolk recently, wearing thick riding gear may be the last thing on many motorcyclists’ minds. But hot weather is no excuse to avoid wearing protective clothing and equipment that could save your life.

As a motorcyclist, you’re much more vulnerable during accidents than people inside cars, trucks, and SUVs. Unlike drivers and passengers in passenger vehicles, you don’t have the protection of a steel chassis, seat belts, and airbags. The best way you can protect yourself is by following a simple phrase that saves the lives of many motorcyclists every year: “All the gear, all the time.”

What does that phrase entail? It means always wearing these articles of clothing or equipment:

• Helmet
  Make sure your helmet is DOT, ECE 22.05, or Snell-certified. An effective helmet will cover your entire head, including your face.
• Riding jacket with armor
  The most effective riding jackets include armor—which means padding and cushions that can help reduce the risks of abrasion and soften impact with the road if you’re involved in a crash.
• Riding pants with armor
  Any pair of pants you pull out of your closet or dresser aren’t sufficient for protecting you on your bike. Make sure your riding pants provide abrasion and impact protection, just like your jacket.
• Riding boots
  Good riding boots will be made of a quality material like leather and will include additional height to protect your ankles. Many also include additional protection for toes.
• Gloves
  Your hands are extremely vulnerable during accidents. Make sure they’re protected by always wearing heavy-duty riding gloves, as they’re often the first body part to contact the ground during accidents.

Unfortunately, riding gear can only serve to reduce the severity of injuries—not eliminate them. If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident, get in touch with our Norfolk motorcycle accident lawyers today by filling out a free online consultation form.

Making Sure Norfolk Motorcycle Accident Victims Stories Are Heard

If you think being an at-fault driver in an auto accident is stressful, imagine the panic that drivers feel at the scene of a motorcycle accident. The right thing to do would be to own up to it, but not everyone has that level of integrity. Over the years, Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers has seen at-fault drivers tell outright lies to save their own skin, and you can’t assume the other driver won’t do the same.

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, proving who is to blame can be difficult on your own. First of all, you probably didn’t get to tell your side of the story at the scene of the accident due to your injuries. The only story the officer heard was that of the other driver. Do you really think they took full responsibility for what they did? Your side of the story should be documented as well. That’s one of the things an experienced motorcycle accident attorney can do for you: make sure your story is heard. Then we’ll go after every dollar in compensation you deserve.

Call an experienced Norfolk motorcycle accident lawyer today for a free consultation. You need to focus on your recovery. Let us focus on getting you justice. We’re ready to review your case at no charge and fight to get you compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and more. There is way too much at stake for you to try and go it alone. Contact us today.

Things to Consider After a Motorcycle Accident

The open road is always calling to a motorcycle enthusiast. It could be the dead of winter, and the only thing on the mind of a dedicated rider is turning that engine over and hitting the road. Virginia has some of the best riding in the country, which is why so many folks in Norfolk own motorcycles. Unfortunately, many drivers in our community don’t know how to properly share the road with riders, leading to significant injuries and even death.

If you’re reading this blog after a serious motorcycle accident, there are a few things you should consider right now. First of all, are your rights as an accident victim protected? If you don’t have an experienced motorcycle accident attorney on your side, they may not be. Second, are you in a position to get the most money for your injury claim? The at-fault driver’s insurance company may try to pay you as little as possible for your injuries. An experienced Norfolk motorcycle wreck attorney will fight the insurance company for every dollar you deserve.

Lastly, are you prepared to pay for someone else’s mistake? If you try to deal with the insurance company on your own, you may do just that. Every dollar you don’t secure from the insurance company is another dollar you give to the person who hit you. You’re essentially saying, “You caused the accident, but I’m going to pay for it.”

Don’t do it.

Call an experienced Norfolk motorcycle accident attorney today for a free consultation. We’re ready to fight for you, so contact us today.

Motorcyclists More Likely to Die in Crash

There’s a certain level of risk that all motorcyclists take when getting out on the road. Motorcycles can be extremely dangerous if not operated correctly, and many accidents occur due to rider error. However, the risks extend well beyond the rider’s ability to properly handle their bike. In fact, we’d propose that Norfolk riders are at greater danger of being hit by another driver than laying the bike down on their own, and when that happens, the results can be devastating.

According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are 26 time more likely to die in a crash than car drivers and 5 times more likely to be injured. That statistic has unfortunately become a reality for many Norfolk motorcyclists and their families over the years, and several of them have turned to us to protect their rights to compensation. Motorcycle accident injury claims can be complicated. We have years of experience successfully navigating those complexities for our clients to get them maximum compensation for their injuries.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident, call our Norfolk motorcycle accident attorneys today for a free consultation. The insurance company has a responsibility to pay you fair compensation for your injuries, and we’ll work to make sure they live up to that responsibly.

Respect Can Save Lives

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, respect is king. We extend it to every client we represent and demand it from the insurance companies we deal with on a daily basis. A lot of the accident victims we’ve helped over the years were injured by someone that failed to respect their right to safety. This is especially true of bicyclists. Although they have the same rights as motorists, they are often overlooked or worse targeted while out on the road. We believe this stems from a lack of knowledge of how to share the road, so here are a few safety tips for both motorists and cyclists that, if observed, could help us reduce the number of bicycle accidents in Norfolk:

Motorists

• Pass cyclists at a reasonable speed, keeping at least three feet between you.
• Cyclists may pass vehicles on either side or even go off the road to pass, so make sure you check your surroundings for cyclists before turning or opening your doors when parked.
• Learn the arm signals cyclists use to indicate turns. Knowing what these signals mean can help you adjust as you approach intersections.

Cyclists

• Remember that you are subject to the same traffic laws as every other vehicle out on the road. Respect other drivers by adhering to these laws every time you get on the bike.
• Learn the proper arm signals and use them every time you make a turn.
• Ride only with the flow of traffic, never against it.
• Never ride more than two abreast or impede traffic.

If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, give our Norfolk bicycle accident attorneys a call today. We’ll investigate the cause of your accident and hold the negligent driver accountable.

The Reality of Going It Alone

You’ve been in a serious accident. You’re injured, scared, and are considering calling a lawyer to help with your injury claim, but you are not completely convinced you need one. Thousands of people each year handle their own injury claims. While some do okay for themselves, most leave a lot of money on the table. The reality is, an injury claim isn’t something you want to handle on your own, and here are a few reasons why.

• You’ve never done it before. If you’re anything like me, you like to tackle home improvement projects yourself, rather than calling in a professional. There’s just something about figuring it out on your own that’s rewarding. However, a personal injury claim isn’t a DIY project. You only get one chance to get it right, and the learning curve is steep. The chances of you maximizing your claim having never done it before are slim.
• You need to focus on your recovery. Getting fair compensation for your injuries is vitally important to your financial future. However, it’s even more important that you fully recover from your injuries. Handling your own injury claim can be time-consuming and frustrating, leaving you stressed and unable to focus on your recovery.
• The insurance company loves do-it-yourselfers. People who file their own injury claims without the assistance of a lawyer are playing right into the insurance company’s hands. Why? Because accident victims without a lawyer on their side will more than likely take the first settlement offer the insurance company offers, which is probably not enough to cover the full extent of your injuries.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know a serious accident can leave you uncertain of what to do next. That’s why you should call an experienced Norfolk motorcycle accident attorney. We’ve helped hundreds of accident victims just like you get the compensation they need, and we’re ready to help you too. Don’t take on the insurance company alone. Call us today.