Motorcycles are no doubt fun to ride. With summer just around the corner, we will soon start seeing more and more motorcyclists take to Michigan’s roadways. However, it is also important to remember that motorcycle accidents can have devastating consequences especially for riders and passengers. It is often the people on the motorcycle who suffer major injuries when a collision occurs between a motorcycle and another vehicle. Solo motorcycle accidents can be tragic as well.

There are several steps motorcyclists can take to ensure that they are safe while riding on Michigan roadways this summer. Before taking your motorcycle out, you should always make sure that your motorcycle is in good working condition. Check your tires for any bulges, cracks or signs of wear in the treads. Make sure there are no oil or gas leaks. Also, ensure that all lights are functioning properly. It is also important that you check your motorcycle’s hydraulic and coolant fluids.

It also helps to remind yourself about some of the safety measures to take when you are riding. Maintain safe spacing, which means that you should leave plenty of space in front and back and to the sides from all other vehicles. This gives you the space and time to react to situations. Be wary of oncoming left turners. Vehicles turning left in front of motorcyclists is the leading cause of fatal motorcycle accidents. Slow down before entering an intersection. Stay visible. Don’t try to keep up with friends who are more experienced. Know your personal limits.

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In 2009, 40 million Americans were age 65 or older. They represented about 13% of our overall population. During that same year, 16% of all traffic fatalities involved drivers in that same age group. That means that about 5,288 people age 65 and older died while driving that year; another 187,000 were injured in auto collisions.

Although there’s been a 4% decrease in the number of older drivers killed in auto accidents since 2008, added precautions must be taken so that all of us can remain as safe as possible while behind the wheel. Since everyone experiences a decline in vision, hearing and motor skills over time, we must make careful adjustments in our driving as we continue to age.

While many older Americans choose to retire around age 65, a great many more remain highly productive workers, volunteers in the community and greatly valued family members. They all need the chance to remain active drivers just like other adults as long as they can do so safely

Additional Facts about Older and Younger Drivers

• Even daytime driving can be quite dangerous. Although many older drivers see better during the day and drive then, they must remember that 81% of those in their age group had their accidents during the day in 2009;

• Younger drivers need to take closer note of some of the safer driving habits of Americans age 65 and older. For instance, when fatal crashes occur, about 80% of older drivers are wearing their restraints or seatbelts at the time of impact. In contrast, drivers between the ages of 18 and 64 are only 64% as likely to be wearing their seatbelts

• Older Americans are much more responsible about handling drinking and driving. When they are stopped by the police on suspicion of DUI, they have the lowest percentage of drivers of any age group whose tests reveal a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher;

• When auto accidents do happen, older drivers are four times more likely than their younger driving counterparts to have been making left-hand turns when the collisions took place;

• Defensive driving classes may truly benefit some older drivers whose ability to quickly maneuver their vehicles may be declining. After all, when older and younger drivers are in fatal accidents, the older person’s car is usually about 1.7 times more likely to have been the vehicle that was struck.

Our firm hopes that this information will help drivers of every age pay closer attention to their driving habits while out on the road. While senior drivers do face many added driving challenges as they grow older, their hard – won years of experience can benefit them as well.

The Demas Law Group has been providing the highest quality of legal services to Californians for nearly twenty years. We take great pride in meeting our clients’ needs while working together to win your case and obtain the maximum compensation allowed by law. We are here to help you during this difficult time. Call our team of Sacramento personal injury lawyers at 888 776 0977 to speak with an attorney. To learn more about why you should hire us click here.

Are you the one out of three drivers that are driving dangerously drowsy? Drowsy driving has reached epidemic levels and is believed to be the cause of one in six traffic fatalities.

According to a AAA Foundation survey, it was found that although 96% of Americans believed that it is not a good idea to drive while drowsy, a third of us still do it.

“People know that they shouldn’t text or drink when they drive, and that’s great. However, many don’t realize that driving while drowsy is also very dangerous. If you’re so tired that you can hardly keep your eyes open, you could fall asleep for just a few seconds and not realize it. If that happens at 65 miles an hour, you could drive the length of a football field in an unconscious state.” – David Cloud, CEO of the National Sleep Foundation

You can actually reach the point of drowsiness that you can slip into microsleep for up to four seconds and not even be aware that it is happening. Also, you can equate the impairment of a drowsy driver to a drunk driver. In fact, once a person has been up for 20 hours straight, they have reached the same impairment levels as someone that has a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent which is the legal limit for drunk driving.

If you find it difficult to keep your eyes open, missing street signs or traffic signals, blacking out, or even can’t remember the last few miles of your trip, this means you have reached your limit and need to rest. Loud music and lots of caffeine really are not going to help if your body and mind are just too exhausted to continue.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident in the Northern Virginia area, order this Free consumer guide for accident victims in Virginia. It’s packed with useful information the insurance companies don’t want you to know. If you have questions about your case, contact The Parrish Law Firm today for a FREE evaluation at (571) 229-1800.

Under Utah law, all motorists are required to have liability insurance coverage on their vehicles. However, this is not always the case. The economic downturn that has severely affected the entire country has caused a number of drivers to put car insurance expenses on the back burner. Statistics support that fact. According to the Insurance Research Council (IRC), the estimated percentage of uninsured motorists was at its highest in 14.3 percent nationwide and dropped slightly to 13.8 percent in 2009. In the state of Utah, it is estimated that one in 20 drivers are uninsured.

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Our Ann Arbor auto accident attorneys represent clients in car accident cases involving cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians in Ann Arbor and its surrounding areas. We are dedicated to protecting your interests and handling your case with personal attention, professionalism, and compassion. We have successfully represented injury and accident victims for over forty years.

Ann Arbor Auto Accident Analysis

The number of car accidents in Ann Arbor is significant and the injuries from those accidents are often severe. The statistics were tallied by SEMCOG and are worth noting. (more…)

The Law Library is a new section of the BISNAR | CHASE website that provides links to free downloads of law-related books. These books are guides to the ins and outs of various injury and accident legal issues, and can be of great help to victims of accidents trying to navigate the world of law.

“The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Can Wreck Your California Personal Injury Claim,” by John Bisnar, Los Angeles personal injury lawyer and “Still Unsafe at Any Speed: Auto Defects That Cause Wrongful Deaths and Catastrophic Injuries,” by Brian Chase, are books written by the BISNAR | CHASE founders, and are available in The Law Library. Bisnar’s book provides a comprehensive guide for victims of personal injury accidents, and Chase’s book details the world of auto defects that negatively affect peoples’ lives everyday.

Other titles in the library include “The Ten Biggest Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Washington Accident Case,” “Washington Injury Law: A Reference Guide for Accident Victims” and “7 Potholes That Can Wreck Your Kentucky Accident Case.” Working within the law systems of different states, these three guides offer advice for how to reach an appropriate settlement and what to look out for when making claims. (more…)

Larry Elder, best-selling author and KABC radio talk show host, has recently invited California personal injury attorney, Brian Chase, of BISNAR | CHASE, to be the official on-air personal injury expert for his new radio show, “Larry on the Law”. Brian Chase will make his radio talk show debut during the first show on January 29, and will continue as a monthly feature for the personal injury section of “Larry on the Law.”

Elder’s new show is designed to address legal questions that many people find tough and confusing. Larry’s background as an attorney and experience as a daily morning talk show host will make his new show a resource for people who want to learn more about legal issues. Brian Chase, who has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for victims of personal injury accidents, was asked to contribute his expertise in the realms of personal injury and product liability law to “Larry on the Law” as the official and exclusive personal injury expert.

Chase has a reputation for his highest ethical standards and professional abilities. He was named Trial Lawyer of the Year in the area of Defective Products in 2004 and was listed as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Trial Lawyers Association in 2007. He was also honored as a Top Lawyer in Orange County by OC Metro magazine in 2009 and was named a Top 50 Orange County Super Lawyer by Orange Coast Magazine for the fourth consecutive year in 2010. (more…)

Every minute a person is injured in an alcohol-related accident, and every 50 minutes a person dies from alcohol-related car accidents (MADD 2010). These reasons alone should be enough to stop drivers from getting behind the wheel after a few drinks, yet every year, thousands of lives continue to be lost due to these negligent drivers.

This Holiday Season

With the New Year holiday coming up this weekend, the number of impaired drivers on the road will be higher as people celebrate. However, one Arizona company is hoping to reduce that number. AAA Arizona is offering a free “tipsy tow” service from 6pm on Friday, December 31 to 6am on Saturday, January 1. Drivers who are not fit to drive themselves home can call 1-800-AAA-HELP and ask for the “tipsy tow.” A tow truck will arrive to take the responsible drinker home for free. (more…)

As Phoenix product liability attorneys and parents ourselves, we pay close attention to product safety information having to do with the common products we use every day with our children. Not only is it important for us as parents to look out for potential dangers but we want to help other families prevent injury by disseminating any information we can in regards to product safety. A ban released by the Consumer Product Safety Commission last week, however, is years too late for many families.

The manufacture, sale, and re-sale of drop-side cribs have been banned by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The cribs were manufactured under many different brands for the past 10 years, but the design was the same. One side of the crib moved up and down to make it easier for parents to lift the child in and out.

A new standard will be in effect starting in June 2011, requiring all cribs to have fixed sides. Hotels and day cares with these cribs will have two years to replace them, but hopefully they will act quickly. (more…)

In the last few years the rate of bankruptcy filings has hit the highest level since the law was “reformed” in 2005, and pro bono lawyers are needed. Obviously although the new law made filing more difficult and expensive, there has become no other alternative for some people during the recession. Bankruptcy can be a very complex area of law based on federal statutes that are not always clear and the courts are quick to dismiss a bankruptcy that is filed incorrectly so the ABI has set up the Consumer Bankruptcy Center. Attorneys who have joined with the ABA commitment to pro bono work also can gain many helpful resources from this site. http://www.abanet.org/legalservices/probono/directory.html#

Bankruptcy practice has always been one of precise paperwork and understanding of the federal statutes and the reform bill (creditor backed) has made it more unwieldy, such that attorneys need to charge more to cover the mountain of paperwork now required. Nonetheless some attorneys are willing to help clients that cannot begin to handle that fee on a pro bono basis and they themselves need some research and practice help in this area.

The American Bankruptcy Institute has set up a Consumer Bankruptcy Center that is freely available for clients and attorneys. Pro bono work can help during a recession and for consumers, they start with the basic “Do I need to file a bankruptcy” and continue on from there to help the pro se client. Since it is really not recommended to file a bankruptcy pro se, they have a section for professionals to give attorneys, who may not practice in this area regularly, free resources which are needed for pro bono work. This page also lists attorneys certified in bankruptcy as resources. A pro bono attorney needs as many low cost or free resources to represent their clients well, and this Center provides it. It can be found on the American Bankruptcy Institute webpage.

Call a BISNAR | CHASE personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.