Very sad news hit the news wires today, as it was announced that the CEO of Freedom Gas station was killed in a Montana motorcycle crash. Reports are that his bike left the road north of the Bridger Bowl ski area in Bozman. His wife was injured and taken to the hospital. Speed and alcohol were both ruled out as contributing factors. David Erickson was CEO of Erickson Oil Products Inc./Freedom Valu Centers based in Hudson, Wis. The private, family owned company has 65 stores in Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Michigan.

Our sympathies go out to his family and friends. Hopefully, the investigation will uncover what happened and help with the prevention of more loses like this. It is my understanding that Mr Erickson was an experienced rider. Unfortunately, over the last couple of years we have been seeing an increase in the number of new riders or returning riders that are being killed when they leave the road.

Last year the steady rise in motorcycle crashes became a top concern of the U.S. Department of Transportation, said Secretary Mary Peters, who broke her collarbone a few years ago when she crashed her Harley-Davidson Road King at 40 mph.

To address the problem, the Transportation Department is developing national standards for entry-level riders and has launched an educational campaign on the importance of wearing helmets and other safety gear. Congress has also become involved, authorizing $2 million to study crash causes.

For every driver and rider it's important that the following be kept in mind:

1. Yield the right-of-way.

2. Start seeing motorcycles.

3. When on a motorcycle, make sure people see you.

4. When just starting to ride, make sure you have the correct training.

The road is big enough for everyone.

A Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial on the topic, got a number of comments after it made the following suggestions to deal with the increase:

• Increased training of new drivers.
• More emphasis on sober riding.
• The Increased use of safety equipment.
• Drivers paying more attention on the roads.

The discussion about helmets dominated most of the responses. Clearly, this is one there may not ever be an agreement on, but as to the other suggestions, they really make a lot of sense. Every new driver needs to get the all important training that riding a motorcycle isn't like a bike or a car.

As an attorney who has represented a large number of riders, I've seen the devastation caused by car/bike collisions. As with any highway death, there are a number of issues that will need to be reviewed. My partner, Joe Crumley, addressed this topic in a article for the Minnesota Lawyers Trial magazine. I was interviewed on the same topic.

There was a story in the news today about a Lowell Township motorcycle crash. The accident took place on Wednesday, June 30th, on East Fulton Street around 3 p.m.  According to police, a woman on a motorcycle was struck by a pickup truck that failed to yield the right of way and turned left into the bikers path. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup truck did not suffer any injuries.

I am very sorry to hear about this tragic motorcycle accident. My condolensces go out to the family and friends of the motorcyclist for thier loss.

Our Michigan motorcycle accident attorneys advise bikers of their legal rights. Family members of the deceased motorcycle driver may be able to make a claim for Survivor Loss Benefits for the deceased biker. This can include payment of funeral expenses, lost wages, and loss of other services. Also, the family members of the deceased victim may have a claim for a Michigan wrongful death lawsuit against the driver that police determine was negligent and caused these car accidents. At the very least, the surviving family should hire the best possible lawyer to look into these possibilities.

If you would like more information about your rights after a Michigan motorcycle accident, you can order our FREE book, “The Ultimate Michigan Motorcycle Handbook” by clicking on the book link. We will send it out immediately along with other important information.

For more information about Michigan motorcycle accident cases, visit our Michigan personal injury, car accident, and malpractice law website. If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan motorcycle accident attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.

BUCKFIRE & BUCKFIRE, P.C. is a Michigan personal injury law firm and is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time of the posting of the article. The information contained in this article is from online news sources and any perceived misstatements should be attributed to those sources as we did not complete any investigation of the accident. If you believe that the information is inaccurate and would like it changed or would like this post completely removed from the site, please let us know and we will do our best to promptly accommodate your request. We are very sensitive to these requests.

If you were involved in this accident or a similar accident and have questions about your legal rights and options, it is important that you contact a reputable law firm. Please make sure that any Michigan law firm that you contact has significant experience in handling these types of accident and injury cases and has an excellent track record of successful settlements and jury verdicts. We also suggest that the attorney you contact provides you with a free initial consultation.

As with the overall numbers, it was great to see less motorcycle deaths on Minnesota highways in 2009. The number of riders and bikes continue to increase with record highs of licensed riders (387,159) and registered bikes (226,678 ).

In 2009, there were 47 deaths which is the lowest number since 2002. Injuries and property damage collision were also down. As with motor vehicle deaths the greatest number of deaths are taking place in rural areas of the state.

For safety purposes it is also worth considering that most deaths are taking place in June and between 3 and 5 pm. Of those riders killed there was a greater percentage of alcohol results of .01 to .07. Suggesting that any drinking and riding isn't a good idea. A review of the law enforcement factors for the collisions shows speed playing a big role for the riders killed and inattentive driving as a cause with other vehicles.

In looking at the numbers, a couple of things are clear:

- Don't drink and drive,

- Start seeing motorcycles and their smaller friends the mopeds, and

- and let's make sure all drivers share the road!

There was a story in the paper yesterday about a Jackson County motorcycle crash. According to police, a woman driving a motorcycle along Mount Hope Road was hit by a car and killed when the vehicle crossed the center lane into her lane.

I am very sorry to hear about this tragic motorcycle accident. My condolences go out to the family and friends of the biker for their loss.

Our Michigan motorcycle accident attorneys advise bikers of their legal rights. Family members of the deceased motorcycle driver may be able to make a claim for Survivor Loss Benefits for the deceased biker. This can include payment of funeral expenses, lost wages, and loss of other services. Also, the family members of the deceased victim may have a claim for a Michigan wrongful death lawsuit against the driver that police determine was negligent and caused these car accidents. At the very least, the surviving family should hire the best possible lawyer to look into these possibilities.

If you would like more information about your rights after a Michigan motorcycle accident, you can order our FREE book, “The Ultimate Michigan Motorcycle Handbook” by clicking on the book link. We will send it out immediately along with other important information.

For more information about Michigan motorcycle accident cases, visit our Michigan personal injury, car accident, and malpractice law website. If you would like to speak with one of our Michigan motorcycle accident attorneys about your case, feel free to call us anytime at (800) 606-1717 or simply submit this contact form and we will get back to you quickly.

BUCKFIRE & BUCKFIRE, P.C. is a Michigan personal injury law firm and is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time of the posting of the article. The information contained in this article is from online news sources and any perceived misstatements should be attributed to those sources as we did not complete any investigation of the accident. If you believe that the information is inaccurate and would like it changed or would like this post completely removed from the site, please let us know and we will do our best to promptly accommodate your request. We are very sensitive to these requests.

If you were involved in this accident or a similar accident and have questions about your legal rights and options, it is important that you contact a reputable law firm. Please make sure that any Michigan law firm that you contact has significant experience in handling these types of accident and injury cases and has an excellent track record of successful settlements and jury verdicts. We also suggest that the attorney you contact provides you with a free initial consultation.

As of Sunday afternoon three motorcyclists have lost their lives this weekend on Minnesota highway:

- Friday afternoon a 23 year old from Detroit Lakes is alleged to have been fleeing police in Minneapolis when he was hit by a car on Washington Ave near the I-94 entrance.

- Also on Friday, a Elk River man was killed when he hit a deer.

- A Kasota man was killed when he was hit by a semi.

A St Cloud rider was injured on Saturday when he lost control around a curve and drove into a ditch.

Each of these incidents seem like they could have been avoided. I was reading an article from citizen.com and the advice of riding coach Carl Segelstrom seemed especially fitting. He made the following points:

According to statistics, over 50 percent of single-vehicle motorcycle accidents occur in turns.

"Most of the time with a motorcyclist involved in an accident, they fail to negotiate a turn,"

half of all motorcycle fatalities across the nation are alcohol related.

"You need to keep your rider radar on; you need to know what's going on at all times," Segelstrom said. "You're on the road with a lot of other people."


"One of the most important things while riding is being visible to others," Segelstrom said. "Don't hide yourself in the shadows."

All of this advice is helpful, especially as Ride to Work Day is back today. Ride to Work, a Proctor, Minn.-based nonprofit, sponsors the event, and says as many as a million riders may participate.

Hopefully, all the riders today will do so with a memory of what happened over the weekend and a eye to the dangers that are out there.

Here's a couple more blogs to read:

Motorcycle Safety: The Top 5 Tips To Safety Avoid Injuries, Rick Shapiro | June 07, 2010 7:59 AM

Republic of Texs (ROT) Biker Rally ; Let’s Avoid Any Motorcycle Accidents,