$4,750,000 For the family of a motorcyclist in wheel separation incident

An active father, grandfather and Harley enthusiast decided that he was getting a bit up in years to be riding a two-wheeled motorcycle. He traded in his bike for a newly used  trike.  The trike that he purchased needed a new set of tires.  Thus, as part of the trade-in, he also bought new tires and wheels and asked the dealership to install them.

Within the first 500 miles of riding, and only his second time on the trike, the left rear wheel separated from the trike.  The trike flipped multiple times. Our client was gravely hurt.  Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries about a week later.

The family knew their father and grandfather was a conscientious rider.  Safety was always paramount to him.  The family suspected that the wheel may not have been put on properly given the proximity between the incident and his purchase of the trike.  They asked attorney Baer to investigate what happened.  Attorney Baer and his team were able to track down video of the incident as it happened right in front of a country convenience store that fortunately had a camera, and had this video enhanced so that it more clearly depicted the event.  Sure enough, the rider was riding in the back of a group of friends doing well below the speed limit when his wheel suddenly separated.  Upon doing some research, Attorney Baer discovered that the left wheel can separate like it did with little warning if the lug nuts are not tightly secured. And if it is due to lug nuts, the separation frequently occurs after riding for around 500 miles.  Comparing mileage on the trike from date of purchase to the incident, sure enough, it had been driven 484 miles since purchase.

Attorney Baer then hired an expert engineer and rider who races motorcycles to inspect it.  The expert was able to confirm through groove markings that the lug nuts unscrewed during riding because they were not screwed on properly at install, and the case resolved shortly thereafter for right at the dealers’ policy limits.

Bryan Baer

Attorney Bryan Baer has twenty (20) years of legal experience representing clients in serious and catastrophic personal injury and medical malpractice cases. He has been first chair in more than a dozen twelve-person jury trials on both the plaintiff and defense sides. Recognized as a leader in his legal community, he is frequently asked to speak at legal seminars on trial topics ranging from “Best Practices in Voire Dire” to “Maximizing Damages at Trial” as well as insurance issues such as “Navigating the Insurance Landscape” and “Injury Demands & Negotiations.” Learn more here.