Safe and enjoyable motorcycling is no accident. It is realized through a combination of physical skills, perceptive abilities, environmental awareness and an attitude that respects what is known and maintains readiness for what is unknown. In a world where even minor crashes can prove deadly, it is imperative that a motorcyclist prepare through training, education and persistent and effective skills development and threat perception.
Unfortunately, motorcycle crashes happen every day. Determining the causes of these crashes can be difficult. With his combination of extensive rider training and crash analysis experience, Stephen B. Garets of Garets Consulting LLC is uniquely qualified to provide expert advice to individuals, litigators, insurers and municipalities on the contributing causal factors of motorcycle crashes.
Mr. Garets can retrace the actions taken by a crash-involved motorcyclist and assess if the response leading up to the crash was timely, informed and appropriate. He can identify other contributing behavioral, environmental or vehicular causal factors that may have affected the outcome. By thorough review of accident reports, witness statements and site inspection and testing, Mr. Garets can advise litigators and crash reconstructionists of areas of inquiry and emphasis. Mr. Garets can effectively express those opinions in reports and testimony.
Vehicle and roadway defects can and do contribute to motorcycle crashes. Mr. Garets understands motorcycle performance characteristics and operator response skills and can accurately analyze claims of vehicle or roadway defect and analyze operator behavior and response.
Mr. Garets has been riding motorcycles since 1965 and has logged close to one million motorcycling miles. Garets performs motorcycle testing to determine vehicle performance capabilities and characteristics, and will often ride the crash scene to assess the rider’s point of view. Often these runs are filmed and later used to illustrate what the rider would have seen and the time available for response.
