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    Syracuse Motorcycle Accident Attorney Says New York Helmet Law Saves Lives

    PRWeb – Thu, Jul 7, 2011

    The tragic death of a biker who was killed while protesting the state’s helmet requirement drives home the fact that motorcyclists need to wear helmets to protect themselves, Syracuse accident and injury lawyer Scott C. Gottlieb says.

    Syracuse, NY (PRWEB) July 07, 2011

    News of a motorcyclist who died last week in a helmet protest ride through the Town of Onondaga drives home the fact that helmets – required by New York law or not – prevent injuries and save lives, Syracuse motorcycle accident attorney Scott C. Gottlieb said today.

    “I respect the personal liberty concerns that are voiced by many New York motorcyclists who oppose our state’s helmet laws, but that doesn’t change the fact that they and their passengers should wear helmets at all times when riding,” said Gottlieb, whose Syracuse personal injury law firm, Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates, represents motor vehicle accident victims and their families throughout central New York.

    “As a New York personal injury attorney who has seen up close the tragic consequences of failing to wear a helmet, I’m convinced that the need for personal safety outweighs the personal liberty interests that are at stake,” Gottlieb said.

    According to the Syracuse Post-Standard, the 55-year-old Parish man who died in the July 2 accident was riding in an annual Helmet Protest Run staged by the Onondaga County chapter of American Bikers Aimed Towards Education (ABATE).

    According to the ABATE of New York website, the organization “encourages the voluntary use of helmets, gloves, sturdy footwear, and protective garments by adult motorcyclists, as part of a comprehensive motorcycle safety program. We do not support laws mandating use of helmets at all times by all riders.”

    The Post-Standard reported that the man lost control of his 1983 Harley Davidson motorcycle and went over the handlebars. He was rushed to Upstate University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

    Law enforcement officials told the newspaper that the man might have survived if he had been wearing a Department of Transportation-approved helmet, which New York law requires.

    “Numerous studies have shown that helmets reduce the risk of catastrophic and fatal injuries in motorcycle crashes, including head / brain injuries or spinal cord injuries that can cause paralysis,” Gottlieb said. “Riding without a helmet isn’t worth the danger.”

    According to Gottlieb, even the safest motorcycle rider and passengers face the potential of being severely injured in an accident. One of the leading causes of motorcycle crashes, injuries and deaths is the negligence of other drivers who fail to properly share the road with motorcyclists, he said.

    Wearing a helmet is crucial, he said, because motorcycles are significantly outweighed by other vehicles on the road, which often leads to the motorcyclist suffering the greater harm in an accident.

    The most recent statistics from the N.Y. Department of Motor Vehicles show that out of the 155 people who died in New York motorcycle accidents in 2009, 151 were either the motorcycle operator or passenger. Overall, there were 5,150 accidents involving motorcycles in the state during that year, including 4,347 that resulted in non-fatal bodily injuries.

    According to Gottlieb, when those accidents occur, insurance companies often will try to shift blame to a motorcyclist who was not wearing a helmet. That’s why it’s important to seek the advice and representation of an experienced New York motorcycle accident attorney who is familiar with those issues, he said.

    “The right to receive compensation from careless motorists who cause injuries needs to be protected,” Gottlieb said. “Our law firm will always stand up for the rights of injured motorcyclists, whether they were wearing a helmet or not.”

    About Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates

    Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates is a Syracuse accident and injury law firm that handles all types of personal injury and motor vehicle accident cases, including cases involving drunk-driving accidents, wrongful death, cancer misdiagnosis, dog bites, hunting accidents, birth injuries, brain injuries, construction accidents, fall down injuries and insurance settlements. The firm regularly employs accident reconstruction experts, investigators, photographers and economists to assist in evaluating and preparing personal injury cases. The firm features offices in Binghamton, Elmira, Rochester, Syracuse and Watertown. For more information, call (800) TALK-LAW or use the firm’s online contact form.

    ATTORNEY ADVERTISING

    ###

    Scott C. Gottlieb
    Scott C. Gottlieb & Associates
    (800) 825-5529
    Email Information


     

    139 comments

    • Ted
      Ted  •  10 mths ago
      Hey, if those dummies don't want to wear a helmet, then make them sign an agreement that if they crash thier motorcycles and hurt their stupid heads, that no tax payer money can be used for their medical services...
      • supersport
        supersport 10 mths ago
        I think it should be the law that when ever you ride a bicycle that you should have to carry a spare tire on your person with you along with a tool box and a 50 foot coil of rope just incase you need it..And i would think that a full face heavy duty motorcycle helmet would be more appropreate along with steel toed boots and leather pants and a jacket because you could fall and it would save you from yourself.And you should be required to carry your bag of weed in a seperate towing vehicle marked unlawfull material or dangerouse cargo..And you should no longer be able to transport your children 26 and under with you so they are not put in dangerous positions on major hiways..
    • Ryan
      Ryan  •  10 mths ago
      I think it was Ben Franklin who said, "Those who would trade liberty for security deserve neither." I agree with that sentiment. Adults have the right to make their own choices, even bad ones.
      • Max Reiner
        Max Reiner 10 mths ago
        Try growing up.
      • Ryan
        Ryan 10 mths ago
        Actually Max, I grew up the day I no longer need my parents to make my decisions for me. I don't need the government making decisions for me either. Apparently you do.
      • aricrashna
        aricrashna 10 mths ago
        Max doesn't have his own brain. He's been brainwashed into "it's for your own safety" thought and action control which allows for about zero freedom and self-expression
    • Vladimir
      Vladimir  •  10 mths ago
      As a former accident investigator, I have to tell you....HELMETS DO SAVE LIVES!!!!
      In my days on the job, I investigated 2 fatalities involving motorcyclists not wearing helmets, both of them died form head injuries, not neck injuries.
      At 20mph your head hitting the pavement= dropping a raw egg from 5' height!
      Wear your helmet, live another day! The choice is all yours! Be safe out there!
      • Golf Digger
        Golf Digger 10 mths ago
        what is it of your business to save them though, damn it, let people live the life they want to.
    • Whatever
      Whatever  •  10 mths ago
      Is the prupose of government to save us from ourselves?
      • opinionator
        opinionator 10 mths ago
        It's not about the government, it's about people saying "I don't want to pay for peoples stupid decisions". Post a bond, ride with out a helmet. I don't care, if I don't have to fund the aftermath!
      • Whatever
        Whatever 10 mths ago
        Those costs should be covered by their insurance.
      • Blind Justice
        Blind Justice 10 mths ago
        what insurance and do u have enough to pay for years of care i work in a nursing home and those guys never leave
    • Sniper
      Sniper  •  10 mths ago
      If personal liberty is not worth dying for then nothing is. Die on your feet or live on you knees!
    • Michael
      Michael  •  10 mths ago
      Nice advertisement for the law firm, thanks to prweb.
    • The Mad Political Scienti ...
      The Mad Political Scienti ...  •  10 mths ago
      If people want to ride without helmets, let them. Think of it as Evolution in Action.
      • Harry Beaver
        Harry Beaver 10 mths ago
        That is exactly why I choose to wear one, regardless of the law.
    • Herbert
      Herbert  •  10 mths ago
      I ride..and never without a helmut--stuff happens and I don't care how good you think you are. Most people riding without head protection have very little up there to protect in the first place. The real problem falls to the driver and his insurance carrier when a car is involved and one of these dopes gets killed. In addition to the lawyer, ask the EMP and emergency room personnel. Riding without a helmet is not brave, it's stupid and all states or th feds need to mandate it and back it up. (and no plastic topper covers, please..real helmets that pass the regs.
    • Dont Believe It
      Dont Believe It  •  10 mths ago
      The reason the law was mandated in CA was because the state (translation: taxpayers) were paying millions a year to keep brain deads on life support due to motorcycle head injuries. The courts will not allow anyone to pull the plug, so the state had to keep paying for their coma.

      If you've ever been motorcycling, you'd be pretty stupid to not wear a full face helmet. Just go down once, and if your face survives a cheese grating, bet you never ride without one again.
    • mtpwolverine
      mtpwolverine  •  10 mths ago
      Wow, we've got an Einstein on our hands. Next he's gonna declare that if we lower the speed limit to 55 we'll save lives to. How did this guy get out of law school??
    • Buckley's angel
      Buckley's angel  •  10 mths ago
      Can someone tell me if forcing riders to wear helmets would be a liberal or conservative viewpoint? Thanks.
    • Max
      Max  •  10 mths ago
      Helmet are nice, but riding while wearing shorts and a t-shirt is going to hurt when crashing.
    • Hedgehog
      Hedgehog  •  10 mths ago
      Yes, motorcycle helmets save lives. I always wear one when I ride. But, forcing people to hear helmets is a travesty on their civil rights. What's next? Preventing people from climbing mountains? Racing boats? Doing anything interesting or exciting because it might hurt us? Don't confuse what's good with what should be law. Those are two separate issues.
    • Peter
      Peter  •  10 mths ago
      Really tired of ignorant motorcyclists making the argument that helmets are more dangerous. Search the terms "motorcycle helmet safety more neck injuries" and click on the first link at the iihs website. All there. Black and White. Helmets are always better.
    • N9VCK
      N9VCK  •  10 mths ago
      "Helmets save lives"! Why is it just about motorcyclists? How about requiring helmets for those cars with convertible tops? How about the same for those riding in the back of a pickup truck? How about the same for those on mopeds? How about the same for those on ATV's? How about the same for farm tractors? How about the same for those on bicycles? How about the same for those kids on a tricycle?
      If the states want to pass a law requiring helmets for motorcyclists, that law must apply to anyone operating a wheeled vehicle with the head unprotected by a roof or a properly constructed "Roll-over-bar"! It is NOT fair to single out one group of people when the causes of death and injuries are the same for so many others. Speed is NOT the issue. Head protection IS!
    • Lexxstone
      Lexxstone  •  10 mths ago
      >>>funny but, a couple in montana were killed in a motorcycle incident... and they were wearing FULL FACE helemts<<<

      I once heard of a guy who fell off a 10 story building and lived....I guess that means everyone does.
    • WILDWEST
      WILDWEST  •  10 mths ago
      What a buncha #$%$ Helmets have been proven to CAUSE neck injuries in many instances as well. Let those who ride decide.
    • ed
      ed  •  10 mths ago
      I am OK with them riding nude if they want to so long as I do not have to pay their hospital bills. If a helmetless biker comes into the ED with his brains oozing out, I should be able to send him away unless he has $30,000 in his pocket. You wanted freedom from anyomne telling you what to do, so go die on the curb.
    • D. Franke
      D. Franke  •  10 mths ago
      " I’m convinced that the need for personal safety outweighs the personal liberty interests that are at stake,” Gottlieb said.

      I don't care what you're convinced of. My personal safety is none of your business.

      "He Might have survived" the law enforcement officer said. "Might"... nice. haha.

      The government finds plenty of idiotic things to waste money on, so potential medical cost arguments are moot.

      This law is, and always has been, a clear cut violation of personal freedom.
    • NoWork
      NoWork  •  10 mths ago
      DO NOT TELL ME WHAT TO WEAR GOT IT!
     Post a comment
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