CGWC Orlando Injury Attorney Blog

Orlando, Florida

Watch For Motorcycles - Saturday, April 18, 2009

It's the season for avid bikers to get on the road on their motorcycles. There are over 4 million motorcycles on the roads of the United States. For the owners, this can be a dangerous season. Watch for motorcycles this spring and summer. Because they are smaller, narrower and generally of lower profile, it's easy for car drivers to miss them. So, if you're driving your car, remember to look left, look right, and look left again before pulling into an intersection. And always be alert for motorcycles. Motorcyclists should also be alert, and wear safety gear, such as helmet, eye protection, gloves, jacket, trousers, and proper footwear. To learn more about motorcycle safety, visit the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and the National Highway & Traffic Safety Administration for more tips.

If you're involved in a motorcycle accident or car accident, don't try to navigate the legal and insurance world alone. Get a free consultation from the experienced auto accident attorneys at CGWC.

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Florida Wrongful Death Lawyers Say Motorcyclists At Higher Risk - Sunday, November 02, 2008

By their nature, motorcycles are less visible, less stable, and less crashworthy than four wheel motor vehicles. Honed physical and mental skills are required to safely operate a motorcycle on public streets. Fatalities from motorcycle accidents have increased every year for the past nine years according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to die in a traffic accident, per mile traveled, and 8 times more likely t be injured.

If a loved one has been killed or injured in a motorcycle accident, you need experienced motorcycle accident attorneys to protect your family. Call CGWC for a free consultation, and do not speak to an insurance company until you are represented.

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Motorcycle Accidents - What You Should Know - Saturday, April 12, 2008

You should know that Florida laws governing the rights of parties involved in motorcycle accidents are different from those governing four wheel vehicle accidents. There are different rights and different liabilities. There are vastly different types of insurance policies, coverage, and claims that arise from motorcycle accidents, as well. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident or, worse, if a loved one has been killed in a motorcycle accident, you should consult with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney. Don't talk to any insurance company until you have an attorney on your side. CGWC offers free consultations regarding motorcycle accident claims.

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Bike Week Safety - Sunday, March 02, 2008

Bike Week has just begun and already four people have been killed as a result of motorcycle accidents in Central Florida. Here are some safety tips to keep all motorists safe this Bike Week:
  1. Remember that a motorcycle has the same status and privilege on the road as any other vehicle, so give the motorcyclist his full lane width and never try to share a lane with a motorcyclist;
  2. Bikers should never try to ride between lanes to overtake slower cars ahead;
  3. Always check blindspots and mirrors carefully for motorcyclists;
  4. Bikers should assume they are invisible to other motorists, position themselves to be seen, and operate their motorcycle as if they are invisible anyway;
  5. Bikers, and all motorists, should signal their intentions with turn signals or hand signals before turning or changing lanes;
  6. Wear helmets and other safety gear.
Enjoy sunny Florida, and stay safet this Bike Week. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, you will need experienced legal help. Call CGWC for a free consultation.

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Motorcycle Deaths Pushed to Record Highs - Saturday, November 17, 2007

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the popularity of high performance motorcycles has pushed deaths of motorcyclists to near record highs. So-called "supersport" motorcycles are typically built on racing platforms modified for sale to motorcycle enthusiasts for legal street operation. Light in overall weight and equipped with powerful engines, supersports are built for speed. Unfortunately, they can also be deadly.

Motorcycle deaths have more than doubled in the last 10 years. While supersport bikes made up less than 10% of all registered motorcyles in 2005, supersport bikers accounted for over 25% of all biker deaths. Supersport bikers should remember that these racing bikes are built for speed but public streets are not the place to test their limits. And, as always, for bikers who operate whatever type of motorcycles they prefer within the rules of the road, other motorists need to be alert to observe and avoid collisions with the comparatively unprotected motorcyclist on our state streets, roads and highways. If you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle accident or automobile accident, call CGWC and speak to our experienced motor vehicle accident lawyers.

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Motorcycle Fatalities Increasing - Sunday, September 16, 2007

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, deaths from motorcycle accidents has been on the rise since 1997. In 2004, over 4,000 bikers were killed and another 76,000 motorcyclists were injured. Half of the fatalities involved collisions with other motor vehicles.

According to studies, the motorcycle accident rate is increasing and in addition to causing many deaths, motorcycle crashes cause serious injuries, including brain damage, broken bones, and soft tissue injuries. Head injuries are often a cause of death. Motorcycling has become increasingly popular over the last decade, so there are more bikers on the highways. In 2006, motorcycle accidents accounted for over 11% of all traffic accident deaths.

Motorcycles are less visible to other drivers, less stable than other vehicles, and less crashworthy than other motor vehicles, making riders more susceptible to serious injury or death. If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, you need experienced motorcycle accident lawyers like the attorneys at CGWC.

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Share The Road With Motorcycles - Sunday, May 27, 2007

The Florida Department of Transportation and the Florida Highway Patrol have adopted May as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month to remind all motorists to share the road with motorcycles and be alert to bikers. One of every ten traffic fatalities is a motorcyclist. According to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), over 4500 bikers lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2005 alone, and over half of those accidents involved another vehicle.
Due to their size, it's not always easy to see motorcycles on the road. In addition, motorcyclists are much more vulnerable to injury and death with about 80% being injured or killed in motorcycle accidents, compared to 20% of automobile operators and passengers. And in the summer, more bikers take to the highways. So, it's important for automobile drivers to be alert to motorcycles and share the road.
So, be on the lookout for motorcyclists this summer. Never tailgate a motorcycle. Be aware that it is easy for a motorcycle to be hidden in your blindspot. And never ever try to share a lane with a motorcycle. Motorcycles have all the rights and privileges of other vehicles on the road, including the right to an entire lane of the highway. If you're a biker, be sure to position yourself to be seen and always wear protective gear. For more safety tips, see the following websites:



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Bikers And Booze Don't Mix - Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Alcohol and bikers prove to be a lethal mixture in Volusia County each year during Bike Week and Biketoberfest. Around 25% of Florida's fatal alcohol related motorcycle crashes in recent years have occurred during Bike Week and Biketoberfest. Head injuries are more likely to prove deadly if the victim is intoxicated which adds yet another dimension to the harmful realities of alcohol consumption and motorcycling.

According to a report by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration, drinking related deaths in motorcycle crashes have surged among older motorcyclists. Of the 1,264 bikers killed in 2004, alcohol was involved in a large percentage of motorcycle accidents involving bikers between 30 and 49 years of age. There have already been six fatalities during Bike Week this year, and last year, 21 died during the 10 day celebration.

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Bike Week 2007 - Arrive Alive - Friday, March 02, 2007

Bike Week in Daytona Beach, Florida is a tradition with roots that go back almost 75 years. In the 1930's, motorcycle races on the beach were followed by parties on Main Street in Daytona. Over the years, Bike Week was born. Bike Week and Biketoberfest have become traditions that make "motorcycles" synonymous with good times in Daytona Beach.

But Bike Week brings dangers with the good times. About half a million motorcyclists roar into Daytona Beach during Bike Week these days. This causes traffic congestion that is a mammoth safety problem for local authorities to manage. Motorcycle accidents are an expected offshoot of the unique celebration of Bike Week and its autumn cousin, Biketoberfest. The potential for serious accidents is the greatest safety worry for visitors, and residents alike. Bike Week 2007 saw 21 motorcycle fatalities.

To avoid accidents during bike week, motorcyclists should be aware that there are cars still on the road. And drivers of passenger cars should vigilantly be on the lookout for motorcyclists on their vulnerable two wheelers. And no one should drink and drive. If you're going to bike week, whether in a car or on a motorcycle, take extra time, and extra care, and arrive alive.

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Motorcycles Increasingly Popular...And Dangerous - Saturday, February 17, 2007

According to the Insurance Information Institute, motorcycling has become more and more popular in recent years and appeals now to older and more affluent riders than in the past. Sales of two wheelers reached almost 1.2 million in 2005. Not surprisingly, the fatality rate for motorcyclists has also been climbing dramatically, in 2005 reaching the highest level since 1986. There has been a particularly dramatic rise in deaths of those age 40 and up from motorcycle accidents.

Over 4,500 motorcycle enthusiasts died in motorcycle crashes in 2005, up 13% from 2004. This 12%increase was the largest since 1977! Fatalities from motorcycle accidents has increased for the last 8 years consecutively.

According to the latest data, a biker in 2005 was 34 times more likely to die in an accident than an occupant of a passenger car, per vehicle mile traveled. Bikers were 8 times more likely to be injured.

The death rate for motorcyclists was 4.8 times that of automobile operators and passengers in 2004.

Motorcycling is fun and should be. But safety must come first. Think and plan the safest routes on your crusing days. Avoid heavy traffic if you can. A motorcyclist is no match for a four wheel vehicle if a crash occurs.

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New Motorcycle Helmet Law - Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Effective this year, all cyclists under 21 years of age must wear a helmet at all times. Recent changes in state law still permit the helmetless operation of motorcycles by bikers 21 and older if certain special insurance coverage is purchased. The new law requires motorcyclists under the age of 21 to use distinctive license plates so that law enforcement officers can quickly identify them as riders subject to this new mandatory helmet law.

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Motorcycle Fatalities Soar - Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Motorcycle fatalities have soared according to the Orlando Sentinel. In the nearly six (6) years since Governor Jeb Bush repealed Florida's helmet law, fatalities involving motorcyclists have risen from 22 deaths in 1998 and 1999 to 250 deaths in 2004! By comparison, there were 270 deaths of motorcyclists without helmets in the 1990's when it was a violation of the law to ride motorcycles without a helmet. Deaths of motorcyclists overall in Florida increased 67% from 2000 to 2004, i.e from 259 deaths to 432 deaths.

If you ride a motorcycle, wear your helmet!

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