Archive for the ‘ Motorcycle Accident’ Category

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Experienced, Aggressive Torrance Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Monday, August 22nd, 2011

Motorcycles are very common sights on California streets and highways. Especially now with gas prices and unemployment on the rise, motorcycles allow people to save a lot of money on gas while going to and from work, running errands and simply getting around. Motorcycle sales in Torrance, CA and around the country have risen dramatically over the last several years. Unfortunately, this has led to a corresponding increase in motorcycle accidents. The Orange County motorcycle accident attorneys at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas are dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation to motorcycle accident victims and their families.

Motorcycle accidents often result in catastrophic and fatal injuries for riders and passengers. The majority of accidents are caused by negligent drivers of passenger vehicles failing to notice or respect a motorcyclist’s right of way. These accidents are most likely to occur at intersections with a vehicle disobeying a traffic signal and turning directly into a motorcyclist’s path. Even if a rider is wearing a helmet, boots, leathers and other protective gear, he or she has little protection against impact with the vehicle, a stationary object and the road. This is why motorcycle accidents often result in death or catastrophic, life-changing injuries such as these:

  • Crushed limbs
  • Brain injuries
  • Compound fractures
  • Back injuries
  • Paraplegia
  • Quadriplegia
  • Ruptured internal organs
  • Other devastating injuries

These injuries cause accident victims and their families profound physical, emotional and financial hardship. They must contend with loss of function and companionship, lost wages and possibly impaired future earnings, medical expenses that can quickly add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, physical and vocational rehabilitation and many other accident-related costs.

No amount of compensation can replace a life or an accident victim’s health, but a negligent driver who causes a motorcycle accident can be held liable for damages that can help with medical bills, job training, home modifications and other expenses. If you or a close family member has been injured in an accident, the Orange County motorcycle accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas may be able to help. Their motorcycle accident lawyers in Torrance and throughout Southern California can explain the laws that apply and your options in plain language so that you and your family can make informed decisions about which course of action will be best. To schedule a free consultation to discuss your case, call their personal injury attorneys today at 888.848.5084.

 

 

 

What is Anaheim Motorcycle Accident Witness Bias?

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Experienced Southern California motorcycle accidents attorneys and virtually every other type of lawyer understand the concept of witness bias very well. Anytime Orange County motorcycle accident lawyers question someone on a witness stand, they must discern whether the witness has a bias and how that bias can affect their case. In short, witness bias is a motorcycle accident eyewitness’ propensity to remember things incorrectly, either deliberately or accidentally. For example, if three people witness a motorcycle accident, chances are good that the police officer interviewing them will receive three different versions of how the accident occurred and the sequence of events that led to the accident. Chances are also good that if the case goes to trial, motorcycle accident lawyers in Anaheim or elsewhere will have to distinguish witness bias from fact.

Witness bias is different from perjury as perjury implies that someone knowingly told a lie. Each person has biases that consciously and unconsciously affect how he or she interprets the world. Witness bias can result in accident witnesses insisting under oath that they saw things they didn’t see or change their recollection of an accident to suit their bias toward a person or group of people. During questioning, it is an Anaheim motorcycle accident attorney’s job to do the following:
Ask a witness questions and listen intently to the answers to see if they have any bias to determine what that bias is and how it can affect the case

Gather information about the bias to gain a better understanding of how the bias affects credibility as a witness

Ask indirect questions about the bias so that the witness describes it in greater detail and the judge or jury can take it into consideration

Most of the time, witness bias is not deliberate or malicious. A witness might unknowingly harbor bias against motorcycle riders because an inconsiderate rider in her neighborhood guns his engine early in the morning or late at night. It is the motorcycle accident lawyer’s duty to identify that bias. Further, the lawyer must artfully expose it without insulting the witness or anyone else in the courtroom or the deposition room.

The Orange County motorcycle accident attorneys at this personal injury law firm have many years of experience interviewing accident witnesses in and out of courtrooms, determining what their biases may be and separating fact from bias during a trial. If you or a close family member has been injured in a motorcycle accident, the experienced Anaheim motorcycle accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Samer Habbas may be able to help. To schedule a consultation to discuss your case, call them today at 888.848.5084.

Lowball Techniques Used by Insurance Adjusters in Orange County Motorcycle Accident Cases

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

Unscrupulous insurance adjusters in Orange County motorcycle accident cases can use a variety of techniques to pressure you to settle your case for less than it’s worth. This is one reason it’s important to retain an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident attorney to make sure you get the full amount of money to which you are entitled. Here are some sneaky insurance adjuster techniques to watch for:

Using a Personal Injury Attorney

An insurance adjuster may get an opinion letter from a personal injury attorney (other than the one who is representing you) stating that your case is not worth very much money and show you this letter in an attempt to get you to accept the insurance company’s settlement offer for your Orange County motorcycle accident claim. The problem is that the claims adjuster may not have given the attorney all of the facts necessary to form an unbiased opinion.

Geographical Factors in Your Orange County Motorcycle Accident Case

If you live in an area that is far from where your motorcycle injury occurred, litigating your claim would mean time away from your job (which means lost wages and travel expenses–not to mention inconvenience). Insurance adjusters know this, and they may pressure you into settling for less than the full value of your Orange County motorcycle accident claim. They know that you are less likely to fight them than if you lived in the same jurisdiction where the accident took place.

Social Factors in Your Orange County Motorcycle Accident Case

If the claims representative thinks that something about your lifestyle (membership in the Hell’s Angels, for example) would be looked on unfavorably by a jury, he might make you a lower settlement offer than is fair, figuring that if your Orange County motorcycle accident case does go to trial, this fact will be brought out and make you seem less sympathetic to the jury.

These are just three of the many techniques insurance adjusters may use to undervalue your motorcycle accident case. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident and want an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer on your side to make sure you get the full value your case is worth, call (888) 848-5084 to schedule a free consultation.

 

Keeping a Personal Injury Journal After Your Orange County Motorcycle Accident

Thursday, June 9th, 2011

If you have been injured in an Orange County motorcycle accident, your personal injury attorney may instruct you to keep a daily journal recording your pain. A journal is especially important if your pain has no objective signs. It will help you remember how you felt on a particular day, which is important, because it can take many months, or even years, for your case to go to trial.

An Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer will do your best to help your personal injury case, but there are some things he cannot do. Knowing the frequency, duration, and severity of your pain is one of these things. It is up to you to document your pain in a way that can help you prepare for deposition, settlement, or trial.

Use your personal injury journal to record the pain you experience and the problems that arise as a result of that pain. Your journal should be in your own handwriting, unless you are unable to write because of your injury. Avoid showing your notes to anyone except your Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer. You should mail your notes to your attorney every month. Contact your attorney for more information about how he wants the journal to be completed and organized.

In a typical entry, you will describe your pain, discomfort, or other manifestation of your injuries, and how these things affect your everyday activities. Describe how you feel when you wake up and through the course of the day, until you go to bed. You will have “good days” and “bad days,” and it is important that you describe both. Don’t lie or exaggerate in the entries in your journal. It should be detailed, accurate, and honest. Your Orange County motorcycle lawyer will try to keep the journal confidential, but it may be introduced into evidence at trial and may be necessary to prove your pain and suffering.

If you have been injured and need a motorcycle accident lawyer in Orange County, we can help. Please call (888) 848-5084 to discuss your case, or fill out the free personal injury case evaluation form on this website.

Federal Officials Assess ABS for Motorcycle Safety

Tuesday, January 11th, 2011

Almost every state in the U.S. is looking critically at how to prevent or limit motorcycle accidents and injuries, but what kinds of practical obligations can really change the results for annual traffic injury and fatality statistics? The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) looks at relevant events and outcomes in traffic safety, and it has come up with some interesting results.

Recently, the IIHS has proposed an interesting change to state motorcycle laws. This is the addition of a key safety feature that has been built into most modern cars and trucks. The IIHS has been looking at requiring anti-lock brakes on motorcycles. Anti-lock brakes are a modern safety feature, and they help limit the spending of each wheel when the wheels lose contact with the road, i.e. in icy conditions.

Recent studies have found that having anti-lock brakes on motorcycles can lower the overall accident rate by almost 40 percent. This is driving the IIHS and other federal agencies to consider how this safety feature could improve our safety on the road and alleviate specific problems with collective auto insurance systems in each U.S. state.

Safety equipment and safe roads are essential to limiting motorcycle accidents, but unfortunately, some injuries due to motorcycle accidents will still occur. If you have experienced injury in a motorcycle accident, call our San Bernardino motorcycle accident lawyer, Samer Habbas. The Law Offices of Samer Habbas can assist clients in establishing the best way to handle a personal injury claim. Call 888-848-5084 today to get experienced, dedicated legal representation on your side.

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