Sep 21, 2012 | Car Accidents, Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
A 33-year-old Berkeley resident was killed last Sunday night in a horrible motorcycle accident involving another vehicle.
According to the Berkeley County Coroner’s report, the accident occurred near Highway 17A, right across from Mountain Pine Road. The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department says that a jeep was making a left turn, when the motorcycle crashed into the vehicle. The victim was apparently not wearing a helmet, which added to the impact during the collision. The driver of the Jeep, however, was reported to have no injuries.
Currently, the case has been handed over to the South Carolina Highway Patrol, where they are investigating this deadly crash.
Safety is key and must always come first when travelling the roads. Specifically, where a motorcycle is involved, one must be extra cautious, as a motorcycle accident usually ends in fatality. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are a few helpful tips to ensure motorcycle safety:
- Watch the no-zones, large blind spots on either side of trucks.
- Always wear a helmet.
- Drive to survive, keeping aware of everything on the road. Remember that all rules of the road apply to bikes as well as automobiles.
- Inspect your bike and any protective gear before each ride.
- Watch your speed. Motorcycles accelerate faster than any other vehicles and trucks and buses the slowest.
If, however, you or a loved one find yourself involved in a motorcycle collision of any sort, please contact the motorcycle accident attorneys at Reeves, Aiken, and Hightower. We understand that claim is very important, and are ready, willing, and able to hear your case. Please contact us at www.rjrlaw.com, or call us at 704-499-9000 or 877-374-5999 toll-free.
Aug 30, 2012 | Motorcycle Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
A Lancaster man was involved in a motorcycle accident last Saturday has since been pronounced dead. Thomas Russell Harris, age 21 of Indian Land lost his life when his Honda motorcycle struck a culvert pipe of U.S. 521.
Apparently, Harris was riding his motorcycle when it ran off the right side of the roadway and struck the culvert pipe, which carries water from one side of the road to the other.
Confusingly, when the police report was released, Harris was claimed to be a resident of Mint Hill, North Carolina. The correction was not made until the Lancaster County Coroner was notified many days later of the mix up. The correction has since been made that Harris was in fact a resident of Lancaster County.
Lancaster Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident in the Lancaster, Rock Hill, or Fort Mill area, carefully compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other firm. Then call us for a private consultation about your case. For more information about our firm, please visit www.rjrlaw.com or call us directly at 803-548-4444.
Jun 21, 2012 | Motorcycle Accidents, Uncategorized
Weird statistic coming up: Between October 2007 and October 2008, 24 active-duty Marines were among the 4,810 annual motorcycle fatalities. So while active duty Marines only make up 0.064% of the US population, they accounted for 0.5% of the motorcycle deaths. That means that Marines accounted for more than 10 times the motorcycle casualties than you would expect.
Also, these Marines apparently like their sport bikes over Harleys. 78 percent of motorcycle mishaps in the Marines occurred on a sport bike, compared to 38 percent nationally.
When you’ve been hurt; Call us
If you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, get medical treatment and then contact us. Browse our website. Compare our credentials to those of attorneys at any other firm. Then, call us toll-free at 877-374-5999 or contact us on this form. We are ready to fight for you.
Jun 19, 2012 | Motorcycle Accidents, Uncategorized
According to WBTV reporting, Dave Lyle Boulevard in Rock Hill was shut down for more than three hours on the night of Saturday, June 3rd, after Vonvorie Barnett, 31, said South Carolina Highway Patrol. Unfortunately, Mr. Barnett was not wearing a helmet and collided with a car turning left from the I-77 ramp onto Dave Lyle Boulevard.
Mr. Barnett was thrown. Paramedics flew him to the hospital.
The driver of the car was not seriously injured.
If you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, get medical treatment and then contact us. Browse our website. Compare our credentials to those of attorneys at any other firm. Then, call us toll-free at 877-374-5999 or contact us on this form. We are ready to fight for you.
Mar 31, 2012 | Brain Injury/Head Trauma, Car Accidents, Personal Injury, Uncategorized, Wrongful Death
Good news for all motorcycle riders. Due to greater safety training and concerns, fatalities have been trending downward in recent years. Although the explanations for this trend vary, one continuing theme becomes clear. Better training and use of helmets saves lives. Hopefully, more states will implement changes on better motorcycle safety education. Helmet laws are a different matter. In this area, we remain proponents of rider choice. We realize, of course, that it is safer to wear a helmet in the event of an accident. However, many riders contend that a full helmet interferes with vision as well as hearing which can actually cause accidents. No matter what your view, please be careful on the road and always watch out for the inattentive car or truck driver. Be Safe. Get Home.
At Reeves, Aiken & Hightower, LLP, all of our attorneys are seasoned trial lawyers with over 70 years combined experience. Whether it is criminal or civil, our litigators are regularly in Court fighting for our clients. Two of our firm’s partners, Art Aiken and Robert Reeves, are inducted lifetime members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Mr. Reeves has also been named one of the Top 100 lawyers for South Carolina in 2012 by the National Trial Lawyers Organization. And most recently, Mr. Reeves has been included in the SC Super Lawyers for 2012. Our attorneys include a former SC prosecutor, a former public defender, a former NC District Attorney intern, a former Registered Nurse (RN), and former insurance defense attorneys. As a result of their varied backgrounds, they understand the potential criminal, insurance, and medical aspects of complex injury cases. We would welcome an opportunity to sit down and personally review your case. Compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other law firm. Then call us today at 877-374-5999 for a private consultation. Or visit our firm’s website at www.rjrlaw.com.
Motorcyclist Traffic Fatalities
2010 Preliminary data
Prepared for Governors Highway Safety Association
By Dr. James Hedlund
Motorcyclist traffic fatalities in the United States continued to fall in 2010, based on preliminary data supplied by all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Motorcyclist fatalities dropped by 2.4% during the first nine months of 2010 across the 48 states and the District of Columbia that reported monthly data for these months.
Most states have quite complete traffic fatality counts for this period. Fatalities decreased substantially in the first quarter, decreased slightly in the second quarter, and rose slightly in the third quarter. While fatality data for the final months of 2010 are less complete in some states, motorcyclist fatalities for the full year nationwide are expected to be 4,376 or fewer, a decrease of at least 2% from the 4,465 fatalities of 2009.
About half the states are likely to have fewer motorcyclist fatalities in 2010 than in 2009, and about half are likely to have more. States with decreased motorcyclist fatalities suggested several explanations, including: higher priority for motorcycle safety education, publicity, and enforcement; increased motorcyclist training; and poor cycling weather. States with increased fatalities cited more motorcycle travel, lower helmet use, and good cycling weather.
The good news of 2010’s likely decrease in motorcyclist fatalities must be tempered with several disturbing observations. First, 2010’s predicted 2% decrease is far less than 2009’s 16% decrease. Second, the decrease was concentrated in the early months: fatalities dropped only slightly in the second quarter and rose in the third quarter. Next, it’s highly likely that motorcycle travel is increasing as the economy improves. Finally, use of DOT-compliant motorcycle helmets dropped an alarming 13 percentage points in 2010. To prevent an increase in motorcyclist fatalities in 2011, states should work to increase helmet use, provide motorcycle operator training to all who need or seek it, and reduce motorcyclist alcohol impairment and speeding.
Motorcyclist traffic fatalities in the United States dropped by 16% in 2009 to 4,465. This broke a chain of 11 consecutive years of increases that more than doubled motorcyclist fatalities from 2,116 in 1997 to 5,312 in 2008. Was the 2009 decrease the beginning of a long-term downward trend in motorcyclist fatalities similar to that from 1980 to 1997? Or was 2009 only a temporary bit of relief from the steady upward trend that began in 1997?
