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By the Numbers 8 Million Riders: Motorcycle ridership is at an all-time high in the United States with more than 8 million registered motorcycles on the roads in 2010. Source: State Motor-Vehicle Registrations, U.S. Department of Transportation 1,829 Lives Saved: Motorcycle helmets saved 1,829 lives in 2008. An estimated 823 lives could have been saved if all motorcyclists had been wearing helmets. Source: Motorcycle Facts (download), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 25 Times Cars: Per…

Americans love motorcycles: the wide-open road, the sense of freedom, the “Born to Be Wild” spirit of adventure. As summer nears and warm weather beckons, you too might be thinking about a biking adventure. You won’t be alone. According to numerous government and industry sources, motorcycle ridership in the United States is at an all-time high. But while crash fatalities involving cars and light trucks are at an all-time low, motorcycle deaths nearly doubled from…

The Buffalo News is reporting that the families of those who lost loved ones in the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 on Feb. 12, 2009, are asking for the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) to reopen its investigation as to the cause of that crash. Jerry Zremski, Washington, D.C. Bureau Chief for the newspaper, wrote in a July 13, 2013 story that any new details could, “have implications for the 12 wrongful death lawsuits…

Robert A. Clifford, senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, was quoted in a front-page story in USA Today (July 12, 2013) on the inaction of Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) regarding the urgent need for aural warnings to pilots when they are flying too slowly. Aviation investigators have told reporters that low air speed is one of the major problems in the crash of Asiana Airlines Flight…

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long forbid the use of most electronics while in flight; however, that may be changing. The agency’s recent announcement on in-flight cell phone use has some questioning the impact on flight safety. Changes in Restrictions The FAA announced last year that it was in the process of reevaluating its restrictions on in-flight electronic usage. And while potentially more electronics will be allowed, it has been made clear that full…

For some 10 years, aviation safety advocates have been asking the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to equip all commercial aircraft with low air speed alerts, a technology that warns pilots with a loud oral warning that the speed of the plane is too slow. The FAA has not acted, despite the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) making that recommendation. Senior partner at Clifford Law Offices, Robert A. Clifford, also made the FAA aware of this…

After many news reports and a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) video focusing on the July 6, 2013 plane crash of Asiana Airlines Flight 214, we now know that the pilot who was landing the Boeing 777 logged only 43 hours on that particular aircraft. We also know that the pilot was still considered “in training” on the 777. The question remains, does the amount of pilot flight hours relate in any way to an…

Despite the May 2013 ruling in which a Washington State jury reached a 10-2 verdict in favor of Intuitive Surgical Inc. (ISI), manufacturer of the Da Vinci surgical robots, other problems with the devices are prompting other product liability lawsuits. In mid-May of 2013, ISI issued an urgent medical device notification stating that particular versions of its 2009 and 2010 cautery monopolar curved scissors may develop microscopic cracks. If cracked, the scissors could then leak…

As rescue workers and investigators continue to sift through the catastrophic wreckage of 72 tanker cars that derailed in the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec, questions continue to be asked concerning potential legal actions that may result from this derailment and explosion. In the wake of the terrible tragedy that has claimed the lives of up to 60 people, Clifford Law Offices has been asked what laws and what courts will be available to those who…