What To Do If You Are Injured in a Motorcycle Accident

So you did everything you could to avoid being in an accident with a cager. But you did not count on someone rearending you while you were stopped at a light .

You now are facing medical bills and lost time from work with your ordinary bills still coming in. You have been seriously injured and the insurance company for the car driver that caused your injury is treating you poorly and questioning why you did not have a helmet on. You are up against their experienced adjustor whose job it is to pay you as little as possible .

Educate yourself about your rights and consult with a Cincinnati, Ohio motorcycle accident lawyer for no cost and no obligation. Take a look at these 5 videos about what you need to do, by motorcycle accident injury attorney Anthony Castelli.

1. How you can afford a motorcycle injury attorney

2. What motorcycle attorenys do and 9 reasons to hire one

3. The motorcycle helmet myth in Ohio

4. Attorney ratings hiring the best motorcycle attorney

5. Protect yourself with Underinsured motorist insurance



Then call Anthony today to get the help you need to get the compensation you deserve 1-800-447-6549 or go to his web site www.castellilaw.com

Free Motorcycle Safety Awareness bumper stickers

If anyone from Ohio would like a free bumper sticker like this, just send me your name and address. My hope is that drivers will see these and think about motorcycles and maybe we can prevent some Motorcycle accidents and injuries and save a life . That would really be grreat. You can email it through my web site http://www.castellilaw.com or leave it here in comments . Ride Safe Ride Free

Great illustration on Motorcycle safety tip

This link shows a great safety tip in an obvious situation where a motorcyclist thinks they are safe but are not.http://www.msgroup.org/CASESTUDY1.aspx?num=5

Although I certaily diagree with the conclusion that this accident was caused by rider error. The cager clearly violated the biker's right of way. But it does point out that the more defensive driving bikers do, the better off they will be to aviod or prevent an accident when a driver fails to look twice to save a life.

by Cincinnati motorcycle accident attorney . Call 621-2345 if you need help.

Motorcycle Accident Safety by the Marines

The United States military became concerned about servicemen and women being injured in motorcycle Accidents. They tried to think outside of the box to protect veterans from motorcycle accident injury. Here is a great short video they created.



This blog was started by Cincinnati motorcycle accident attorney Anthony Castelli.
He will gladly answer any questions you have about Ohio motorcycle injury.

Motorcycle Injury Awareness for Car and Truck drivers

5 Things Car drivers Should Think about Bikers

1. Driving while texting is impaired driving, if you kill somebdy it could be vehicular manslaughter.

2. Motorcycles because they are smaller are not as easily seen. Please check you blind spot twice.

3. Most motorcycle accidents occur when a drive turns in front of a motorcycle. Make sure you look effectivey and make sure the motorcycle is a safe distance back before you turn.

4. Because of its small size a motorcycle may seem to be moving faster than it really is. Don't assume all motorcyclists are speeders.

5 When a motorcycle is in motion, don't think of it as motorcycle; think of it as a person.

Motorcycle Accident Awareness of Ohio Help video

Please watch this video especially if you are a car driver. The aim is to raise awareness to help lessen motorcycle accidents and injury especially in Ohio and everywhere.

Your attitude informs the way you drive a car. How much attention do you give to the fact that motorcycles are on the road with you and may be harder to see, especially if you don't consciously look for them or subconsciously fear or dislike motorcycle riders.

This video helps you get to know motorcycle riders, bikers if you will. most of them would give you the shirt off their backs.



by motorcycle safety awareness and injury help of Ohio

Motorcycle Safety Tips For When You Get Tailgaited

If you ride a motorcycle you probably have been tailgated by a car or truck. It is scary , and dangerous. I represented a young lady who was riding on the back of a motorcycle and they made a slow gentle turn right into a gas station. The car driver following too close (tailgaiting) struck the rear of the bike almost severing my client's leg.

I doubt this could have been prevented since this was innatention on the car driver. But what is the best way to get an intentional or on intentinal car driver off a motorcyclist's back.

Every motorcycle rider knows , that a car or truck is always going to prevail in a car motorcycle accident. So your main objective as a biker and a motorcycle rider is to avoid collisions with cars at all cost, , even if you have to give way.

The first thing that you should do is to put your turn signal on, switch lanes, and get out of the way as fast as reasonably possible.

If you are on a one lane road, put on a right turn signal, and then tap your breaks to get the cars attention. In some cases this will cause the car to back off if they are simply not paying attention while driving.

If it is an intentional tailgater , this hopefully will not anger them because they will see that you are trying to get off of the road, and they will back off and give you time to pull over to let them pass. You should then try to pull off of the road at a place where is safe to do so and let the car pass. When the car passes, now you can resume your ride.


The reason you want to get out of the way, and let a tailgater pass you is plain; you don't want to be rearended, if you are forced to stop or slow down suddenly.
It is better to let them pass, and let it go. The number one reason is that you do not want to end up in the hospital or lose your life.

by Cincinnati motorcycle accident attorney Anthony Castelli

Motorcycle Accident Safety Videos

These motorcycle accident safety videos have some real impact.



This Motorcycle safety video directed at car drivers and bikers.



And a motorcycle video for fun Easy Rider and Born to be wild

Motorcycle Accident Safety Study Launched

The Federal Highway Administration will start a new study to look into causes of motorcycle accidents. This will help develop procedures and strategies that can prevent or minimize these accidents.


The study will be conducted at the Oklahoma State University’s Transportation Center. This will be the first one in quite some time. The last such study was conducted in 1981, and resulted in the release of the Hurt Report. However, the findings of the Hurt Report and any effects they may have had on motorcycle safety, have begun to lose their impact in the nearly 30 years since the report was released. This can be seen in the steady increase in the rates of motorcycle accident fatalities across the country. Although the simple fact is more motorcyclists mean more accidents.

In 2008, approximately 5,300 motorcyclists were killed nationwide in these accidents, which is about 14 percent of all traffic accident fatalities that year. An estimated 177 of those fatalities occurred in Georgia. This was even as accident fatality rates in other groups, like automobile accidents and pedestrian accidents, showed a marked downward trend. According to the Department of Transportation’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System, motorcyclist fatalities increased by 150 percent between 1997 and 2008.

Interstingly this comes at a time when states are in financial trouble and the first thing to be cut is special funds such as those to promote motorcycle safety. Luckily in Ohio the attempt was foiled when the governor tried to raid high profile funds.

Motorcycle Recall of Harley Davidson

Harley-Davidson Inc. is recalling 111,569 motorcycles manufactured between June 2008 and November 2009 due to the threat of a gas leak in the event of a front end accident.


The recall affects 2009 and 2010 tour bikes, including CVO Touring and Trike lines. These are some of Harley-Davidson's most expensive motorcycles the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration stated.


The NHTSA reports that in the event of a front end collision, the front fuel tanks mounts may bend and create conditions that lead to an explosion. However, the NHTSA did not say how many reports they've received of gas leaks or fires caused by this particular defect.


Motorcycles are popular with people from all walks of life. Theyhave become much safer than they used to be through better technology and new designs. As a result of the popularity of these bikes, more are on the road. Consequently, there is a greater chance for a motorcycle accident. The Harley-Davidson defect also increases the likelihood of injury or death.


Owners of Harley-Davidson motorcycles that may be part of the recall should take their bikes to a dealer who will install front braces designed to reduce mount distortion in the event of a front-end collision. This will be free of charge and begin around December 14.

Bikers of Ohio and other States Watch out for blackout tape in construction Zones

Safety hazard for motorcyclists Beware

In construction zones there are often conflicting pavement markings. Often the state Department of transportation will cover over the old marking with "blackout tape". These tapes depending on the manufacturer degrade quick and quicker. They should only be used if at all for very short periods.

These tapes become very slick. They ought to be banded completely. If you are going south on Interstate 75 at mile marker 17 look to the left. You will see a cross. That's were at least six bikers went down until one was killed as a result of this blackout tape.

That's despite the state of Ohio and their own manuals warning about slipperry road hazards

Motorcycle Accident Injury compensation tip by Cincinnati Attorney

Even with all the motorcycle accident awareness and riding skills it is inevitable, just as a car accident is for a cager, that a motorcycle rider will be injured as a result of a negligent motorist. This site also aims to provide information on what you should do in that instance.

Here are some tips from Cincinnati motorcycle accident attorney Anthony Castelli.

The first and formeost tip for bikers seriously injured in a motorcycle accident is to hire a great personal injury trial attorney. And if possible an attorney that has ridden.

Just as you seek the services of a medical specialist to put your body back together so should you seek a personal injury lawyer to help get your life back together. The most important thing to look for is personal injury trial experience. That way if the insurance company tries to get you to take a lowball offer your attorney will reject it and file your case in court and take it to trial if necessary.

If the attorney does not have trial experience then you may be forced to take a lowball offer or could end up with a less than optimum result.

Its also helpful if your attorney has ridden before.

Hiring an experienced motorcycle attorney, especially a lawyer that is a biker, will help the rapport and confidence level you feel about an attorney. Face it, most people want help from someone that they have a common bond with. Someone they feel comfortable talking to.

.A lawyer that has ridden motorcycles is likely to understand the aspect of how your maneuvered your bike and why even with the best riding you could not have avoided the accident.

.A biker attorney is not going to criticize you for not wearing a helmet if the law does not require it. In fact, he can mount defenses for you when the insurance company tries to low ball you because you were not wearing a helmet.

.A good lawyer brings with him a multitude of skills and a depth of knowledge. He’s likely dealt with hundreds, if not thousands of personal injury cases and therefore knows what needs to be done. A lawyer has experience in gathering evidence and negotiating with insurance companies. He will advise you on how much you can expect to get for your settlement (you probably have no idea do you?). Knowing what your case is worth is essential to negotiating.

Your personal injury lawyer will also negotiate with the insurance company. If you don’t know how to play the negotiation game then you’ll get eaten alive by the adjuster (the person working for the insurance company trying to get you to take the lowest settlement possible). The lawyer will have tons of experience negotiating and will not be intimidated by the adjuster. He knows how to handle them.


by Anthony Castelli Cincinnati Motorcycle injury Attorney for more info go to http://www.castellilaw.com or call Anthony at 1-800-447-6549 for the help you need to get the compensation you deserve

Best Safety tip Site for Motorcycle Accident Prevention

Although motorcycle safety info is one of the most comprehensive sites on motorcycle accident prevention its wide range of topics is not just limited to motorcycle riding . Here is the link to the site http://www.motorcyclesafetyinfo.com/

But Jim davis's site http://www.msgroup.org
is the one I find to have the most comprehensive safety tips for motorcycle riders.

As an example his first two safety tips cover a lot of ground.

The first is a simple tip for the new rider on geting their bike home from the dealer. the second is preventing going over the "high side".

Here's Jim's tip on the maiden voyage.


Maiden Voyage
Getting it home from the dealership
By: James R. Davis




I'd like to address the issue of what a newbie has to confront when he buys his first motorcycle and has no more experience than successfully completing the beginner's MSF class (if that!).

What should he do to get that scoot home?

Well, first, he should ask his dealer to deliver it. If that fails?

If he has a friend who already rides he could ask that friend to ride it home for him. That makes a lot of sense and allows him to graduate his riding experience one step at a time instead of via 'immersion therapy'.

I know, many first time riders do not have friends who ride or the ones they do have are not exactly role models, so often their only alternative is to ride it themselves.

So, here are some thoughts for those people to consider ...

Get familiar with the instruments and controls while the bike is still in the dealer's possession - engine OFF. Sit on the saddle and practice lifting the bike off the side-stand, kicking it back out of the way, balancing (get a feel for heft) and then 'find' the side-stand and push it into place and LOCKED. Use your eyes to do this!!! Do not rely on the feel of it - especially before you lean the bike back onto the side-stand. Again, use your eyes to confirm that it is properly in place and locked there before you let the weight of the bike rest on it!!!!!!

Now squeeze both levers and 'work them' (in/out, in/out) - engine OFF - to get a feel for how much pressure your hands have to use (and get used to.) Honest, you may be a 250 pound Mr. America, but by the time you get home from your first ride your hands (especially the left one) will ache! That will quickly pass as the new demands you put on your muscles condition them.

Then, insure it's in neutral and the side-stand is UP then start that engine. Again, squeeze both levers and hold them HARD. NOTICE, PAY ATTENTION, BELIEVE that it is because you have BOTH levers squeezed that you are in complete control and not in any danger. NOTICE, PAY ATTENTION, BELIEVE that no matter what happens out there on the road if you don't know what to do next YOU CAN ALWAYS SQUEEZE BOTH LEVERS and get out of trouble (or at the very least, minimize it.)

The MSF used 250 cc bikes. They are TAME and easy to maneuver. Your scoot will almost certainly be more powerful and heavier. That means that the little 'muscle memory' you have developed will NOT BE APPROPRIATE!!! You must learn all over again - that is, you need to find out how much braking energy is required to stop without skidding, and you need to know EXACTLY WHERE YOUR FRICTION ZONE STARTS.

So, engine running, do the beginner's MSF exercise - ease the clutch lever out until it just enters that friction zone and the bike tries to move forward. Allow the bike to move forward slightly, then squeeze that clutch lever and then use your legs to pull the bike back to where it started. Again, and again until you KNOW where that friction zone is.

Now, remember that you can only steer at very slow speeds - like when you are leaving the dealer's parking lot - but that thereafter you can ONLY counter-steer. 'Push right, go right' gets stuck in your brain and from then on that's how you steer. If at any time the bike feels like it is 'fighting you', not 'wanting' to make the turn you want it to make, then it is time to say 'push right, go right' and BELIEVE IT because at that time you are fighting yourself, not the bike.

Slow speed control is almost entirely in the left hand (friction zone) - while riding in a straight line the clutch lever belongs fully released, but if you are in a slow speed turn the odds are good that you should be 'in the friction zone' and using it to control your speed, NOT YOUR THROTTLE.

Turn your head and check traffic with your EYES, not your mirrors!!! (They only tell you about danger, they do NOT tell you it is safe.)

Keep your eyes UP and away from your instruments while riding. Danger is primarily in front of you, not somewhere between the speedometer and tachometer. You will have lots of time to get familiar with your instruments later. This time all you want to do is control the scoot and avoid dangerous situations. Shift conservatively - do not let your engine 'scream at you' or lug.

Do not enjoy the scenery on the maiden voyage. Pay attention to traffic, signals, how the bike 'sounds', and how it reacts to throttle and brake usage.

Before you know it you will be putting the puppy in your garage - mission accomplished.


So don't play Mr bigshot and ride your new bike home if you are a new rider .

The other article is avoiding going over the "High Side" of the bike when you crash. I'll save that for another day.

Motorcycle Injury Accident Studies what do they Mean

There have been many motorcycle injury accident studies. They can be used to support or refute the use of a motorcycle helmet, depending on who is interpreting the study.

My take is that its clear that motorcycle helmets can lessen and prevent motorcycle injuries at certain speeds. At high speeds there is some concern that they can add to neck injuries.

Below are links to some of the studies. The hurt study gets the widest coverage.

http://www.motorcyclesafetyinfo.com/hurt_study.html

Motorcycle accident in depth study

Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury

Traffic study Facts

The jonathon Goldstein study

Motorcycle Injury Safety Cincinnati Attorney Helmet survey

Cincinnati Motorcycle Attorney Informal Helmet Injury survey

The debate rages. Motorcycle helmet law requirements or not . Do motorcycle helmets prevent injury. Can motorcycle helmets increase injury. My informal survey of motorcycle riders on the road in Cincinnati amd bikers suggest that over 1/2 wear motorcycle helmets.

Bikers in Ohio , over 18 that have been riding for a year are not rquired to wear helmets. Hooray for the freedom to be free to wear or not wear a helmet. But just take a look at the professional riders gear if you want real world testimony.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that motorcycle helmets can prevent much injury to the head and face. A full face helmet gives maximum protection. But it also can not prevent all injury.

Of course even with a helmet you still can be killed or seriously injured. So the emphasis must be on ACCIDENT PREVENTION, not just injury prevention.

By Cincinnati Motorcycle Injury attorney Anthony Castelli www.castellilaw.com for the help you need