It happens at every event we attend. A biker steps up and we ask, “are you familiar with Rider Justice?”
“Yes,” they often reply. “You’re a law firm.”
That’s kind of correct, but it isn’t the whole picture.
I’ve been working with motorcyclists through my firm, The O’Sullivan Law Firm, for over 20 years, now. Yes, I most absolutely help riders who have been injured in accidents, however, my intention with Rider Justice is to extend further and support the riding community in truly meaningful ways. To me, it means not marketing with massive billboards everywhere, but finding avenues that positively impact riders and enhance their lives every day.
Now that Rider Justice has been active for almost two years now, I thought it might be a good idea to review the services we offer and how those services support our desire to make Colorado motorcyclists safer and strengthen the community that you, as a rider, hold so dear.
Free Ticket Support
If you receive a ticket while riding your motorcycle (or even parking it), I will assign myself or one of my attorneys to help you fight that ticket at no cost to you.
This may seem like a strange service to offer but the deal is, I see riders getting tickets all the time that should not have been issued. Experience shows that the greater public holds a bias against riders and this includes many police officers. I see tickets being given — after the rider has been carted off in an ambulance or worse — and frequently, it’s blatantly clear that the rider was not at fault. This can be especially devastating to surviving family when the motorcyclist has been killed. It’s horrible.
It’s important for me to be clear on this point: if you are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs and/or you’re driving 100 MPH down the highway, I cannot and will not help you fight that ticket. If you call under those circumstances, I will refer you to a criminal attorney. It’s not my intention to support illegal behavior.
Free Insurance Review
This is perhaps the least sexy service known to mankind, but I can promise you that having the right insurance for your ride is the single best thing you can do for yourself and your loved ones.
Does anyone NOT have a story about a friend who was injured or killed by either a non-insured driver or a hit and run? Anyone? Have you ever heard a story about a rider who lost everything after an accident?
Look, I don’t sell insurance but I battle insurance companies every single day. It is excruciating for me to deliver the bad news that “full coverage” is not what it sounds like. It only means that you have met the state’s minimum requirements for coverage to legally drive on Colorado roads. It has nothing, and I mean nothing, to do with covering all your expenses after an accident. Worse, the agents that sell insurance may not even know the disservice they do when selling state minimums. They know that people price shop and so they offer the lowest price possible to make the sale.
That said, it is imperative that you take care of yourself. You must bear the responsibility of carrying enough insurance to care for yourself and your family if you have one. To that end, I will happily review your insurance with you to make sure you have good coverage. Below I’ve listed what I recommend to everyone but since everyone’s life is different, I will still review yours in person – just ask.
- Underinsured Motorist (UIM) – Purchase a minimum of $250,000
- Medical Payments (MedPay) – Get the maximum offered by your insurance company, usually between $5,000 and $25,000
- Umbrella Policy – If you own your home, you need an underinsured motorists’ umbrella policy for $1 million.
- Liability – Purchase a minimum of $250,000
- Collision
- Comprehensive
- Accessories Coverage – Get “replacement value” coverage for the customized accessories on your bike.
Safety Training
We find ways to proactively keep riders safe and are always on the lookout for training that supports safety.
To date, our most frequently scheduled classes are Accident Scene Management (ASM) sessions. These are crucial for every rider particularly those who do group rides of any size. All it takes is some sand on the road or a careless cager and the shape of your day changes completely. In addition to organizing these classes, we subsidize the cost to make it accessible to all riders.
We will continue to organize more ASM classes as well as Advanced Bystander Assistance programs for those who want to be further prepared to manage an accident scene and coordinate with first responders.
Also planned for 2020 is the addition of subsidized classes for new and experienced rider training courses. Everyone can use a little improvement and we want to encourage people to keep their riding skills sharp by challenging them. Stay tuned.
Advocacy
We are deeply involved in issues that affect rider safety. Currently, we’re working with BikerDown, CORD, ABATE of Colorado, and many other organizations to make driving with a device in your hands illegal in Colorado. This is our third year in a row trying to make hands-free driving the law. Statistics support our belief that the issue of distracted driving is getting worse and that states where “hands-free” is the law are seeing decrease in road fatalities.
Community Support
We support organizations, fundraisers and events that do good for riders or that riders simply enjoy.
We’re extremely vocal in our support of BikerDown. Colorado is lucky to have a resource like them and we’re proud to do what we can to help them as they help injured riders. We try to always say “yes” when BikerDown needs anything.
We sponsor a lot of events and when we do, we try incredibly hard to be actively involved so that we are adding value to the event in a way that benefits the riding community.
Contests
Contests are an ongoing thing we do for fun. Riders enjoy them and we all need a little excitement in our lives! Right now, we’re giving away a fun, 125cc Honda Monkey motorcycle to benefit BikerDown. Register here! Stay tuned for announcements all summer long for other fun giveaways.
Phew! That is a lot to throw out in one sitting and we’ve got so much more planned for 2020 that we look forward to sharing with you.
If you’ve got ideas for ways you think we can better support riders in Colorado, I want to hear from you! Give me a call or text at 303-388-5304 or email me at Help@RiderJustice.com.
