Croft Blog

If you not wearing your helmet, you are much more likely to die if you are involved in a collision, and have a much higher chance of sustaining a traumatic brain injury.

Here’s a link to a article on the issue contributed to by James V. Ouellet, who is a leading researcher on motorcycle safety. Mr. Ouellet was one of the three authors of “The Hurt Report”. The Hurt report is a 1981 study of motorcycle collisions and countermeasures, which forms the backbone of motorcycle rider training in America today. The Hurt Report is also formally known as “Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures”.

Estimating Helmet Effectiveness by James V. Ouellet

Hi. My name is Ronald Croft. I ride. A lot. I’m also a trial attorney that does nothing but represent people that have been injured through the negligence of others. Don’t look for my name in the yellow pages or on a billboard, because I don’t believe in advertising like that, and I personally find those ads annoying. However, the fact that I love to ride, and practice law, gives me a (hopefully) useful perspective to other riders on the challenges that riders face in today’s legal environment.

My goal here is to donate a little time to provide my fellow riders with useful information that I have come across in the practice of law, and to provide a forum for any questions you may have with regard to how ever-changing laws affect motorcycle riders.

First, let me tell you a little about myself. I’ve been practicing law in the Tampa Bay area since 1993, and I have owned and ridden, among other bikes, a Triumph Speed Triple, a BMW 1150 RT, a BMW 1200ST, a Kawasaki ZX-10R, and a Ducati 1100 Hypermoto SP. I rode the 1150RT from here to Seattle in 2002, and have heavily modified the Speed Triple and ZX-10R myself. I ride locally and long distance, and while I may not be the best or fastest mechanic around, I can hold my own.  Don’t look for tech tips here - look for knowledge that can make your riding lifestyle a little easier.

Let’s preview the topics I plan to cover in future posts, and open the door to your suggestions.

You can expect to read about required and recommended insurance coverages for motorcycles and cars, Florida’s helmet law, Personal Injury Protection Insurance, Lemon Law, the effect of having, or not having, the motorcycle endorsement for your license, a law that makes racing on public roadways a FELONY, what to do if you are involved in a collision, what to do if you lose a loved one in a collision, required motorcycle safety equipment, why conspicuity is a word you need to know, how motorcycling laws differ in certain states, the legality of automated flashing devices (and other mods) on your motorcycle, what to do if you are stopped for a traffic offense, the legal benefits of taking a rider safety course, what you should expect of an attorney if you hire one, how to shop around for the best deal on insurance, tips on negotiating, what it is like to have a case in litigation, what to do if someone brings a claim against you, reviews of the NTSB’s reports, data, and area of future study regarding motorcycling safety, and just about anything else that has to do with the government’s interaction with your motorcycle.

I’d also like to encourage you to send me your questions or suggestions for topics that you would like addressed. Please send all feedback, questions, or proposed topics to rcroft@aol.com.

That’s it for now. See ya next blog entry!