2012 Spring Riding Season has Arrived

TAKE A BREAK & BEGIN 2012 IN THE HILL COUNTRY

It's finally here! Texas Rider Newspaper annouces events for 2012. Below you can find a few of the fun-filled events happening this year! For a full list, go to: www.TexasRiderNews.com or www.Bikerlawyer.com


Thunder in the Hill Country 2012 in Bandera, Texas.
March 29 - April 1, 2012
Held in Mansfield Park in Bandera. This is the 10th year for this great Texas Old School Texas Rally in the beautiful Texas Hill Country and Cowboy Capital of the World. This event includes, Live music, T-shirt contest, Biker Games, Burn-out Pit, Tattoo Contest, and much more! For more information contact: (409) 995-0073 or go to www.bikerralliesoftexas.com

Join the Biker Lawyers at the 2012 ROT Rally
Every year we here at The Cole Legal Group get excited because we know its time for the Republic of Texas Biker Rally in Austin, Texas.

June 7 -10th 2012
Thousands of our fellow biker brothers and sisters head to Austin early to settle in, as well as attend some ROT Pre-Parties. From concerts, celebrity appearances, attractions like the Tattoo Expo and the Vintage Bike Showcase, to the barbecue joints and official parade, the ROT Rally has something for every level of motorcycle rider and enthusiast.

RIDING IN TRAFFIC? TIPS TO STAY ALIVE!

It's a jungle out there! Ask any biker. Crowded streets and highways, drivers with cell phones, newspapers or screaming kids, you name it, it's out there. Here are some ideas on what to do:

• Trust your mirrors: Always include additional glance over shoulder.
• Never get between a vehicle and an offramp: last second exits can be fatal.
• Cover your brakes: Helps to minimize reach time.
• Be noticed: Ride with hi beam on and wear brightly colored gear.
• Power: Ride in a low gear for added acceleration.
• Traffic slowing? Staying left or right of the car in front give you an escape route.
• Scan traffic: Keeps you aware and in touch with your situation. No surprises!
• Left-turn treachery: Always approach oncoming traffic turning left with caution. Watch the car's wheels and driver's hands on wheel. Be ready if you see movement, especially 18-wheelers.
• Use an Escort: Let larger vehicles act as an escort through intersections. Also, wait on other traffic to escort you if your light turns green.
• Ride in open zones: Use your bike's power and maneuverability to ride in open zones in traffic. Riding with traffic can make you hard to see.

Last but not least, Pay attention and drive defensively! Your life could depend on it.

More Biker News at www.texasridernews.com

ASYTX Fundraiser Dinner and Dance to Help Injured Volunteer

AMARILLO -- A fundraiser dinner and dance for Hoss Lewman of Hardcore Motorcycle Ministry. The dinner is at 1401 West 8th street. All proceeds go to Hoss and his wife Stacey.

Cost is by donation.

Hoss was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident.

Hoss was very active with America Supports You Texas Welcome Home Rally's at the airport. He furnished the flags for the flag line when we greet and welcome home our military heroes.

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source: myhighplains.com (Wehmhoener, 2/24)

Michigan motorcyclist injured in 30-foot fall during stunt at Saginaw circus

Promising Michigan FMX motorcycle rider Josh Headford was in fair condition today, according to hospital staff, following a horrific accident while performing at a circus at the Dow Event Center’s Wendler Arena in Saginaw on Sunday.

• Video: (Warning! Contains some profane language).

Headford, 20, who is from Helps, collided with a cable in midair during a high-flying ramp-to-ramp routine at the Elf Khurafeh Shrine Circus, then plummeted about 30 feet to the ground. He is being treated at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw and underwent surgery Monday.

"Doctors surgically repaired Josh's right femur and right elbow," Scott Murray, Headford's manager and friend, told the Free Press today, as he traveled from Green Bay, Wis., to be with Headford after performing in a monster truck show. "He also has a fractured scapular and wrist, but these should heal on their own."

Murray, a veteran FMX freestyle competitor, said the crash "was very unfortunate."

"We are quite upset about the whole incident," said Murray, who said Headford was standing in for another rider at the show. "It's very disturbing. He did eight shows during the week, and everything had gone spectacular. It wasn't his first go at this. It was his last performance, and Josh counted on the track crew to move the cable.

"Josh's recovery may take four to six months. He may have permanent damage to the elbow. He'll move forward, and his spirits are up, but the whole thing is unfortunate. We're weighing all our options right now and hope the Shrine Circus will do the right thing by Josh."

Headford told the Associated Press before his surgery that he will ride again. "It's all I do. It's how I make a living."

FMX athletes perform at the X Games, among other events. On Saturday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, many of the world’s best FMX riders will take part in the “Nuclear Cowboyz 2012” tour stop, which features daring freestyle motocross aerial feats, set in a Disney on Ice-type extravaganza.

FMX stunts, like those in “Nuclear Cowboyz,” are choreographed and rehearsed but still very dangerous. FMX legend Jeremy Lusk died while competing in a freestyle event in February 2009 in Costa Rica, and Jim McNeil was killed in while practicing for an exhibition jump in November 2011 at Texas Motor Speedway. Neither event was associated with “Nuclear Cowboyz.”

X Games medal winner and veteran freestyle rider Mike Mason, who will take part in Saturday’s “Nuclear Cowboyz” show, said the element of danger is always there in performing freestyle jumps, flips and somersaults.

“You can’t take anything for granted,” Mason, 30, told the Free Press by phone today. “There is always risk involved in freestyle competition and related shows. You just have to minimize it. You must learn to trust those you work with.”

Headford, who was wearing a helmet and pads, told the AP the cable should have been lowered or removed by circus staff.

"As soon as I saw the cable, it caught my bike, and I went flying. That was pretty much it," said Headford, who lives in Menominee County in the Upper Peninsula. "It was like hitting a brick wall. I thought I was done -- but I'm not."

He said it wasn't his responsibility to check for the cable. Circus owner Brett Carden said it's a risky business.

"What are you going to change?" Carden told The Saginaw News. "These are professionals, and they're supposed to check everything and make sure it's good to go."

Dion Mason of Saginaw said he witnessed the crash with four children.

"We thought it was part of the show," Mason told the AP. "Then there was just shock and disbelief. We were just like everyone else. We couldn't see the extent of the injuries, but we were shocked."

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source: Detroit Free Press (Brudnell, 2/7)



The Cole Legal Group regularly represents motorcycle accident clients all over the great state of Texas, including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Amarillo, Waco and Lubbock. Call us today at 1-800-245-5539 for a free case evaluation!

Back in the saddle again

After a 2001 motorcycle accident that resulted in permanent injuries, Tim Freeman said he thought he would never again feel the exhilarating, wind-in-your-face feeling that inspires so many bike enthusiasts.

But thanks to a specially modified bike Freeman bought this summer from a local motorcycle dealer and a lot of hard work, he is back on the road again. And he's loving it.

"I thought that would never happen again," Freeman said. "Right now I'm very, very, very happy."

Out of his passion for bikes and the open road, he founded the Night Riders motorcycle group in the 1980s in Fremont. Freeman later settled in the Washington, D.C., area, where he worked for 19 years as a corrections officer in the federal prison system.

On a warm November day in 2001, he said, he took his newly purchased motorcycle for a ride in Maryland. After turning onto a brand new road to explore, Freeman said, he lost control and careened off the still-soft pavement into a wooded area.

"I was knocked out," he said. "I laid there for three days."

Freeman's salvation was realized when a passing motorist finally spotted his bike's tail light, which she said was still illuminated, and called in emergency crews.

"The good Lord decided it wasn't my time," he said. "And I'm so thankful."

Freeman said he spent nearly a week inside a hospital as a "John Doe," since someone apparently stole his wallet before he arrived in the emergency room. He said he is not bitter about that or anything else surrounding the incident.

"I'm not mad," Freeman said.

More than 10 years later, he still suffers from some brain damage, vision problems, a knee injury that forces him to walk with a cane, and he has difficulty using the right side of his body.

"They told me I would never drive another car again," Freeman said.

Freeman retired from his job at the prison because of his injuries, but decided to settle in Fremont again after coming back to visit his son in 2008. After getting glasses that correct his double vision and passing his Ohio driving test, Freeman bought a car.

He said, during the years since his accident, the idea of getting back on a motorcycle kept creeping into his mind until it became a serious goal.

"I tried everything for a while to get the idea of riding a bike out of my mind," Freeman said. "It just wouldn't go nowhere. When I started thinking positive, I just couldn't let go of it."

One day, he saw a woman pull up next to his car riding a motorcycle with three wheels, commonly referred to as a trike. Freeman said something clicked in his mind, and he started searching out his own modified motorcycle.

Frank Chovan, a salesman at Schiets Motorsports, said he met Freeman last year when the man walked into the dealership ready to buy.

"He basically came in and said he wanted to ride a bike again and it was more important to him than breathing air," Chovan said.

Employees put their heads together, he said, and realized that outrigger-style wheels could be added to a motorcycle to prevent any danger of it tipping, since Freeman might have difficulty bracing himself on his right side.

Last autumn, Freeman treated himself to the brand-new, specially modified Suzuki Burgman 650 as a birthday present.

"It felt so good, because it didn't lean," Freeman said. "I can't fall."

In addition to the two extra wheels, the bike was also outfitted with a left-handed throttle kick to replace the typical throttle on the right-side handlebar.

Chovan said motorcycle instructor Darl Schiets helped Freeman with a refresher course and everyone at the business has grown close to the man.

"We've become great friends," Chovan said. "I'm just happy we were able to help Tim out and get him riding again."

So what's next for the man who wouldn't let a life-threatening crash keep him off a bike?

Freeman and the rest of the Night Riders are planning a ride to Texas in August.

"I gotta go," he said. "I just enjoy it a whole, whole, whole lot."

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source: The News Messenger (Tower, 1/24)

Memorial for Dale Lahti, avid motorcyclist

Dale Lahti, 82, Alamo, Texas, formerly of Turtle Lake, Wis., died Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012, at Weslaco, Texas, following a motorcycle accident in which he sustained severe head injuries.

Dale was born at West Allis on March 16, 1929, and grew up on the family farm at Mosquito Lake, south of Almena.

Dale served with the U.S. Army and was part of the Berlin Air Lift at the end of WWII.

He married Leona Mjelnek in 1954. Dale and Lee were "second parents" to their nephews and nieces until Lee's death in 1980.

Dale was an avid motorcyclist, traveling throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada and Mexico on his bike. He met his second wife, Carole Varga, while he was on a motorcycle trip in the Black Hills. They were married in 1987.

Dale retired from Almena Co-op, where his expertise in flooring was well known in the area.

He was a life member of Almena VFW Post 8512, a past commander of the post and was instrumental in the acquisition of the building that is the post home. He was a member of Bethany Lutheran Church from childhood until recently when he joined the Santa Rosa United Methodist Church in Texas, where his wife is the pastor.

Surviving, in addition to his wife Carole, are a sister Elaine Ehrler of Colorado Springs, Colo.; a brother Don (Shirley) of Fountain Hills, Ariz.; a stepdaughter Janice Van Camp of Cumberland and her children; stepson Donald (Darla) Varga of Balsam Lake and their children and grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Dale was preceded in death by his first wife, his parents George and Hilda (Thorbeck) Lahti and a sister Renee Krecker.

Services will be held Wednesday, Jan. 25, from Santa Rosa United Methodist Church.

Memorial contributions can be made to Justice for Our Neighbors South Texas, c/o Carole Lahti, 1048 N. Alamo Road #58, Alamo, TX 78516.

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source: Barron News Shield (1/18)



The Biker Lawyers are experienced Texas motorcycle accident lawyers that also love to ride. We know Texas motorcycle law and the bias against bikers; therefore, we are dedicated to aggressively winning motorcycle accident cases. We will actively fight to not only protect your rights, but also win the settlement you deserve.

The Cole Legal Group regularly represents motorcycle accident clients all over the great state of Texas, including Austin, Houston, San Antonio, Amarillo, Waco and Lubbock. Call us today at 1-800-245-5539 for a free case evaluation!

The Basics of Motorcycle Helmet Safety

It's not set in stone, but it is thought that the earliest motorcycle was built in 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler. A simple device, not intended for high speed, there was no thought for head protection. Indian followed suit in 1902, followed closely by Harley Davidson in 1903, with motorcycles that went faster than the predecessor. These two builders battled it out for fastest bikes in the interim of 1931 and 1953, and as their bikes got faster, so did the fatality rate from motorcycles crashes climb.

The history of the modern motorcycle helmet began in 1953 when Professor C.F. Lombard, known as "Red," of the University of Southern California (USC), applied for a patent for a motorcycle helmet that featured a dual layer of padding focused on the design of absorbing and distributing the shock of impact in the case of accident.

By 1958, California set the precedent for motorcycle safety by requiring motorcycle police officers to wear helmets; But the United States wasn't the only country beginning to understand the need for safety.

American National Safety Standard

On January, 1, 1961, Australia passed the first law mandating the use of motorcycle helmets, well that seemed to get the ball rolling. In The United States in 1966, the American National Safety Standard for Motorcycle Helmets was introduced, this organization set required performance standards for helmets that all manufacturers were required to build their helmets to

The Highway Safety Act of 1966 was introduced by the federal government which stated that helmet laws in all states were required to be eligible for federal funding for highway maintenance and construction. In 1974 the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) set safety standards that every motorcycle helmet was required to pass and all helmets must be inspected and have a DOT sticker to prove that the helmet passed the inspection and met the minimum requirements. The USC Head Protection Research Laboratories lobbied the federal government in 1997 to upgrade these standards.

Back to 1977, for reasons unknown, the federal government repealed the helmet law and within three years half of the states followed suit and repealed their own helmet laws. Motorcycle injuries and fatalities rose sharply, seems the people forgot that 80% of motorcycle accidents resulted in injury or death. Statistics show that a motorcyclist is twenty-one times per driven mile more likely to be killed than persons driving cars.

The Attractiveness of the Helmet

This risk decreases by 29% if a helmet is worn. But, opponents to helmet laws cite freedom of choice as to whether or not they should wear a helmet, regardless of what the statistics show based on the thought that it didn't hurt anyone except themselves. Wrong! The numbers showed that more likely than not, those that chose "freedom of choice" and didn't wear helmets, usually chose not to have insurance as well. When these persons were injured in accidents it was left for the taxpayers to absorb the cost of their hospitalization. Not to mention the effect on friends and family when left to care for a paraplegic or quadriplegic loved one, without the benefit of insurance to pay for their care. Currently only three states do not have mandatory helmet laws.

The Biker Lawyers are experienced Texas motorcycle accident lawyers that also love to ride. We know Texas motorcycle law and the bias against bikers; therefore, we are dedicated to aggressively winning motorcycle accident cases. We will actively fight to not only protect your rights, but also win the settlement you deserve.

The Cole Legal Group regularly represents motorcycle accident clients all over the great state of Texas, including Dallas, Austin, Houston, San Antonio, and Waxahachie. Call us today at 1-800-245-5539 for a free case evaluation!

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Texas Officers Discuss The Perils of Motorcycle Escort Duty

Nearly every day, Houston-area motorists share streets and freeways with police officers on motorcycle who are escorting funerals, dignitaries, wide-cargo loads or controlling traffic outside sporting events.

The two-wheeled duty can be dangerous and even deadly: At least one officer was killed and seven others were injured as off-duty escorts in the past five years, according to a Houston Chronicle accident analysis.

Sgt. Matt Novotny, 52, is recovering from a broken pelvis and other severe injuries he received when was hit by a motorist Dec. 12. Novotny, the head of Pasadena Police Department's 10-officer motorcycle unit, was working an off-duty job escorting a funeral when he was hit at the intersection of West Fuqua and Almeda. The female driver, who police determined was not impaired, had a green light but apparently failed to see the officer.

"It is a very dangerous thing," said Vance Mitchell, spokesman for the Pasadena police. "This is probably the worse we've had, and this is the third one in the last 12 months."

The most recent death appears to be a January 2008 accident that killed Harris County Precinct 7 Deputy Constable David Joubert, 60, who was on his way to escorting a funeral in Houston when a car pulled in front of him.

Vehicle of choice

Toy Leach is one of the Houston Police Department's 46 officers assigned to the motorcycle detail, officers who have to requalify annually to ride their Harley-Davidson Road King police motorcycles. Motorcycles are the vehicle of choice for escorts because they can maneuver between cars to clear congested intersections.

"The intersections are the hardest because some of them are big, and they're three lanes coming from each direction," said Leach, a two-year veteran. "So when a motorcycle goes up there and puts their lights and sirens on, the people don't see you on a motorcycle anyway. The intersection is the most dangerous part, you have people running red lights and stuff like that."

The Harris County Sheriff's Office currently employs nine full-time motorcycle officers assigned to traffic investigations, and another 22 who work only off-duty escorts of oversize cargo loads or funerals processions. Three deputies have died over the past 30 years in motorcycle accidents, and two were escorting funerals. The latest was Deputy Keith Fricke, who died in June 1997 after a car cut through the procession and hit Fricke's motorcycle.

Lt. Darryl Coleman, head of the Harris County Sheriff's Office traffic enforcement section, said the biggest danger is motorists who don't notice the motorcycle officers, even when they are using their emergency lights and have sirens on.

"The known dangers are the unaware motorists, the inattentive motorists who not aware of the police motorcycle who is approaching them," said Lt. Darryl Coleman. "The (motorcycle officer) has to be on the lookout for the driver who is not on the lookout for them."

Coleman said it has been years since a sheriff's motorcycle officer died, and the most recent accident was last December when a deputy was injured while escorting participants in the Texas Bowl football game near the Galleria.

A Houston city ordinance requires that all funeral processions be escorted by at least one police motorcycle, and at least two for a procession of more than 10 vehicles. Off-duty motorcycle officers are hired by funeral homes to do the escorts, and they are paid from $125 to $225, depending on the number of stops and which department the officers belong to.

Call to repeal ordinance

In addition to the off-duty escorts, police departments assign motorcycle officers while on duty to escort funerals of officers and their families, as well as escorting visiting dignitaries.

Houston police, since January 2010, have assigned their motorcycle officers to escort vehicles at 188 events, including 151 funerals of police officers and their relatives, as well as other city workers. The remaining escorts were either for dignitaries or for traffic control at major sporting events.

HPD said its last serious motorcycle accident took place when Officer Scott Hamilton was escorting a funeral in January 2010. His injuries required multiple reconstructive surgeries to his face, causing him to retire for medical reasons.

One Houston funeral director wants elected officials to repeal the ordinance requiring motorcycle escorts for a funeral procession, saying it has become increasingly dangerous to officers and those in the motorcade. He'd rather have mourners meet the hearse and the family at the church or cemetery.

"I've seen over the years it's getting more dangerous. We're endangering the police officers, and the people going down the road and the people in the procession," said Greg Compean, owner of Compean Funeral Home. "It comes at a cost, and I'm not talking about economics but about someone getting seriously hurt, or even killed."

Refusal to yield

Leach, the HPD officer, says motorists have sometimes refused to yield to a police escort, forcing him to explain that city ordinance extends the authority of a police emergency vehicle to off-duty escorts.

But the motorcycle officers are mainly concerned with the drivers who are zooming along, talking on their cell phones or otherwise not paying attention.

"You're ready to move out of the way if a car's coming. You've got your head on a swivel," Leach said.

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source: officer.com (Pinkerton, 12/19)

Weird Motorcycle Law: Honduras outlaws motorcycle passengers to... prevent shootings?!

We've seen some pretty strange legislation crop up when it comes to curbing crime, but Honduras has reached new extremes. According to the BBC, the country has outlawed passengers on motorcycles in an effort to fight a homicide epidemic. Honduras has the world's highest murder rate, with 82 people killed out of every 100,000 per year. Two recent high-profile killings involved shooters who fired at their victims while riding shotgun on motorcycles, and President Porfiro Lobo has responded by asking congress to put a ban on bike passengers for six months as a result.

The country faces a rash of problems as Mexican drug cartels move to expand their influence. Honduras currently serves as a corridor for cocaine traffic from South America, and the presence of violent gangs in the nation has only serve to further destabilize the area. The country began deploying armed troops as police enforcers in November.

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source: autoblog.com (Bowman, 12/13)

Subaru, Honda, recall vehicles due to brake issues

2012 Honda Gold Wing GL-1800 Motorcycle

Subaru of America is recalling three of its car models and Honda Motor Co. is recalling some motorcycles, all because the brakes can malfunction.

The Honda recall covers 126,000 GL-1800 motorcycles from the 2001 to 2012 model years. A problem with a secondary brake master cylinder can cause the rear brake to drag, possibly causing a crash or fire. In documents sent to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Honda said that 26 complaints have been received, including two about fires. In one case, a customer had to put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.

Honda said the problem has not caused any crashes or injuries. Company documents say that only 4 percent of the recalled vehicles have the defective part.

The Subaru recall involves nearly 32,000 Legacy, Outback and Impreza models from the 2012 model year. A defective brake master cylinder could cause the brake pedal to travel farther than expected. Federal safety regulators say this could cause a driver to misjudge the amount of pressure needed to stop quickly.

Subaru says no crashes or injuries have happened because of the defect. The company has received 112 reports of the problem, mostly through its dealer network. Only about 3,000 of the cars were sold, and the rest are either on dealer lots or en route to dealers. They will be fixed before being sold, the company said.

The recall does not include WRX/STI models of the Impreza.

In both the Honda and Subaru cases, customers will be told to take their cars to dealers for an inspection. If necessary, the parts will be replaced. The Subaru recall will begin this month, while the Honda recall is expected to start in early January.

In addition, Nissan Motor Co. announced that it is recalling more than 7,000 of its 2011Rogue crossover vehicles in the U.S., because the electric power steering can fail.

Documents filed with NHTSA say that the circuit boards controlling the power steering may not have been installed correctly. The solder between the terminal and the circuit board can crack, causing the board to fail. "As the circuit board fails, the power steering assist feature will stop functioning, increasing the force needed to steer the vehicle and increasing the risk of a crash," the documents say.

A Nissan spokesman said there have been no reported accidents or injuries because of that defect.

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source: CBS News (AP, 12/5)



The Biker Lawyers are experienced Texas motorcycle accident lawyers that also love to ride. We know Texas motorcycle law and the bias against bikers; therefore, we are dedicated to aggressively winning motorcycle accident cases. We will actively fight to not only protect your rights, but also win the settlement you deserve.