One iconic piece of Americana is the Harley Davidson motorcycle. The name alone conjures up images of the open road and freedom. For some people, however, the name also conjures up images of injury and fear. Those are the people who have experienced the "Harley wobble" or the "death wobble" while riding their Harley Davidson motorcycles throughout Arizona.
In Tucson and across the country, more and more motorcycle riders are reporting a common equipment malfunction in their Harley Davidson: the cycle begins to shake and wobble while it is in motion. Some riders have been able to stop their motorcycles safely when they notice the wobble begin, but others have not been so lucky. Tucson motorcycle accident attorneys work with injured riders to hold responsible parties accountable for their injuries, whether that's another driver or the manufacturer of a dangerous motorcycle.
Many law enforcement organizations use Harley Davidson motorcycles, but the problems with the machines caused some forces to reconsider. In 2002, Charles Paul, a Raleigh, N.C. police officer died after his Harley Electra Glide began to wobble, throwing him from his cycle. The California Highway Patrol decided not to use the motorcycles after seeing the bikes wobble in a test video.
Pursuing Harley Davidson for Injuries Sustained Due to Faulty Motorcycles
Consumers who have been injured in motorcycle accidents due to the "death wobble" have brought lawsuits against Harley Davidson. The suits mainly deal with the Road King, Ultra Classic, the Electra Glide and FLH series models.
Injured victims claim that Harley Davidson's patented design that includes mounting the engine to the frame is responsible for the wobble. The engine and transmission are "rubber mounted" to the frame and swingarm in these models, but many believe that these mounts cannot handle the torque that the engines generate, causing the motorcycles to malfunction.
Harley Davidson has countered these injured consumers by maintaining that the wobble are not from the design of the bike, but from other factors. The company has tried blaming the victims of the Harley death wobble for user error causing injury when the bike wobbles rather than a manufacturing defect. Harley claims that while its motorcycles do wobble depending on the speed of the bike, the wobbling does not cause accidents. Harley stated that the wobbling worsens when riders add after-market parts to the motorcycles. The company noted other models of motorcycles wobble, as well.
Injuries from motorcycle accidents can be particularly debilitating. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, do not hesitate to contact an experienced personal injury attorney who can discuss your situation with you and the compensation you might recover.
