Scott O’Sullivan considers himself to be a motorcycle lawyer first and a personal injury lawyer second. The Denver, Colorado-based attorney created the group, Rider Justice, five years ago as the motorcycle advocacy arm of The O’Sullivan Law Firm, P.C. and has since advocated for and helped injured riders for more than 20 years.
What’s to know about Rider Justice beyond what can be found on its website? Do you serve female riders and in what capacity?
I just got sick and tired of riders getting wiped out on the road and being blamed for the collision by the police or witnesses who know nothing about riding. So I started Rider Justice as a way to work with different safety groups and non-profits to help make our roads safer and provide more and more motorcycle awareness on the roads.
My first motorcycle case was over 20 years ago and it involved a husband and wife who were on their bike out for a ride on a Saturday when a car pulled from a side street and broadsided them. This would be a familiar pattern where the majority of my cases involving women are as passengers. I have seen countless horrific collisions where a woman is riding as a passenger.
In some cases, where the male is my client’s husband and he is at fault, there is basically nothing we can do because of spousal immunity. In all other cases not involving a spouse, we go after the rider of the bike and all other responsible parties. In those cases, my female clients have the best chance of recovery because they’re an innocent passenger on the bike.
Over the last five years, we have been representing more and more women who were riding their bikes when an at-fault driver hits them. Unlike their male counterparts, we don’t have to worry about whether the women were riding recklessly or not paying attention, which allows us to focus more on their injuries and recovery instead of fighting about who was at fault.
Scott O’Sullivan – Rider Justice
What are the changes you’ve seen in the last couple of decades concerning women riders? We seem to comprise nearly 30 percent of the industry now. Are you seeing more independence with bikes? What types of bikes? What type of riding?
What I’ve seen change the most is the sheer diversity of the women who ride. Whether it’s the classic Harley rider who was on the back of a bike for years and now wants to take control or the millennial who wants a cafe racer to ride with her girlfriends on the weekends. I see women using bikes as a way to define themselves in a way that says, ‘I’m way cooler than you.’ What I also see more of is the curiosity and confidence to ride different types of bikes, whether it’s a cruiser, crotch rocket, or dirt bike. They are comfortable on all of them, and I think they generally ride them better because they are not trying to impress anyone.
What are our accident stats? Do our accidents differ from the types that men have? It may seem like an odd question, but we are less “hold my beer” types? Are we more likely to wear helmets?
In cases we have where the woman is not the passenger, I generally find that they are more cautious riders and are more apt to follow the rules of the road than my male riders. I also find that they aren’t racing around or weaving in and out of traffic before a collision. With the exception of Harley riders or passengers, they are more likely to wear proper gear from head to toe, especially women between the ages of 18 and 40. Here are some stats that I found that generally match the percentage of male versus female clients I have.”
What about insurance? Are our rates cheaper or more expensive? What, as female riders, should we definitely have in an insurance policy, or is it any different from what men require? Also, what roadside assistance should we have? Any other safety or preventative measures?
I can’t say from experience whether your insurance rates are higher or not. What I can say is that regardless of gender, all riders must get as much motorcycle insurance that they can afford. All riders should assume that every other vehicle on the road has no insurance and that the owner is a deadbeat. Across most of America, at least two-thirds of drivers have the minimum auto insurance or no insurance at all. This means that if you get hit by someone while riding your bike you’re going to have to rely on your own motorcycle insurance to take care of you. I recommend that all riders have at least $250,000 in underinsured/uninsured (UIM) motorist coverage. UIM coverage can pay for your medical bills, lost wages, future care and treatment, and pain and suffering. If you own a home you can also get a UIM umbrella policy to increase your coverage to over a million dollars or more. For example, I have underlying motorcycle insurance of $500,000 for UIM and an umbrella policy for an additional five million dollars for a total of $5,500,000 in UIM coverage.
Roadside assistance varies by state and by insurance company. However, I think it’s always a good idea to have that kind of coverage and to keep your local motorcycle towing company information with you at all times.
Beyond wearing a helmet and the proper gear, the number one thing that all riders should do is practice emergency and hard braking maneuvers in an empty parking lot near their home. It is a skill that we all need to practice more and don’t do enough of. Some day when—not if—you have to jam on your brakes because some idiot cuts you off, you’re going to thank yourself for practicing emergency braking.
How have female roles changed in advocating for rider safety? I know more are certified instructors now than ever before, but are women positioning themselves to advocate more for rider safety and legislative changes?
Female riders are the single most important force behind advocating for rider safety. I work closely with several organizations founded by women who are in front of our legislature and our communities trying to make our roads safer. My two heroes are Susan Dane and Laurie Easton. Susan is a founding member of CORD (Coloradans Organized for Responsible Driving). Susan, through sheer force of will, has tackled the issue of distracted driving in Colorado, and has fought in our legislature for years to pass laws that ban people from holding phones in their hands while they are driving. Laurie Easton is the founder of bikerdown.org and has helped thousands of families across America whose loved ones have been injured or killed while riding.
Images: Rider Justice and Marianne Todd
Our No Compromise Clause: We carefully screen all contributors to ensure they are independent and impartial. We never have and never will accept advertorials, and we do not allow advertising to influence our product or destination reviews.
