Orange County Motorcycle Accident
Kelly Reister, 51, of Mission Viejo was killed in an Orange County motorcycle accident after she lost control and crashed the evening of May 17, 2009 on Ortega Highway, The Orange County Register reports. According to CHP officials, Reister was traveling westbound on the Ortega Highway on her 2008 Harley Davidson and was approaching a sweeping left curve on the roadway near San Juan Creek bridge when she failed to negotiate the curve and veered to the right striking a rock. Reister, who officials say was a novice rider, was traveling at 35 mph at the time of the motorcycle accident. She was thrown from the motorcycle and landed on the roadway. She was airlifted to an area hospital where she was pronounced dead.
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Kelly Reister for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who knew and loved Reister. Please keep them in your prayers.
According to recent motorcycle accident statistics released by the CHP, there were 980 motorcycle accidents in Orange County in 2007, which resulted in 24 deaths. There were 3,472 motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles County and 714 in Riverside during the same year. In Los Angeles County, the number of motorcycle accident fatalities has increased at a significant rate. There were 85 deaths and 2,792 injuries relating to motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles County in 2007. CHP studies show 96 people died in motorcycle collisions in 2008 in Los Angeles County compared to 58 deaths in 2001.
The news article says Reister was a novice rider, but other reader comments to the report indicate the roadway was the site of many previous motorcycle crashes and fatalities. If I were a family member I'd want to know exactly what caused this tragic motorcycle collision and how Reister lost control of her motorcycle. Was there a dangerous condition on that highway that caused her to crash? Was there a mechanical malfunction or a product defect in the Harley motorcycle that may have led Reister to lose control?
Reister's family would be well advised to contact an experienced Orange County motorcycle accident attorney who will help determine what caused this fatal Orange County motorcycle accident. Experienced personal injury lawyers will be able to carefully examine the facts of this case, determine whether there was any negligence and look at all aspects including a dangerous roadway and possible product defects or mechanical problems with the motorcycle.
Comments
First of all I was on the road that night and she was taken by ambulance not by air, and it sounds to me like you are getting kick back by always telling grieving families to contact attorneys, Or find out if there is a defect so they can sue. Have you ever just thought that this hwy is one of the most dangerous roads in Calif, and everyone knows it. They take their own life in their hands every time they get on a motor cycle and get on that road, My father and brother were almost killed on the same road as a motor cycle crossed the line and hit their truck and rolled it 20 years ago and I almost lost my family, and funny thing of it they are both attorneys, people need to stop trying to find blame and just realize everyone makes a choice.
Posted by: Brooke Bailey | May 19, 2009 2:30 PM
Brooke,
Thank you for your comment on our blog.
Our blog is designed to advise consumers of their rights and options by using current real life news stories as the fact pattern to work from. It certainly would be nice to be getting a referral fee (“kick back” as you called it) from attorneys who are contacted by the actual families who have read our blog and seek attorney consultations. I do get some of them calling me for advice but as of yet none of them have shared their fees with me.
No, I didn’t think about this highway being one of the most dangerous roads in California. However, if it is, then the families may have a valid case against the State of California for failing to correct a known dangerous roadway condition. We have been very successful against various governmental agencies in similar cases. This is not the first time a reader has brought forth valuable information regarding the cause of a serious accident. Thank you!
There is a difference between “trying to find blame” and “holding wrongdoers accountable” and “seeking rightful compensation from someone who has injured you”. One of the ways we get safer roads in California, is when people who are victimized by our governmental agencies’ negligent maintenance of our roadways, is to sue the agency. The threat of lawsuits keeps CalTrans and other governmental agencies on their toes. They know there are consequences for poor maintenance of our roadways.
Everyone does make choices and there are consequences for those choices.
John Bisnar
Bisnar Chase
Personal Injury Attorneys
www.BestAttorney.com
Posted by: John Bisnar | May 20, 2009 11:56 AM