Panama City Florida Injury Lawyer Blog

Spring weather means many residents of our area opt to ride rather than drive, using motorcycles for both transportation and fun. Panama City motorcycle accidents are, however, a very real danger. This danger was brought to the forefront of local news on Friday when two serious accidents involving motorcycles impacted our region on a single day. Our Panama City accident law firm is following both stories as details continue to emerge.

The first accident, reported by WJHG occurred in the early morning hours of Friday April 27. Robert Lambert, age sixty-eight from Louisiana, was driving a 2000 Suzuki motorcycle with Michelle Lynn Mackee-Kitahara of Fort Walton Beach riding aboard as his passenger. The motorcycle was headed north on Eglin Parkway and was just north of Walter Main Road when Lambert slowed, apparently preparing to make a left turn. The motorcycle was hit from behind by a car driven by twenty-two year old Billy Joe Legune of Fort Walton Beach. Both Lambert and Mackee-Kitahara were thrown from the motorcycle. Lambert was treated and released from Fort Walton Beach Medical Center but Mackee-Kitahara was pronounced dead at the scene. Neither individual was wearing a helmet. Fort Walton Beach Police officials are investigating the crash and charges were still pending at the time of the report.

As the News Herald reported, later that same day, Joe Landers of Arkansas was riding his motorcycle on Quarts Street in Panama City Beach. At approximately 8:35 P.M., Jimmy John Cristo Jr. turned his car off of Thomas Drive and into Landers' path. Landers was ejected from his motorcycle and suffered serious injuries. He was taken to Bay Medical for treatment. Cristo fled the scene but was later located by police and arrested on charges including leaving the scene of an accident involving serious injury as well as possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.

Circumstances surrounding both of Friday's crashes are still being investigated but the accidents are a harsh reminder that motorcycles can be dangerous. We hope these stories remind both riders and drivers that they share the responsibility of making the roads safe for all of our residents and visitors.

A study by the Center for Disease Control found that more than 34,000 motorcyclists were killed nationwide between 2001 and 2008. In that same period, emergency departments in U.S. hospitals reported treating an estimated 1,222,000 individuals for non-fatal injuries related to motorcycles. Fatality rates for riders actually increased between 2001 and 2008, rising from 1.12 per 100,000 to 1.74 per 100,000, a jump of 55%. Emergency rooms also reported an increase in the number of non-fatal injuries in the same time period, rising from just under 120,000 to 175,000 reported injuries. Both death and injury rates were highest in the 20-24 year old age range.

A quick reminder -- As of July 2008, Florida requires that new applicants seeking a motorcycle license take and pass a Basic Rider course. Motorcyclists under age twenty-one are required to wear helmets. Riders over age twenty-one may be eligible for a helmet exemption (i.e. not required to wear a helmet) if they have a minimum of $10,000 in medical insurance coverage.

If you or someone you love was involved in a motorcycle accident in Panama City, please contact us. Our Panama City injury lawyer offers a free consultation to discuss the unique circumstances of your accident.

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Continue reading "Recent Crashes Serve as a Reminder of the Importance of Motorcycle Safety" »

Bike week, Thunder Beach, at Panama City Beach, Florida, April 27- May 1, provides a fantastic opportunity for fun under the sun along the famed shores of the Emerald Coast of the Florida Panhandle. Unfortunately, it also exposes participants to unwanted and unwarranted hazards including injury and fatality.

First, let's consider the risks, and, then, how to minimize them for a safe experience for bikers. Increased traffic always results in more wrecks, but safety considerations, including a healthy respect for traffic laws , will save lives. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, NHTSA, has released figures showing dramatic increases in severe accident during the last few years. Over three thousand bikers are dying on the roads each year. Nearly half of the accidents involved alcohol, and a third involved speeding by the bikers. As for the speeding-related deaths, that's twice the rate of deaths seen in car and truck accidents. These stats make us think about how to make biking safer.

Obviously, speeding and drinking before and while operating a bike are taboo. However, safety is a two way street. Operators of larger and heavier vehicles, namely cars and trucks, share the responsibility for safety. Too often, and very dangerously, they engage in road rage, perhaps because they consider bikes a nuisance or are irritated by their noise. Nevertheless, the law is clear. Bikers have as much right to be on the roads as cars and trucks. And they have the same legal protections. In essence, they have the right to safe passage. Bikers, likewise, can take steps to protect themselves from being "the unseen" on roadways.

A New Zealand safety study showed that wearing a white instead of a black helmet increases visibility. Cyclists wearing white helmets had a 24% lower risk of being in an accident. Additional safety can be achieved by choosing the time of day to travel, especially in resort areas. Motorcycle safety courses stress avoiding travel at night, especially in resorts like Panama City Beach where a significant number of car and truck drivers are driving while intoxicated. Avoiding riding at night, particularly on Saturday nights and Sunday mornings in these areas, when drunk drivers are most likely to be on the road, can save a biker's life.

Cars and bikes can peacefully co-exist at the beach, but if an accident happens, this firm is skilled in the investigation, preparation, and litigation of biking accidents caused by careless motorists. Enjoy fun and safety at Thunder Beach 2011 at Panama City Beach.

Six days from now, our Panama City Beach motorcycle week known as Thunder Beach will kick off. Once more the sound of motorcycles will fill the air. From April 27 to May 1, bikers from all over the country will convene for bike and biking equipment displays, concerts, and our Gulf Coast dining. It is time to think about the impending presence of more motorcycles than usual and about our duty as drivers of cars and trucks to honor their legal right of way on the roads just as we would for larger vehicles.

Road safety is a shared responsibility, enforced by our laws and courts, between bike riders and larger vehicles. Since size is often tied to visual perception, we should also be more attentive in the coming days to be sure the way is clear when we pull onto a road. Statistics show that 40% of biking accidents occur when the motorcycle is going straight and another vehicle's operator fails to see them. The failure of a car or truck driver to see a motorcycle often ends in a serious accident. As a result, the other sound we hear too much of at Panama City Beach during Thunder Beach is the wail of ambulance sirens on the way to crashes. That sound probably means that someone is very seriously injured or has just been killed.

Bikers, you have to do your part, too. Our Florida law changed in 2000 to permit you to ride without a helmet, but since then bike fatalities have increased by 21%. Increase your safety by wearing a good helmet. Wearing reflective clothing, day or night, is also a must. Brightly colored helmets and reflective stickers on them are important to make you conspicuous to other drivers. Think about it. Your head is the highest point when you are on a bike. Bright and reflective colors focus other drivers' attention on your presence.

We want you to be safe, have fun, and come back again to our beaches, but if you are in an accident, call me or drop in for my free DVD that will answer many questions about your legal rights.