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Motorcycle Safety Tips in Metro Vancouver

Motorcycle Safety Tips

Motorcycle Safety Tips

Motorcycle enthusiasts are looking forward to the freedom that comes with riding on the open road and beginners may be shopping around for their dream bike to take on the road this spring and summer. However, the facts cannot be ignored: according to ICBC, in 2016, 940 motorcyclists were injured in 1500 crashes. On average, 12 motorcyclists are killed each year in the lower mainland.

We’ve gathered some safety tips to ensure motorcyclists are as safe as possible while riding.

Prepare Your Motorcycle for Safety

You can have years of motorcycle riding experience, but if your bike has mechanical issues, nothing will prevent you from getting into an accident resulting in a severe injury.

  • Always inspect your bike before every ride
  • Ensure tires don’t have bulges or cracks
  • Tire pressure should be at the proper level
  • Check to make sure your horn and turn signals are working
  • Ensure mirrors are in the appropriate position for blind spots
  • Check fluid levels weekly
  • Make sure your brakes, throttle, and clutch are working properly
  • Check for leaks

Always Wear Proper Riding Gear

motorcycle safetyYou may be tempted to wear your casual wear before jumping on your motorcycle, but think about the injuries you could prevent by wearing adequate riding gear that was designed for sudden impact. If you are in an accident, the friction from your body against the pavement alone can cause serious damage if you don’t take the necessary precautions.

Even if you are driving a short distance it’s integral that you wear the proper riding gear to protect your entire body in the event of an accident:

  • Wear adequate riding gloves, not standard work gloves. Riding gloves are made to protect your hands from trauma; while work gloves are made from thinner, weaker materials and will not protect you.
  • Always protect your head! Wear a full-face helmet to cover your face and head from possible injury.
  • Wear proper riding pants designed for motorcycle riding – you may see a lot of riders out there wearing regular jeans, but if you are in a motorcycle accident, regular pants will not protect your legs from injury.
  • Wear riding boots designed for motorcycle riding, not regular boots or shoes

Follow Traffic Rules & Ride Defensively

Of course, years of riding experience and motorcycle training can make all the difference in road safety, but be sure always to follow these driving tips whether you are a beginner or experienced motorcycle rider:

  • Always let drivers know your intentions by using your turn signals
  • Do your best to stay out of driver’s blind spots
  • Ride at a safe speed at all times
  • Never assume a driver has seen you or will give you the right-of-way

Don’t Ride When Impaired or Sleepy

Driving requires an alert mind, and a steady hand, which is why driving impaired is known to be one of the most dangerous decisions you can make as a driver – but what many people, especially new drivers may not realize, is that driving while tired can be just as dangerous, even fatal in some circumstances.

Know the Common Signs of Drowsiness:

  • Frequent yawning
  • Inability to keep your eyes open
  • Trouble holding your head up
  • Wandering thoughts
  • Drifting into another lane
  • Missing road signs or driving past turns

Motorcycle Safety: Follow these steps to prevent driver’s fatigue from setting in:

  • Get a full night’s sleep before a planned trip
  • Take short naps throughout the day whenever possible if you need them, especially on long trips
  • Avoid consuming caffeine or other stimulants before bed
  • Call for a ride or take a taxi if you’re too tired to drive

In addition, do your best to avoid these common driver’s mistakes:

  • Driving when on medication that causes drowsiness
  • Driving late at night, at times when you are usually sleeping
  • Driving alone if you are going a longer than usual distance

Tim Louis and his compassionate and talented legal team can give you the reliable, trusted advice you need and can deal with ICBC on your behalf. If you or your loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in Metro Vancouver and would like to consult with our legal team who will do everything they possibly can to get you the personal injury settlement you deserve, contact us today for a free consultation at 604-732-7678.

source:
https://www.icbc.com/about-icbc/newsroom/Pages/2017-May1.aspx
https://www.icbc.com/road-safety/sharing/motorcycle-safety/Pages/Default.aspx

Do I Need A Personal Injury Lawyer?

Hire a personal injury lawyer after concussion

Do you need to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

A lawyer is not needed when making an injury compensation claim, but it is highly recommended that you have one. When you hire a lawyer it doesn’t mean you are ready to go to court it just says you want to seek legal advice from someone rational who is not emotionally involved in the claim.

Things You Should

It is not necessary to hire a lawyer when dealing with the Insurance Corporation of British Colombia (ICBC), but if you do, then you must make very informed decisions. The ICBC will appoint an experienced adjuster, who works for them, to negotiate for the settlement of your claim at a reasonable amount from ICBS’s point of view. The adjustors continuously deal with injury claim so they will be tough negotiators.

A good lawyer will do the following for you:

  • Advise you accordingly
  • Try and obtain a fair settlement for you
  • Collect evidence and proper medical information
  • Decide the extent to which you should be compensated in regards to your case

If your lawyer and the designated adjustor can’t come to a proper settlement, then it’s up to your lawyers to take the case to court so that they can obtain a full and fair compensation on your behalf. Less than 1% of the ICBC claims proceed to court.

Advice

If you are unsure on whether you should enlist for the services of a lawyer then pay a visit to one of the many experienced BC personal injury lawyers and seek legal advice and also obtain knowledge on the matter. Most of the lawyers offer initial legal consultation free of charge or obligations. After the meeting, you will be in a better position to decide whether you need to hire a lawyer.

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What Do Lawyers Cost?

The cost of a lawyer is entirely dependent on the case in which they are handling. In a personal injury insurance claim, you have the right to hire a lawyer and pay on a contingency basis. A contingency fee agreement means that the lawyer you hire will accept a predetermined fixed percentage of the recovery or the money to be paid to the client, if you recover nothing from your claim then you shouldn’t spend your lawyer anything. Regularly, contingency fees in British Colombia range from 20 to 33 percent of the total recoverable amount. Lawyers hired on contingency basis receive their payments at the time when they collect your compensation cheque from the insurance firm not before.

Most of the time when you want to enlist for the services of a lawyer you have to visit him. During the first meeting the lawyer gets to familiarize himself with a case, and then you will move on to the sensitive fee issue, make sure you understand the fee contract before signing it. In some cases the lawyer’s services can be paid using a predetermined hourly rate, when using such a mode of payment the lawyer may ask you for a retainer, a retainer is an amount of money that acts as security and will be used to meet the lawyer’s upcoming expenses, the lawyer will thereafter send you interim accounts for immediate payment. The method of payment while hiring a lawyer is entirely up to you.

While still discussing the topic of remuneration you must get to understand who will be responsible for disbursements. Disbursements are the expenses that the lawyer will incur in the prosecution of the claim example of such fees are the cost of medical records, cost of hiring experts, court registry fees, and other similar expenses. The disbursements may quickly sum up to thousands of dollars.

If you are to pay the lawyer on a contingency fee basis, then all the expenses incurred in the prosecution of the claim are covered by financed by the firm. It’s important to understand who will be responsible for this cost is they can’t be recovered from the ICBC. At times lawyers will deduct the expenses from their final fee if they can’t be collected as part of their final settlement.

Protection Of The Public

There are specific laws in place to govern the relationship between the lawyers and their clients. The rules of the law society of British Colombia states that in case a court awards a higher amount, the maximum amount a lawyer is entitled to for personal injury and wrongful death arising from the use or operation of a vehicle is 33.33%. Lawyers rarely charge this percentage except in exceptional circumstances like a highly complicated case or if several numbers of procedures need to be taken to bring the claim to an amicable solution.

Also, there is a 90 day cooling off period; the law states that within 90 days of hiring a lawyer you can appeal to the district registrar of the supreme court of British Colombia to have the agreement reviewed if the fee is found to be too high it shall be adjusted accordingly.

Personal Injury Attorney Vancouver

Tim Louis & Company
175 E Broadway, Vancouver, BC V5T 1W2
(604) 732-7678
http://bc.timlouis.com/

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