Most motorcycle accidents result in catastrophic injuries to drivers and passengers. They are most often due to the negligence of another driver or a roadway defect. Unfortunately, a great deal of bias and prejudice still exists against motorcycle drivers. The gut reaction of police officers and jurors is to blame the motorcyclist. This unsupported assessment of blame compounds the tragedy to the motorcyclist and his family. Given that more than 2,000 motorcycle drivers per year are killed on our highways and another 50,000 are catastrophically injured this is no small matter.

Motorcyclists and their families need representation by lawyers skilled in overcoming the bias and prejudice of jurors and police. Experienced trial lawyers with a record of success are needed to overcome the "hired gun" expert witnesses paid by insurance companies determined to avoid their responsibilities. Insurance companies do not want to pay and will go a long way to avoid it. Our lawyers have a proven record of success.

While most motorcycle accidents are the fault of the other driver, jurors tend to believe that the accident was caused by the motorcyclist speed, inattention or recklessness. An experienced and skillful trial lawyer can root out these prejudices and overcome them by an expert presentation of his client’s case and a methodical deconstruction of the opposing evidence.

Most motorcycle accidents occur at an intersection. They are generally the result of the failure of another motorist to see the motorcycle. The average speed of a motorcycle in an accident is less then 30 m.p.h. Despite these statistically proven facts the insurance companies always claim the motorcyclist was speeding.

In Cote vs. United Parcel Service, the police wrote our motorcyclist client a ticket for speeding. They had no witnesses and never spoke to our comatose client. We got the ticket thrown out of court. We then took UPS to court and secured a verdict of 11.2 million dollars for Mr. Cote. This is the highest verdict in Warren County history and is believed to be the highest verdict arising from a motorcycle accident in upstate New York.

What do I do if I am in a motorcycle accident ?

1. Get the medical treatment you need.

2. Report the accident to the police and notify your insurance company.

3. Do not pay a fine if you get a ticket (payment of even a small fine is an admission that the accident was your fault)

4. Talk to a lawyer from Pennock, Breedlove & Noll, LLP immediately to protect your rights and secure evidence before it disappears.

5. Don't talk to anybody that calls about the accident until you have retained an attorney from Pennock, Breedlove & Noll, LLP.

Insurance

Liability insurance protects you from lawsuits brought by others based upon allegations of your negligence. Unfortunately most motorcycle owners secure the lowest possible liability limits in order to save on costs.

The most important coverage you can buy is uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage provides financial protection for you and anyone injured that is riding with you on your motorcycle. Unfortunately many drivers only carry the minimum liability limits (i.e. New York $25,000.00). This means that even if you have suffered tragic personal injuries you can only secure a $25,000.00 recovery from the negligence party. Since most people do not have assets above their insurance you will only recover this minimum amount. If you purchase sufficient uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage you may be able to recover substantial amounts over the minimum limits of the negligent driver from your own insurance carrier.

You must discuss this issue with your insurance company.

While this coverage costs a little more it is worth it to protect yourself and your family.