Oakland Personal Injury Lawyer - Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclist Collides With Car, Suffers Fatal Injuries

Claude Wyle — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:37:56 GMT

Thursday, 37-year-old Teterio Carpenter suffered fatal injuries after colliding into the side of a vehicle that was making a left-turn. The accident occurred at approximately 8:30 p.m., at 1100 block of Gilman Avenue, in San Francisco, California.

For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Is Criminal Prosecution Enough Accountability for Killing a Motorcyclist?

Claude Wyle — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 10:03:33 GMT

A reckless driver involved in a fatal motorcycle-car crash earlier this week, in which an off-duty Flint police officer was killed, was charged Tuesday with second-degree murder, DUI, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving on a suspended license. According to witnesses, 25 year old Ramon Pineda was driving a Camaro about 8 p.m. Sunday on Sashabaw when he rear-ended a motorcycle driven by Vincent Owen D'Anna, 26, of Goodrich. Pineda, attempted to run from the accident, and was restrained by witnesses. Is criminal prosecution of this scoff-law enough? What good will criminal prosecution do for the family of the motorcyclist who was killed? This family should proceed with a civil claim for wrongful death. Given the profile of the reckless driver, he probably is poorly insured, so the family of Mr. D'Anna should consult with a good attorney to proceed with an uninsured claim under their own policy.

The driver who caused this wrongful death had illegally slipped into the U.S. from Mexico about 10 years ago, according to police. Federal authorities have been advised of his arrest.

For more information on this subject matter, please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Crossing the Double Yellow Line-Mistake or Bad Choice?

Claude Wyle — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:12:03 GMT

For outraged commentary by friends and foes of bad biker Joe Silver who caused Harley rider Sam terrible fractures and other personal injuries, and caused the wrongful death of Ronda Anaya, check the link above. Our motorcycle accident attorneys represent the injured Harley rider Sam, and I can tell you that Sam is in agony both physically and emotionally every day. Whether he ever recovers enough to resume his profession is still up in the air, although it is certain that he will never walk normally or without pain. The heated debate referred to above revolves around how harshly the law should treat the rider who killed Ronda and injured Sam.

While many people do not like attorneys, and have very little respect for the civil justice system, it is clear that the criminal system is inadequate to change bad behavior by itself. Only if we make wrongdoers, both individual and corporate, 100% accountable for their actions will we ever be able to change bad behavior. I ride and my partner rides and my paralegal rides, and I can say honestly that the debate is not between cruisers or Harley riders and sport bike riders. Calling Joe Silver's actions in crossing over the double yellow line, around a curve at a high rate of speed a "mistake" is minimizing and belittling his bad conduct. Joe Silver made a conscious choice to pass that day, a choice that cost Ronda Anaya her life, and Sam his health and his ability to walk or earn a living. Any time a biker, whether a cruiser or a sport bike rider crosses that double yellow, they know that it is illegal and that it is dangerous. Still bikers pass over the double yellow, for various reasons. Full civil, along with full criminal, accountability is the key to making people responsible for their choices, and the civil justice system is the only system that is in place to help the survivors of motorcycle accidents. The criminal system puts people in jail and levies fines. But does it put food on the table of the survivors? No.

For more information on this subject matter please refer to the section on Car and Motorcycle Accidents.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Deadly Oakland SUV v. Motorcycle Accident

Claude Wyle — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 16:50:23 GMT

On Tuesday morning in downtown Oakland near Chinatown, a motorcyclist was killed when an SUV while making a lane change, brushed the motorcycle he was riding, knocking him into a parked car, and then into a retaining wall.
The motorcycle accident happened about 6 a.m. in the 100 block of Seventh Street, between Jackson and Madison streets. This apparently is another case of "I just didn't see him", or "he came out of nowhere". Hopefully, the family of the motorcycle rider will hire a good motorcycle attorney to help them with this wrongful death claim.

The name of the motorcycle rider, a 42-year-old Alameda resident, was not released, pending notification of his family. The name of the SUV driver, who police said was a Coast Guard enlisted man, was also withheld. The Oakland PD said both vehicles had come out of the Posey Tube into Oakland from Alameda and were traveling eastbound on Seventh Street. The motorcyclist was in the far right lane, and the SUV was trying to change into that lane when he bumped the bike, making it hit a parked car and jump a curb where the rider was ejected into a cinder block wall, causing fatal injuries. This is another motorcycle fatality that should have easily been avoided.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Motorcycle Race Turns Deadly in Oakland

Claude Wyle — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 17:56:00 GMT

Fortunately, the senseless acts of four motorcyclists did not affect any innocent bystanders. Last night, four motorcyclists entered a "street race" that turned deadly when all four riders crashed into a concrete wall on Middle Harbor Road in Oakland, California. Two of the racers did not survive the fatal motorcycle crash; the other two were rushed to Highland Hospital to treat their serious injuries. Let's hope other motorcyclists learn from this fatal mistake keep racing to the track.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Motorcycle v.Motorcycle Crash Kills Fremont Woman

Claude Wyle — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 10:50:30 GMT

Ronda Anaya rode as a passenger on a Harley motorcycle headed down Altamont Pass Road in Alameda County, California. Ronda and her friend Sam enjoyed an afternoon ride last Sunday, until they met tragedy and were thrown from their bikes during a head-on collision with another motorcycle ridden by Joe Silver. This catastrophic motorcycle accident was caused by the careless and senseless act of Silver, who was crossing the double yellow line around a curve at a high rate of speed. The Harley rider Sam was air-lifted to Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley where he was treated for severe injuries, including multiple fractures to his toes foot, leg, and hip. His passenger Ronda was killed at the scene Our motorcycle accident attorneys are representing Sam now.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

$400,000 for Oakland Motorcycle Accident Survivor

Claude Wyle — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 14:16:47 GMT

Our motorcycle accident attorneys fought for, and won a $400,000 settlement, for an Alameda man who suffered serious personal injuries, including multiple fractures and the crushing and eventual amputation of his left foot, in a motorcycle accident in Oakland, California. The offending driver, an Oakland woman, turned left directly into our client and struck the motorcyclist, as he was proceeding straight on his Harley Davidson. This case was filed in Alameda County Superior Court and settled after two mediations.

Our client, a truck driver based out of Oakland, sought enough compensation to help pay for his past and future medical expenses, as well as for his income loss, and the future need for prosthetics. Although he was not at fault for this accident, this motorcyclist was not entitled to make a claim for pain and suffering for the loss of his limb, because he had no insurance at the time of the motorcycle collision. As motorcycle accident attorneys, we cannot over-emphasize how important it is to obtain at least minimal liability insurance.

The woman at fault for this auto motorcycle crash lied about the facts of the accident and made up an imaginary witness. She even tried to hide her assets and to re-finance her home in an attempt to avoid accountability. The offending driver had only $250,000 in liability coverage available to cover her for this motorcycle accident. Although she tried to hide her assets, our team of motorcycle accident attorneys was able to catch her in the act and to make her accountable. This cost the negligent driver substantial equity in her home and extra attorneys' fees. Another lesson re-learned the hard way for both parties. Buy adequate insurance to protect your assets and your self.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Recent Motorcycle Accident Settlement for $280,000

Claude Wyle — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:23:00 GMT

Our motorcycle accident lawyers won another great settlement in a motorcycle accident case. Our team of motorcycle accident attorneys settled this personal injury case, before litigation, for $280,000. This dangerous product case is all the more interesting, since our client, an El Sobrante motorcyclist, had just recently purchased this high-end motorcycle in San Rafael. As he was riding the bike to the shop for service, it lit on fire right under him. The motorcyclist sustained serious burns to his legs and buttocks as a result of this dangerous product.

At the time of the fire, the rider was on his way to the dealership to fix an undiagnosed problem with the motorcycle. While riding to San Rafael, on Highway 580, just east of San Quentin, the rider suddenly realized that his bike was on fire, when he felt intense heat rising from below his seat. He was able to slow the bike down somewhat, before abandoning the bike while it was still moving.

This dangerous and defective product caused this rider third degree burns that literally burned the jeans off his body from his legs to his waist. Although this motorcyclist's consumer expectations were not met, the distributor of the motorcycle did not immediately accept responsibility. Our team of motorcycle accident attorneys successfully argued and negotiated this man's claim, and the manufacturer of this dangerous product was made accountable.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Truck v Motorcycle Crash With Serious Injuries on I-680

Claude Wyle — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 08:54:41 GMT

Last Tuesday night a motorcyclist suffered serious personal injuries in a motorcycle accident with a truck on northbound Interstate 680 near Pacheco, just south of Highway 4. According to the Contra Costa Fire District, the motorcycle accident delayed traffic while firefighters treated the motorcyclist. The injured biker was taken to John Muir Medical Center.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle

Does Lane Sharing Increase Motorcycle Accidents?

Claude Wyle — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 11:07:53 GMT

California is one of two states that actually allows lane sharing for motorcyclists. Called filtering or lane splitting, essentially lane sharing enables motorcyclists to pass between cars on multi-lane roads. While most auto drivers believe that motorcyclists are crazy and that this practice leads to increased motorcycle crashes, actual government sponsored studies have shown that lane sharing is LESS risky for motorcyclists than getting stuck in stop-and-go traffic, and the CHP say that lane sharing is fine as long as it is done in a safe and prudent manner.

Originally posted at InjuryBoard by Claude Wyle