Personal Injury Law and Motorcycle Accidents

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If you are hurt in a motorcycle accident, your first thought may not be to hire an attorney who handles motorcycle accident cases. Unfortunately, you may be at a disadvantage if you are injured in an accident and hire an attorney who does not know all the ins and outs of motorcycle law. An expert in these sorts of cases can ensure that you are protected throughout the entire case.

Frequency of Accidents on Motorcycles

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, accidents with motorcycles are 35 times more likely to involve a fatality than accidents involving passenger cars alone. Safety features with motorcycles are more common than they were even a few years ago, but there is still the risk that motorists in a car may not notice the motorcyclist, increasing the risk of an accident significantly. Variables such as weather and road conditions can also contribute to a greater likelihood that an accident involving a motorcycle might occur.

Avoiding a Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycles are much easier to overlook than another car for most drivers in a car, and up to two thirds of accidents involving motorcycles occur because the other vehicle failed to acknowledge the motorcycle’s right of way. Safety equipment, such as a helmet, is non-negotiable, and riders must always pay attention to changing road conditions around them. Another important factor in avoiding an accident is for the motorcyclist to make themselves as visible as possible, with working lights and reflective materials on the motorcycle and the rider. While this cannot prevent all accidents, it is certainly a step in the right direction.

Hiring a Motorcycle Attorney

Should the worst happen, hiring an attorney to help if you are injured in an accident while operating a motorcycle is a serious issue. Select an attorney who has experience with motorcycle cases. Ask how many cases they have handled of a similar nature to yours. Motorcycle laws are not too different from the laws governing automobiles, but you need someone handling your case that has experience with those small differences.

Riding a motorcycle may be fun, but you have to be alert, especially as other drivers may not be as attentive to your whereabouts. Knowing how to avoid an accident is only part of the solution. If you do need to hire a lawyer who can help you with your personal injury case, be sure to ask questions and make sure you understand how the law affects your situation.

How do I file Sexual Harassment Charges?

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There are four different ways to file charges of sexual harassment against someone who is forcing you to engage in sexual communication or contact at work.  You can file in internal complaint with your company, you can file an administrative complaint with a government agency, you can file a lawsuit in court and you can file a criminal complaint with the police.  Time deadlines apply in every case to the filing of sexual harassment charges, therefore it is vital to move forward immediately, as soon as the sexual harassment occurs.

Internal Complaints

The first step to take if you believe you are the victim of sexual harassment is to file charges with your company’s Equal Employment Opportunities Officer.  Your company handbook should have specific information about how to contact this office, and there should be notices posted prominently in your office that provide the information as well.  It is a very good idea to consult with an attorney before making such charges so that you can be sure your charges are properly prepared and filed.  Your company will then investigate your charges and may help you resolve them.  It is illegal to fire or discipline an employee because they make a sexual harassment complaint.  If you receive such mistreatment, you can file a lawsuit or make an administrative complaint.

Administrative Complaints

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission is an administrative agency that receives and investigates complaints about sexual harassment.  Each state also has its own administrative agency that receives and investigates such charges.  If your EEO officer does not deal with your charge to your satisfaction, you can escalate your complaint to a government agency.  Again, it is very good idea to consult with an attorney before doing so, since any information you provide to the agency can be used against you in a court lawsuit. In addition, sometimes a filing with an agency constitutes an “election of remedies” that will prevent you from filing a suit in court. Other times you are required to make an agency filing before you can sue in court.

Lawsuits

If you are not satisfied with the remedies available to you from an administrative agency, you may want to file a lawsuit in court to claim money damages to compensate you for the sexual harassment you have experienced. In that case you need an attorney to assist you in filing the case.  This means you must work with your attorney to gather evidence and prove your  case to a jury. If you do, you can recover damages for lost wages, emotional pain and suffering, attorneys’ fees and, if the conduct was willful, in some cases you can recover punitive damages as well.

Police Charges

If your sexual harassment involves physical touching, it may well amount to criminal conduct that you can report to the police. The police cannot get financial compensation for you, but they can investigate your charges and if they find merit they can arrest and prosecute the wrongdoer.

Statutes of Limitations

It’s extremely important to be aware that strict deadlines apply to the filing of sexual harassment charges. If you wait too long, you will lose your rights.  Therefore, you should contact an attorney and receive a legal consultation about time deadlines as soon as the sexual harassment happens.