This article was previously published on Adam Gee’s newest blog, NY Biker Law Blog.  The original article can be found here.

Every biker should know the acronym ATGATT.

It stands for All The Gear All The Time. But maybe knowing what it means isn’t enough. It could be that some people need to see the disfiguring, agonizing, even life-threatening effects of Road Rash – the awful result of hitting the pavement when not wearing all your motorcycle gear.

I came across a blog post , “Road Rash Girl Speaks Out” where one young girl was brave enough to show some of her scars and willing to describe her long recovery  from a motorcycle accident. Road Rash girl lost skin on her stomach, back, legs, hands, arms – one breast was almost ground off – almost everywhere on her body except her thighs, she says.

The accident was out of the blue – she hopped on the back of a friend’s bike in a casual summer outfit and a helmet. I see girls dressed just like her on the backs of bikes almost every day.  What she and her friend never expected was that she would be pulled from the back of the bike by a gust of wind, and strike the asphalt at high speed – tumbling, rolling, and scraping.

She didn’t die in the crash, but at times she wished she had.  She suffered severe, third-degree road rash – which led to painful skin grafts and skin debridement (the removal of dead tissue).  My clients tell me the skin debridement is more painful than the actual crash, as the doctors scrape and brush at the the road rash, trying to pick dirt and rocks out of the skin to prevent infection.

Road Rash Girl is a survivor. She talks about how the pain helped remind her that she was alive, and she felt so lucky to be alive after the accident.

I can’t help thinking what a shame she wasn’t wearing protective gear, riding wear that could have taken some of the damage and abuse that happened instead to her skin.  It is amazing the abuse that a proper riding jacket can absorb.  A recent client of mine hit the pavement at 65 miles an hour and walked away with not so much as a scratch on the parts of his body the jacket covered.  He had some rash on his knees through a pair of jeans, and a little on his wrists between his gloves and the jacket.  His full face shield helmet protected his head.  All his equipment did its job.

The American Motorcyclist Association has an Interactive Motorcycle Gear Page. It’s the outline of a biker, and as you click on each part of the body, recommendations about helmets, jackets, pants, and boots pop up. You can learn just what you need to get, why, and how to pick it out.

Remember ATGATT.   ALL THE GEAR, ALL THE TIME!  I know if you read Road Rash Girl’s story and see her photos, it’s unlikely you can forget.

Please ride safely out there,

Adam
_______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

My book, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?” It is available FREE to New York and Pennsylvania bikers; follow the link to order your copy today.

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This article was previously published on Adam Gee’s newest blog, NY Biker Law Blog.  The original article can be found here.  We are re-printing the article here in the hopes that  reading this will keep people safer on the highways whether you are a biker or not.

Riding with your friends is a fantastic way to get out and enjoy your motorcycle. Heading for the same destination, enjoying the same road and sights – like all kinds of activities, it’s better when you get to share it with others who have the same appreciation.
Group rides depend on good communication between cyclists, however. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation has a video about safe riding in groups, and the American Motorcyclist Association has a list of oft-quoted, but very important 17 tips to make a group ride safe and fun.

Before we get into the 17 tips, I’d like to add just one more piece of advice: Know your hand signals!The correct hand signals are how you will be able to communicate turns, stops, hazards and other information to your fellow riders. They are indispensible knowledge for every motorcyclist. Here is a breakdown of the important signals from the AMA:

17 Strategies for a Safe Ride from the American Motorcyclist Association

1) The first thing you want to do is organize the ride. This can be as informal as standing around in a parking lot, or as complicated as a special meeting to hand out maps and cellphone numbers.

2) Remember that riding in a group does not mean you surrender any decision making when it comes to your safety. Ride your own ride, and don’t go any faster than you feel comfortable going.

3) When picking your route and the stops you’ll make along it, consider the stamina of the group, the experience of all the riders, and the limits of the motorcycles in the group. Remember, these are your friends. If it’s going to be a long ride, be sure to have a few break stops along the way.

4) You’ll need to communicate while on the ride, so make sure everyone knows the signals you’ll use (posted above).

5) When creating your formation, it’s wise to have your experienced riders at the lead and running sweep. Consider positioning the less experienced riders immediately behind the leader. This allows the front rider to adjust the pace if necessary.

6) Ideally, the sweep rider will have a cellphone to call for help if a motorcycle is disabled, or if there has been an accident.

7) If the goal of the ride is to keep the group together, the leader should only go at the pace of the least experienced rider.

8 ) While riding, don’t fixate on the motorcycle in front of you. Instead, remember your basic training. Look well through the turn to where you want to go.

9) If the group is riding faster than you are comfortable with, let the sweep rider know you’re dropping out and ride at your own pace. So you may reach your destination a few seconds behind the others, but you will get there, and that’s what’s important. Keep in mind, it’s all about fun.

10) All riders are also responsible for making sure their motorcycles are mechanically up to the task. Before you even meet up with the group, make sure you’ve got plenty of fuel in the tank, and you’ve taken care of all those maintenance issues. Not sure what to check? Use the T-CLOCS inspection checklist. You really don’t want to be the reason for stopping the group for something mechanical you could have prevented.

11) If it’s going to be a large group, consider establishing a buddy system among the riders, or divide the group into smaller five- or seven-rider packs. That way, if something goes wrong, you don’t have 25 motorcycles sitting on the side of a busy highway. Also, smaller groups can more easily navigate through city streets.

12) On the road, motorcyclists should have at least a 2-second cushion in front and behind them. If you want to keep the group tight, consider a staggered formation. Leave enough room per lane so each rider can maneuver side-to-side if need be. Avoid side-by-side formations as they shrink your space cushion.

13) Trikes and sidecars should stay in the center of the lane, and should be given the same amount of cushion as if they were a car.

14) As turns get sharper, or as visibility decreases, move back to a single file formation. You’ll also want to use single file when entering or exiting a highway, at toll booths, or when roads have a rough or questionable surface.

15) At intersections where you’ve come to a stop, tighten the formation to side-by-side to take up less space. As the light turns green, or when traffic opens up, the bike on the left proceeds through first.

16) Remember we share the road with many other vehicles, and it’s against the law to block an intersection.

17) When parking, try to get the group off the roadway as quickly as possible. If you can, arrange in advance to have pull-through parking at your destination, or at the very least, make sure there is ample parking for your size group.

Remember these rules when planning a motorcycle outing with friends, and the outcome should be safe and fun for everyone.

Thanks for reading and ride safe,

Adam
_______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Personal Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

Visit the New York Biker Law Blog at: http://www.NYBikerLawBlog.com

This article was previously published on Adam Gee’s newest blog, NY Biker Law Blog.  The original article can be found here.  We are re-printing the article here in the hopes that  reading about these two incidents will keep people safer on the highways.

Weekends are meant to be the time we leave work worries and cares behind and get a chance to indulge in our interests. For many people in the Twin Tiers, during the summer this means getting out on our motorcycles.

Along with the thrill and exhilaration of riding a motorcycle, however, comes some risk. This was recently evidenced by an weekend car/motorcycle accident in Wysox Township:

A copy of the WETM story is pasted below, as reported by Jeff Stone

“Woman Injured in Motorcycle Crash”

Wysox Township, Pa. – A Warren Center woman was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash Saturday in Bradford County. Pennsylvania State Police say 25-year old Stacy Wolfe was traveling on Route 6 in Wysox Township when a car coming in the opposite direction made a left-hand turn and crashed into Wolfe’s motorcycle.

Wolfe was thrown from the motorcycle and received severe injuries. Police say the driver of the car was 65-year old Evelyn Boyles of Wysox.

Although the precise circumstances of the accident and any investigation has not yet been revealed, I look on this as another chance to advocate caution. I recently blogged about a theory of “motion camouflage” that suggests motorcyclists are not always visible to car drivers (“NY Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Explains Why Drivers Don’t See Bikers”). All I can say is be vigilant on the road and let’s hope for a full and speedy recovery for Stacy Wolfe.

In a separate incident, an Elmira, NY man suffered a broken leg when he was rear ended – yes REAR ENDED! on Interstate 86 near the Waverly, NY exit.  No media reported on this case, but I became aware of it when he came to see me.  It seems he was riding home from work at shortly after 11:00 PM  wearing a jacket with armor and reflective patches, gloves, boots and a full face shield helmet.  He also had one of those reflective bands around his helmet.  He was riding a sport cruiser with lots of rear lights, and even had two reflectors attached to his rear seat in addition to the tail lights.  Somehow, a guy manages to miss all that and rear ends him, dumping my client onto the middle of I-86.  He somehow avoided getting run over by traffic, but is looking at a long period of recovery.

Our preliminary investigation reveals the driver that rear ended our client was playing with his radio when he smashed in to our client

Thanks for reading and stay safe out there.

Adam

______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

My book, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?” is available FREE to New York and Pennsylvania bikers; follow the link to order a copy.

For more motorcycle articles and news, visit Adam’s NY Biker Law Blog here.

According to witnesses who called the area television station, 9NEWS.com of Denver, Colorado, the man was struck directly on the head and the lightning split his helmet open. He was listed in critical condition for a time, but eventually died from his injuries. I’ve pasted an updated copy of the story from KUSA-TV below:

“Motorcyclist dies after being struck by lightning”

CHAFFEE COUNTY – The motorcyclist that was struck by lightning over the weekend has died.

The Chaffee County Sheriffs Department says that 53-year-old William John Carr of Pompana Beach, Florida was struck by lightning on Saturday afternoon while riding his motorcycle with friends on Highway 285 near mile marker 138.

Carr was taken to Heart of the Rockies Hospital and then flown to St. Anthonys Central Hospital. Authorities say he died on Tuesday night.

Many times I blog about risks and mistakes that motorcyclists take, actions that put their safety at risk. But storms can come up quickly, before you can find shelter. We are all aware of the danger from rain on roadways, especially for the first 15 minutes or so until the oils are washed off, but one thing I never thought of was lightning.  Lightning is very dangerous and unpredictable – I feel for Mr. Carr’s family and the shock they must be in after such an awful, sudden accident.

All I can add is that if you feel there’s the slightest chance of lightning coming in a summer storm, head for shelter. Riding’s not worth that risk.  Overpasses are a great place to stop, they will protect you from the rain and lightning.

Thanks for reading,

Adam

______________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

My book, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?” It is available FREE to New York or Pennsylvania accident victims; follow the link to order a copy.

Motion Camouflage

The secret to this theory is connected to the way in which predators act in the animal and insect kingdoms. Researchers discovered that a dragonfly, for example, uses a technique called “motion camouflage” to approach prey. Motion camouflage is based on the fact that when a creature or an object is coming directly at you at high speed, its motion is barely detectable.

It sounds strange but it’s true! The dragonfly was found to change its course when honing in on prey, making adjustments to fly directly into its victim’s line of sight.

I came across this story online at Motorcyle Info Pages, a British site packed with safety information for bikers. The blog post features images from the Bike article as well as further explanation:

“Motion is difficult to perceive when it is directly along the line of sight. Because the object is stationary relative to the background, an observer doesn’t see a change in the overall image and thus isn’t cued to the presence of a moving object. Though the object increases in apparent size as it nears, the change goes unnoticed at first–moving from 1000ft distant to 900ft may not affect the image enough to trigger a response. A motorcycle is particularly susceptible to motion camouflage because its cross-section area as seen by an observer is much less than that of a larger vehicle.”

The Looming Effect

Now the second part of the whammy against motorcyclists: When a driver does realize a motorcyclist is approaching rapidly, a second natural response kicks in and makes an accident more likely. This is called the looming effect.

For good or ill – and I’m sure there’s some evolutionary reason for this that didn’t take motor vehicles into account – people freeze when they realize something’s about to hit them. In the wild, perhaps this threw predators off, but on the road, it just makes for serious accidents when a driver stops dead in front of an oncoming motorcyclist.

What’s the solution?

Duncan MacKillop, a motorcycle riding instructor who first suggested a connection between motorcycle accidents and motion camouflage, had a simple and smart sounding solution. He tells bikers to ride in a way that takes them out of the cross-street driver’s direct line of sight.

To break the illusion of motion camouflage, Mackillop recommends riding in a path that diverges from the driver’s line of site if possible, and/or using a gentle zigzag motion to catch a driver’s attention.  People may look at you a little funny if you are zig zagging within your lane as you approach an intersection, but if it catches their attention and keeps them from hitting you it is well worth it.

Check out the full article at the Motorcycle Info Pages, and don’t forget what a great safety device science can be.

Thanks for reading,

Adam

______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Personal Injury, Malpractice and Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

My book, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?” is available FREE to New York and Pennsylvania bikers; follow the link to order a copy.

The 2010 Harley-Davidson Nation of Patriots Tour is a fundraiser and an effort by Harley-Davidson owners to bring attention to the sacrifices our military forces have made. More than 150,ooo motorcyclists will participate nationwide; the tour recently passed through the Twin Tiers. The riders at each leg of the tour pick up an American flag to carry and pass on to the riders for the next leg. The photo with this post is of the riding group and soldiers, June 8 at Southern Tier Harley-Davidson in Binghamton.

The tour began May 28 at a Harley-Davidson store in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. It’s the hometown dealership of the tour’s founder, Bill Scherer. The tour that Scherer started in 2009 will cross 48 states in 100 days. Check out the Nation of Patriots home page to see a map and locate the riders’ current location (as I write, it’s Binghamton, New York!). WETM-TV reported on local riders participating in the tour in the online story “2010 Patriot Tour”; a copy of the story is pasted below.

As a New York and Pennsylvania motorcycle accident attorney, I think this charity is a fantastic idea. It puts together  Harley riders from across the country all riding and raising money for a common cause.

The 2010 Nation of Patriots Tour will cross the United States and return to the starting point in Wisconson. You can learn more about the charity at the Nation of Patriots home page and even make a direct donation.

Thank for reading,

Adam
______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY 14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

My book, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?” is available FREE to New York or Pennsylvania accident victims; follow the link to order a copy.

2010 Patriot Tour

(Reported by Sofia Ojeda on WETM-TV)

Painted Post, N.Y.- Harley Davidson riders across the country are honoring our nation’s troops.
It’s all part of the 2010 Patriot Tour.
3 Harley Davidson riders left Painted Post and headed to Binghamton Monday morning carrying the american flag.
The riders were part of the tour carrying the flag through 48 states in 100 days.
They rode a little over an hour away.
There they would hand off the flag to another group of riders.
Paul Koekebacker says, “You should honor our troops and fallen veterans in any possible way. We got a lot of families paying a big price for some of these things, it’s one way to recognize it, to honor it. If you can take a flag, the same flag and go to all 48 states, i think it’s important to do that.”
Stan Mosher says, “It’ll leave Binghamton tomorrow and go to Albany then from there it goes up to New England back down the East Coast to Florida, across the United States up the West Coast and back to Wisconsin.”
The tour began in Wisconsin on Memorial Day.
The tour will end there on Labor Day.

Readers of this NY Injury Law Blog already know Adam literally wrote the book on motorcycle insurance in NY, “Would You Ride Your Motorcycle Naked?”.  You can request your free copy here. Since the book was published more than a year ago, Adam has distributed more than 500 copies to area bikers.  The reception to Adam’s book has been amazing.  Bikers have been shocked to find how poorly covered they were with their insurance, and that they could increase their coverage by 5-10 times for just a fraction of the cost.

Adam is also proud of his involvement with Solo Practice University, an online forum that allows Adam to teach other lawyers from across the country how to handle motorcycle classes.  Adam and fellow Ziff Law Personal Injury Attorney Jim Reed are both faculty members of Solo Practice University

The Ziff Law firm is now proud to announce that Adam has presented a live webinar, Motorcycle Law 101 on Avvo.com. Avvo is a national site that allows consumers to obtain free legal information from attorneys.  The site also ranks attorneys on a scale from 1-10, and allows prior clients to review their attorney’s performance.  Please feel free to join Adam as he covers the basics of motorcycle law  and answers listeners’ questions

There is a new resource for bikers in the Twin Tiers which is much more personal and specific than any nationwide website could hope to be.  607 Riders Forum is a relatively new website dedicated to the two wheel (and even three wheelers and quads) lifestyle.   I recently became a member, and was warmly welcomed by the members of the site.  Over the last week, I have perused the site to see what it offers, and was impressed by the breadth of knowledge in the mechanical sections of the site.  The members are diverse; young and old, experienced, new to biking, or still looking to get their first bike.  What struck me the most, though, was how friendly everyone seems to be.  There are even sections for off road enthusiasts and stunt bikes!  All in all, in seems like a great site!

So, as you gear up for the riding season, feel free to take a look at 607 Riders Forum.  You may just make some new friends, and find out they are riding through your neighborhood soon.

Ride safe everyone!

Thanks for reading,
_______________________________

Adam M. Gee, Esq.

NY and PA Motorcycle Attorney

The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

I had the pleasure of handing over a sizable settlement check to the victim of a Pennsylvania Motorcycle Collision the other day.  It’s a pretty common occurrence, but the circumstances of this particular case made it particularly satisfying.  My hope is that by sharing the information on this blog, I can keep a future motorcycle client from making the same mistake.

This client  didn’t come to us when he was first hurt.  He made the mistake of calling one of those firms who advertise on TV about every 15 seconds.  So they sent an “investigator” to him to have him sign a retainer agreement, and made him travel to their BIG CITY office several hours away to meet with some paralegal.  Everything seemed to be going fine until the time came to discuss settlement with the insurance company.  It turned out that who was at fault for the collision was a little bit of an open question, so the insurance company decided they wouldn’t pay a penny and basically dared the attorney to sue them.

This is where things get really interesting.  You see, the client had a really significant injury.  If this “BIG CITY” lawyer with the multi-million dollar advertising budget could convince the insurance company that their driver was at fault, the insurance company would surely offer up the entire policy due to the nature of the biker’s injury.  For whatever reason, this “BIG CITY” attorney couldn’t convince the insurance adjuster to do this.  That kind of thing happens.  Insurance companies don’t stay in business long if they hand over money every time an attorney comes knocking with an arguable claim.  If the insurance company refuses to pay anything willingly, the next step is clear:  you sue them and start heading for trial.  It doesn’t mean there will necessarily be a trial, as after the discovery part of the law suit is concluded there will be another round of negotiations where the case may settle, but you have to keep the case moving.

What happened next astounded me.  This “BIG CITY” lawyer with the tough guy commercials tucked his tail and ran for the hills.  He told the client he would no longer represent him.  Now that the case might actually take a little work, this “BIG CITY” lawyer wanted nothing to do with it.

So the client came to me.  I couldn’t figure out why the “BIG CITY” lawyer dropped the case, as it seemed like a good case to me.  I sued the case and proceeded with the litigation.  I was eventually able to convince the insurance company that their driver was at fault for the accident, and they agreed to pay my client the fully policy limits.

There are a couple lessons to be learned from this case.  First, spending millions of dollars a year on tough sounding TV commercials doesn’t make a lawyer tough.  Second, you don’t have to drive to a big city to get quality representation.

If you need a personal injury attorney, ask your family, friends and neighbors who they may have used.  Do some research, and make an informed decision.  As the above situation reveals, which attorney you choose can make a huge difference in how your case comes out.  Ask any attorney you meet with if they are willing to take your case to trial if necessary, and how many similar cases they have tried.     Insist that you actually meet with the attorney that will be handling your case and not some “investigator”.  After all, do you really want to hire an attorney who is “too busy” to meet with you himself?  If you are too far away for the attorney to drive to meet you, aren’t you too far away to drive to meet the attorney?

Everything for this client ended up working out for the best.  I just worry about that firm’s other clients.  Heaven help them if the going get tough in their case.

Thanks for reading,

_______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Personal Injury and Malpractice Attorney
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com

The bad news is that over 100,000 Harley Davidson motorcycles are being recalled.  The good news is that H-D chose to issue the recall before things get out of hand.  According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 111,569 2009 and 2010 Harley Davidson touring bikes, including CVO Touring and Trike products, were manufactured with faulty gas tank mounts.  When these bikes are involved in a front end collision these faulty mounts can distort, allowing gas to leak out of the tank.  Gasoline and hot engines are obviously a bad combination.

Harley Davidson will be installing extra bracing on the affected tanks to hopefully eliminate the risk of gas leaks and fire.  The fix will be free of charge, and will begin December 14, 2009.  Any affected Harley Davidson owners should call 414-343-4056 for further details and information, or see your local Harley Davidson dealer.

Its is not known what prompted this recall, and the NHTSA refuses to say how many reports of gas leaks or fires they have received.  Harley Davidson claims it has no knowledge of any incidents or injuries related to the faulty gas tank mounts, but decided to issue the voluntary recall in the interest of customer satisfaction.

While something obviously smells here, the important thing is that H-D is doing the right thing by fixing the bikes.

Thanks for reading,

_______________________________
Adam M. Gee, Esq.
NY and PA Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The Ziff Law Firm, LLP
303 William Street
Elmira, NY  14901
Phone: (607)733-8866
Fax: (607)732-6062
Email: agee@zifflaw.com
www.zifflaw.com