Injured Woman Loses Lawsuit Against Harley-Davidson

Judy Wilson was seriously injured when her husband's motorcycle crashed after he locked up the rear tire. The Wilson's claimed that Harley-Davidson had a design flaw that caused them to believe the 2008 Road Glide was equipped with ABS (anti-lock brake system).

Relying solely on the fact that there was an icon in the face of the bike's tachometer representing ABS, Mr.and Mrs. Wilson sued Harley-Davidson for damages.  The jury ruled in favor of Harley-Davidson.

Most manufacturers of cars and motorcycles include icons of different functions in display clusters inside odometer and tachometer faces.  When the key is turned, operational accessory icons light up for a short time indicating the function is working. If an icon does not light up it means it's not included in the operating systems of the vehicle or it's not functioning properly. For instance, I have ABS on my 2005 Road King. The ABS icon flashes when I turn on my ignition and remains flashing until I ride the bike forward at 6-9 mph. The flashing light alerts me to the fact my ABS is working. If the icon did not illuminate, I'm instructed in the Owner's Manual to take my bike in for service by a qualified Harley-Davidson service facility.

There are many new and innovative features being incorporated into today's motor vehicles. Even with all the advances in technologies to make us safer, nothing replaces the basic requirement of learning how to handle the vehicle properly. That includes driving or riding skills and a knowledge of the different accessory packages and how to use those assessories properly.

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