German biker hit by truck on rural Virginia road
October 24, 2011
Virginia bikers sent me word of a German biker struck by a truck and now on life support at Carillion hospital in Roanoke. This brought back sad memories of being called to INOVA Fairfax Hospital after my clients, who were also in the United States for bike touring, were struck on Route 55 in Fauquier County, outside of Warrenton. In fact, I will be trying a case next month in a Court outside of Richmond, Virginia, for a German exchange student who was injured in a Chesterfield County car crash.
As I wrote on the Virginia Bicycling Federation site:
Our hearts go out to this German biker and his family. Having represented catastrophically injured German bikers, it is very important that there be a stenographer present for the December 6th Court case. Virginia General District Courts are “Courts NOT of Record.” This means that they do not provide their own Court reporters, so if the Defendant trucker changes his story later, there is no proof. This can be very frustrating. At the Landau Law Shop we almost always make sure that a court reporter covers our clients’ Traffic Court cases, so that if someone tries to change their story; the police officer or other witnesses relocate; or an appeal is taken, we have everyone’s statements, under oath and can undertake prompt, thorough investigation of the facts of the bike and motor vehicle crash.
For more information, read the story in the Roanoke Times.