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Surrey's 'Motorcycle Lawyer' wheels in the business over three decades and it has given him the ability to turn a passion into a "good portion" of his law practice. As gas prices escalate, motorists are adopting less-ex- pensive modes of transport ranging from mopeds to motorcycles. Brown, a partner with Surrey-based McQuarrie Hunter, is dubbed the "Motorcycle Lawyer," as he has become the lawyer motorcycle rid- ers turn to when there's a legal problem. His web site motorcyclelawyer.ca provides information ranging from helmet laws through to accident claims and dealing with the Insurance Corp. of B.C. Brown was an established rider and B teacher before going to law school. Once in law, he began fielding queries from fel- low riders and it grew steadily into a full practice. "As a motorcycle rider, I quite enjoy working on motorcycle-related claims. I know how the victim feels." Years of riding throughout Canada, the U.S., and Europe have also given him insight into how motorcycle riders are judged and he's been able to bring that critical eye to evidence. Today, the major- ity of riders are recreational or commuters — not the "one per cent" that are involved in organized crime. However, that public perception can colour judgment of rid- ers. "You want to find out what really happened," he said, not just rely upon witnesses that may be biased. Or, there could be errors in calculations of speed or distance, which have occurred. ritish Columbia lawyer Daryl Brown has logged more than 500,000 miles on a motorcycle A photograph can also tip Brown to something being wrong. He tells of seeing skid marks from an accident scene shaped like an "S," indicative of fishtailing. The police report concluded the cyclist had applied front and back brakes equally, yet Brown knew from experience that this action wouldn't have caused that skid pat- tern — rather it was indicative of the rear wheel locking up from braking. It was the tip-off to turn the information over to a forensic engineer who could determine the accident details. Brown knows firsthand about injuries from motorcycle accidents. In 1996, he was involved in a severe mishap as he went to pass a vehicle at night and found the left lane was actually a turning lane. He was unable to stop before colliding with the meridian. He suffered a punctured liver and lung, broken hip, several broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, and internal bleed- ing. The accident underscores the damage a rider can sustain from even the slightest error in judgment. Brown has been a licensed motor- cycle instructor with the British Columbia Safety Council since 1990, and until 1999, taught new riders. Prior to 1999, he raced on the Canadian Motorcycle Drag Racing Association circuit and the All Harley Drag Racing Association circuit in the U.S. Riding has also allowed Brown to explore his interests in political science and history. Upon completing under- graduate work at Simon Fraser University in 1993, he airfreighted a motorcycle to Europe and spent the summer touring Daryl Brown has logged more than 500,000 miles on a motorcycle. through many of the countries, exploring historical sites and the culture. "It was fan- tastic," he said, as in the smaller towns the motorcycle drew attention and inspired conversation. He also learned about the camaraderie of the road. While in a rural farm area of Germany, near nightfall, his taillight had burnt out. A German farmer came out and offered him beer, a sandwich, and a room and shower for the night. "He didn't speak English and I didn't speak German," he said, adding he was amazed at the hospitality until later that evening the farmer took him to the basement and proudly displayed a 1960s Honda. "He was happy to help a brother of the road," said Brown, adding that before he left he gave the farmer a T-shirt from a Canadian bike shop. Today, Brown owns two motorcycles: a 1968 Harley Davidson custom chop- per (home-built) and a 2005 Kawasaki Ninja racing bike. Each year, Brown tours with fellow riders. He's done classic rides such as reaching the Arctic Circle via the Dempster Highway, a road that is considered the most "miserable, ugli- est stretch of gumbo" that a rider can pick. "When it's wet, you are riding in six to eight inches of muck," he tells of the 300-mile journey that found him camping in snow in August. — JS Find out more about how to measure the short and long-term success of your law fi rm www.canadianlawyermag.com www.LawFirmKPI.com Go to www.canadianlawyermag.com and download your free copy of Law Firm KPI's Key Performance Indicators, An Introductory Guide, compliments of Canadian Lawyer KPI_CL_Sept11.indd 1 www.CANADIAN Lawyermag.com SEPTEMBER 2011 13 11-08-16 10:56 AM