Vancouver BC Personal Injury Lawyers - Stephens and Holman

Due to the relatively minimal protection provided by motorcycles, injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents can be very serious and potentially result in death. The unique nature of the vehicle also offers motorcyclists a variety of ways to become involved in an accident.

The majority of motorcycle accidents are caused by another vehicle not paying attention or failing to give the motorcycle the right of way. Often a vehicle will either rear-end the motorcyclist or turn right in the path of a motorcycle. Even if the motorcyclist is able to avoid a collision, it is likely he will crash on the side of the road as a result of being forced to swerve out of the way.

While three quarters of motorcycle accidents are caused by another vehicle, there are still many instances where the motorcycle is the only vehicle involved in the accident. Defective equipment and unsafe road conditions are some of the main causes of these accidents.

The growing popularity of off-road bikes has led to an increase in the number of accidents involving these types of motorcycles. Unmarked obstacles on trails can frequently cause these serious accidents. Sometimes these obstacles are natural, such as a boulder or a large branch blocking the trail. However, there are instances where property owners will put up ropes or chains to prevent motorcycles from riding on the trail. Frequently, riders will not notice these obstructions until it is too late, resulting in severe injuries that could easily have been avoided if the property owner had been responsible and marked the obstructions with a warning sign.

Motorcycle injury claims are very complicated. Often, you may need to prove that the accident was caused by a driver when there was no collision or by the fault of a negligent property owner. Frequently, insurance companies will try and offer you an unfairly low settlement.

In order to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries, it is important to be represented by an lawyer experienced in the nuances of motorcycle accident litigation. At Stephens & Holman, we have the experience needed to provide you with the best results for your motorcycle accident lawsuit.

Please contact our Vancouver, British Columbia motorcycle accident lawyers today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.

For decades, Canada has demonstrated a strong motorcycle safety record, mainly due to the many safety regulations the government imposes on its motorcycle riders. Canada enacted mandatory helmet laws for all motorcycle riders as early as the 1960's. As a result, the number of serious injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents has been much less than in other countries without such stringent helmet laws.

However, in recent years, an interesting exemption to these helmet laws has been granted by the Canadian government. Many Sikhs living in Canada have voiced strong objections to the helmet laws, claiming that helmets would prevent them from wearing their turbans while riding their motorcycle. Wearing a turban is a fundamental demonstration of faith for Sikhs.

In the case Dhillon v. British Columbia, the court ruled that defending the religious rights of Sikhs to honor their tradition of wearing turbans trumps any safety precautions that inspired Canada's helmet laws. As a result, Sikhs are now allowed to leave their helmets at home in order to ride their motorcycles with a turban on their head.

Despite strict helmet laws and other safety regulations, motorcycles remain one of the most dangerous types of motor vehicles on the road. The risk of serious injury in a motorcycle accident is far greater than with other vehicles.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need to make sure that you receive proper compensation for your injuries. At Stephens & Holman, our lawyers will aggressively fight to ensure that you receive what is rightfully yours.

Please contact our Vancouver, British Columbia motorcycle accident lawyers today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation for your motorcycle accident claim.

Unfortunately, SUV rollover accidents occur quite frequently. They often cause serious injuries, and in extreme cases death. Brain injuries are the most common type of injury sustained in a rollover accident. Approximately 10,000 people die each year in rollover accidents, and most of these occur in SUVs.

Most rollover accidents occur because the driver made an extremely sharp turn at a speed faster than the vehicle can handle the turn, forcing him to lose control. However, skidding on wet, snowy, or icy roads can also lead to an SUV rollover accident. Frequently, the vehicle will not rollover until it is off of the road.

There are many instances where SUV rollover accidents could be avoided if the vehicle manufacturers took greater care to build a safe vehicle. The high center of gravity and narrow tire track of SUVs contribute to the frequency of rollover accidents. Design defects in the roof often cause it to buckle in a rollover, and defective door latches increase the incidence of passenger ejections, a leading cause of rollover accident fatalities.

When an SUV rollover accident is caused by a design defect, the manufacturer may be liable for damages sustained due to the accident. Hiring an experienced SUV rollover accident lawyer to represent you will help ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.

At Stephens & Holman, we have 25 years of personal injury law experience. We have the expertise necessary to help you win your Vancouver, British Columbia SUV rollover accident claim. Please contact our experienced auto accident lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.

SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, largely due to the perception that they are safer vehicles. This may be true in some respects. Most SUVs are four-wheel-drive vehicles and provide improved traction on snowy winter roads. However, the design of SUVs makes them extremely prone to rollover accidents, a fact that actually detracts from their overall safety.

There are several design defects inherent in SUVs that increase the likelihood that they will be involved in rollover accidents. The high center of gravity and narrow tire track of SUVs makes them more likely to rollover when the driver loses control and goes off the road. Defective tires have also led to an increase in SUV accidents, many of which result in a rollover.

Furthermore, there are other design flaws in SUVs which make the injuries resulting from rollover accidents more severe than they need to be. Many SUVs have a roof structure that is not strong enough to support the vehicle’s weight in the event of a rollover. As a result, the roof will tend to buckle, increasing the severity of injuries sustained. Defective door latches have also been known to cause doors to pop open during a rollover, resulting in passenger ejections. Vehicle ejections are responsible for 63% of rollover fatalities.

If you have been injured in an SUV rollover accident caused by a vehicle design defect, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your injuries. At Stephens & Holman, we have the skills and resources to provide you with first-rate representation in your SUV rollover accident claim.

Please contact our Vancouver, British Columbia auto accident lawyers today to schedule your free consultation.

A wrongful death claim arises when a person dies as a result of the negligent actions of another. Wrongful death can also take place if a person intentionally tries to harm another, and these harmful actions result in the victim’s death. If you have a loved one who has died under either of these two circumstances, you most likely have a valid wrongful death case.

There are two important elements that must be present in order for you to win your wrongful death lawsuit. First, you must be able to prove that your loved one’s death was directly caused by the negligent actions of the accused. Second, you must prove that you have suffered monetary damages as a result of the death.

The courts will generally only recognize wrongful death lawsuits when they are filed by an immediate family member of the victim – in other words, the victim’s spouse or children. On rare occasions, the victim’s parents are able to file a wrongful death claim as well.

If you believe you have a valid wrongful death lawsuit, please contact our experienced wrongful death lawyers today to schedule a consultation. At Stephens & Holman, we have been helping Vancouver, British Columbia wrongful death victims receive compensation for their losses for the past 25 years and have the skills needed to help you win your case.

Losing a loved one is always a difficult and traumatic event. However, it becomes even more traumatic when your loved one dies as a result of the negligence of another. In these circumstances, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim against the person responsible for the loss of your loved one.

Monetary damages in wrongful death cases are awarded to compensate the immediate family – the spouse or children – of the deceased for their losses. It is very rare for the courts to award monetary damages to someone outside of the victim’s immediate family in a wrongful death claim.

In general, you may receive damages to compensate you for lost future economic support, lost potential inheritance, medical expenses, funeral expenses and loss of companionship.

There are many factors that go into the determination of the dollar value of damages in a wrongful death lawsuit. Some of these include the victim’s age, earning capacity, and life expectancy. For example, you will most likely be able to receive a larger settlement if your loved one was 40 at the time of the accident than if he or she was 65.

Hiring an lawyer experienced in wrongful death claims will help ensure that you receive a fair to support your family in his or her absence.

The lawyers at Stephens & Holman have over a quarter century of experience in wrongful death claims and can help you get the compensation you deserve so that you can start moving on with your life. Please contact our Vancouver, British Columbia wrongful death lawyers today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

While school bus accidents occur much less frequently than other motor vehicle accidents, the injuries sustained from them are often far more severe than those stemming from other accidents. This is primarily due to the fact that the majority of children injured in school bus accidents are pedestrians.

It is unrealistic to expect children under age 10 to exercise more caution in order to avoid these accidents. It is in their nature to be spontaneous and carefree, which in part leads to many of these accidents. As adults, it is our responsibility to take extra precautions to help avoid such tragic incidents which often result in broken bones, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and sometimes death.

Bus drivers can do their part by reminding children to pay attention before crossing the street and by keeping the stop sign extended on the bus until all children are clear of the road. However, many children are victims of pedestrian accidents because of the negligence of other drivers in the area.

Automobile drivers can do their part by taking the following actions:

• Observing posted speed limits in school zones
• Driving defensively and paying attention when a school bus is stopped or when driving near a school
• Yielding the right of way to child pedestrians as they cross the street

If your child has been injured in a school bus accident, you will need the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer who can help you receive a fair settlement that will cover medical expenses and other potential damages.

At Stephens & Holman, our lawyers have been fighting for the rights of injured accident victims in Vancouver, British Columbia for over a quarter century. We have the skills and experience needed to provide you with the best representation possible.

Please contact our Vancouver, British Columbia school bus accident lawyers today to schedule your free consultation.