Well-known 13News Weatherman Jeff Lawson was injured while riding his bicycle in Smithfield, Virginia (VA). The chain on Lawson’s bicycle slipped and Lawson was catapulted forward on the ground, according to The Virginian-Pilot. He endured a separated shoulder and broken neck requiring surgery.
As an injury lawyer practicing for over 20 years, I recommend Mr. Lawson speak with an attorney immediately. The bicycle he used needs to be examined and research should be conducted to verify if chain slips are common for that particular model.
Chain malfunctions are not uncommon. A perfect example was back in 2008 when the Amsterdam Bicycle series was recalled by the manufacturer, Electra Bicycles. The chain regularly derailed and posed a major risk to bicyclists.
Every year in the United States, over 500,000 people are treated in emergency departments due to bicycle accidents, and over 700 people die as a result, according to the CDC.
Some people’s injuries are due to not wearing a helmet or not properly following rules of the road. Mr. Lawson, however, was wearing a helmet and the accident was likely caused by a malfunctioning component on his bicycle.
About the Editors: Shapiro, Cooper Lewis & Appleton personal injury law firm is based in Virginia (VA), near the NE North Carolina (NC) border and handles car,truck,railroad, and medical negligence cases and more. Our lawyers proudly edit the Virginia Beach Injuryboard, Norfolk Injuryboard, and Northeast North Carolina Injuryboard as a pro bono public information service. Lawyers licensed in: VA, NC, SC, WV, DC, KY.
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Rick Shapiro has practiced personal injury law for over 30 years in Virginia, North Carolina, and throughout the Southeastern United States. He is a Board-Certified Civil Trial Advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy (ABA Accredited) and has litigated injury cases throughout the eastern United States, including wrongful death, trucking, faulty products, railroad, and medical negligence claims. During his three-decade career, Shapiro has won client appeals before the VA Supreme Court, VA Court of Appeals, NC Supreme Court, SC Supreme Court, WV Supreme Court, TN Supreme Court, and three times before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, underscoring Shapiro’s trial achievements. In addition, he and his law firm have won settlements/verdicts in excess of $100 million. His success in and out of the courtroom is a big reason why he was named 2019 “Lawyer of the Year” in railroad law in U.S. News & World Report's Best Lawyers publication (Norfolk, VA area), and he has been named a “Best Lawyer” and “Super Lawyer” by those peer-reviewed organizations for multiple years. Rick was also named a “Leader in the Law, Class of 2022” by Virginia Lawyers Weekly (total of 33 statewide honorees consisting of lawyers and judges across Virginia). And in September 2023, Rick was selected as a recipient of the National Board of Trial Advocacy (NBTA) 2023 President’s Award. Although many nominations were submitted from across the country, Rick was just one of eight attorneys chosen by the prestigious National Board which certifies civil trial attorneys across the U.S. Rick was also recently named to Virginia Lawyers Weekly 2024 Virginia’s Go To Lawyers Medical Malpractice. The attorneys awarded this honor are nominated by their colleagues and chosen by a panel from the publication.
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