A legal blog devoted to matters of personal injury law

Good morning!

I’m Gary Martin Hays.
If you have a question you would like for me to answer, or if you would like to speak with me regarding a potential claim, please pick up the phone and give us a call right now. (770) 934-8000.

“Gary – I’d love to have your advice on this. I was riding on my motorcycle on Pleasant Hill Road. And then it happened. This elderly woman pulls out of a fast food restaurant’s parking lot. She was trying to turn left and pulled out in front of me.

Glenn – thanks for the question.

You need a lawyer and I would be happy to help you.
And I’ll answer this in a little more detail in a moment.

* Over 80 percent of all reported motorcycle accidents resulted in injury or death to the motorcyclist.
* In 2011 in Georgia, there were 149 motorcycle accident fatalities.
* Most of the motorcycle accidents in Georgia occur within the metro-Atlanta area.
* But the majority of the motorcycle related deaths in Georgia occur on rural roads versus city streets.
* Motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to experience a deadly accident on the road than those in passenger cars.
* A 2009 report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety showed that 42% of fatal motorcycle crashes involved a vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking the vehicle.
And Glenn – that is what you said happened in your wreck. The at fault driver was attempting to turn left out of the fast food restaurant driveway when she pulled out in front of you.

The driver of the other vehicle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until it was too late to avoid a collision.

(1) Perform a Bike Safety Check BEFORE you ride!
Start with the tires. Make sure they are property inflated by using a good tire pressure gauge.
Look at your tires to see if they have any surface cuts or foreign objects in them.
Check your lights, turn signals and brakes. Please make sure they are in working order.

Obeying the speed limit will not only help you keep better control of your motorcycle, it may also give you a little more time to react if a car or truck comes into your lane or pulls out in front of you.
(3) Wear a quality protective helmet.
Head injury is the #1 cause of deaths in motorcycle crashes.

In 2008 in Georgia, 97 motorcyclists lives were saved because they were wearing a proper helmet at the time of their crash.
Georgia requires all riders and passengers to wear a helmet.
It is also a good idea to wear protective eye wear.

Make it a habit to do this – even in daylight hours.
This is just one other factor that may help you be seen by other drivers.
(5) Wear high visibility, protective clothing.

And it is always a good idea to wear thick pants, boots, shirts with long sleeves or a heavy protective jacket.

ALWAYS check your blind spot before changing lanes or merging into traffic. Motorcycles can be harder to see than other types of vehicles.

Let’s be attentive to the road when we operate our vehicles.

Please put down that cell phone when you are behind the wheel.

Glenn: you were hurt in this wreck because the other driver pulled out in front of you.
She received the ticket for failure to yield.
However, just because she was cited for causing the wreck does not mean her insurance company is going to compensate you fairly for your injuries.

And the insurance company is not in the business of telling you everything that they should be doing for you.

And as soon as they hang up the phone with you, they pick up the phone to speak with THEIR lawyer.

So just by talking with a lawyer the injured victim received 40% more money than when they tried to handle the claim on their own.
But this next stat tells the real story . . .

Suppose an injured victim that DID NOT have an attorney settled their claim for only $3,000.00. If they had hired an attorney, they could have settled the case for $10,500.00.
If you have been hurt in a wreck and you don’t hire an attorney, you are letting the insurance company hang onto YOUR money. Plain and simple.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a wreck, I encourage you to talk with a lawyer.

The consultation is FREE and completely confidential.

You owe it to yourself – to your family – to get the help you need.

Personal Injury Law

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