Motorcycle Statutes To Remember
Motorcycle Statutes To Remember When Riding in Virginia and North Carolina Riders often know traffic laws better than the average driver. They have to since law enforcement profiling of riders is still a thing many motorcyclists have to contend with, whether they’re just riding to and from work or school or out on a road trip with friends. Traffic laws are passed on a state-by-state basis, meaning a different set of rules apply once you cross a border from one state to another. Here aresome laws to keep in mind when you’re out riding. It’s Illegal to Discriminate Against Riders…
Virginia To Change The Definition Of A Salvage Vehicle
The Chairmen of the Senate and House Transportation Committees requested that a committee be formed over the summer to look at the proposed change to Virginia law as it pertains to the definition of a salvage vehicle. For those of you who followed last year’s session, you will recall that there were two identical bills, Senate Bill 1364 and House Bill 1780, that would have changed the definition of a salvage vehicle by removing the requirement that the vehicle be a late model vehicle. A late model vehicle is a vehicle of the current year, or previous five years. Susan…
Compensation For Damages Resulting From Road Conditions
Whether you can recover damages for road conditions depends on the situation. You can’t file a claim against nature, but if dangerous road conditions were caused by someone’s actions or a municipality’s failure to maintain safe roadways, you might be able to recover compensation. Fog and rain don’t carry liability insurance, but local city and state governments do. Can You File a Personal Injury Claim Against the Government for Dangerous Road Conditions? In many cases you can, but special rules may apply to your claim. Governments sometimes have what’s known as sovereign immunity or government immunity. Most states also have…
Motorcycle Accident Caused By A Mechanical Failure
Not everymotorcycle accident is caused by another driver’s error or a rider’s own mistake. Some accidents happen due to mechanical defects in a bike, dangerous road conditions or improperly performed maintenance. The responsible party may not be immediately obvious, but that doesn’t change the fact that riders who suffer serious injuries in these accidents still have expensive medical bills to pay. In cases like these, the most common negligent parties are: The manufacturer of the component that failed The mechanic who performed work or service on the component that failed The city or municipality that didn’t correct known roadway defects…
Annual Rolling Thunder Ride To End
Sad News in the Motorcycling Community: The 32nd Annual Rolling Thunder Ride to DC Will Be the Last It has come to our attention that the upcoming 32nd Annual Rolling Thunder Ride to DC (Run to the Wall), which has been held every Memorial Day weekend since 1987, will be the last. This morning I spoke with Pete Zaleski, Vice President of Rolling Thunder, Inc., who confirmed that what we had heard was true. We are told that the difficult decision to end the annual event was due to a number of reasons. One was the expense of putting on…
Car vs. Motorcycle Inspections
Yes, there are some differences, but also quite a few similarities, and it really depends on the state. You can read our recentblog on brake inspections to get an idea of how those differences might look. In many cases the differences have to do with what’s checked. Motorcycles don’t have seat belts, so those aren’t checked on a bike, but they do have handlebars, and a state may have specific handlebar height requirements. Virginia Motorcycle and Car Inspections The cost of a motorcycle inspection is a little bit cheaper at $12 compared to the $20 for cars and $51 for…
Motorcycle Accident FAQs
Why do I need a lawyer if I have insurance? If someone else causes your accident, it’s the other driver’s insurance who will pay for your injuries and property damage (in most states). Insurance companies are not charities – they don’t make money by being generous with their claim payments. If you are seriously injured, which is far too common after a motorcycle accident, the insurance company may utilize an array of tactics to reduce what they pay you – or avoid paying you at all. Attorneys are hired to make sure you don’t get shorted. If the other driver…
A Motorcyclists Guide For Understanding Insurance
When most people shop for motor vehicle insurance, they focus almost entirely on which protections to buy rather than on how much to buy. Most people can tell you what type of coverage they bought, but have no idea as to the amount. Having the right amount of coverage is crucial to protecting yourself in the event that you are injured by an inattentive driver. It can literally mean the difference between making a full financial recovery and bankruptcy. For decades, members of our firm have spoken to motorcycle clubs, groups, and organizations throughout the country about laws concerning motor…
Dont Overlook Motorcycle Permit Laws
Motorcycle Licenses and Permits in Virginia Riders in Virginia need to have anM, M2 or M3 endorsement on their driver’s license. In Virginia those endorsements will be listed under “Class” on the front of the driver’s license. The number after the M specifically denotes the types of motorcycle the license holder is permitted to ride. M2 technically means the rider can only legally operate two-wheeled motorcycles and M3 denotes the rider can legally operate three-wheeled motorcycles. Anyone with just the M on their license is authorized to ride both two-wheeled and three-wheeled motorcycles. Anyone who wants a motorcycle endorsement on…