Motorcycle accident attorneys help riders and their passengers obtain fair compensation for motorcycle accident injuries and property damage suffered during collisions caused by other drivers. Most motorcycle crashes occur when an offending driver in another vehicle makes a left-hand turn and either strikes the motorcycle or blocks its path.
Crashing new motorcycle models can be especially costly because they carry a lot of electronics and other costly equipment that makes them expensive to fix. A motorcycle that suffered only apparent cosmetic damage can be more expensive to fix than a bike that needs an entirely new motor.
An injury accident with motorcycle damages can be especially costly when the medical bills come in and the rider has only nominal health insurance coverage or maybe none at all. Current health insurance deductibles make crashing new motorcycle models especially hard on the riders who wind up in the emergency room for treatment and possible time in a hospital bed.
Even when you suffer an accident with motorcycle insurance in effect, the insurers often will deny claims or make it harder for you to get fair compensation for motorcycle accident costs. Accident attorneys can help ensure healthcare and property damage costs are covered.
Riding a motorcycle is fun, adventurous, and even a very economical way to commute. However, people who ride motorcycles have a much higher risk of sustaining an injury on the roadways than those who are driving in cars.
You know what they say about motorcycle accident injuries. It’s not IF you’ll sustain an injury while riding a motorcycle, but WHEN. Unfortunately, motorcycle accident injuries are very common, and often very serious.
While the most important thing to remember while on the roadways on a motorcycle is to exercise caution and try to avoid a wreck altogether, here are a few things to keep in mind regarding the motorcycle accident settlement process if you sustain motorcycle accident injuries:
Four Things to Know About Motorcycle Accident Injuries
1. Speed is seldom a factor in motorcycle accidents.
You are just far more likely to sustain a motorcycle accident injury than in a vehicle, at any speed. Motorcycles account for only 1% of commuters on the roadways, but account for 57% of all serious or fatal injuries as a result of accidents.
It’s easy to assume that the higher instances of motorcycle injuries is due to motorcyclists driving recklessly or speeding. However, the most common reason for accidents involving motorcyclists is that the other drivers on the road just don’t see them while changing lanes or making turns.
2. Motorcycle accidents are more commonly caused by the other driver, not the motorcyclist.
Once again, the perception that motorcyclists are reckless drivers is generally unfounded. According to a poll of motorcycle accident attorneys who work with the aftermath of these kinds of accidents day in and day out, the wreck is nearly always caused by the negligence of the other driver (80% of the time, to get statistical on it).
The harm in this false perception is that when a motorcyclist is injured in an accident because of someone else’s poor judgment, they are sometimes hesitant about filing a claim with a motorcycle attorney because they assume they’ll be blamed. If you’re injured in a motorcycle wreck, your attorney will collect the evidence needed to build a case that you are due compensation for your injuries.
3. The aftermath of a motorcycle accident isn’t only physical injuries.
When you are in a wreck on a motorcycle, you don’t have the bumpers or the encasing of the vehicle, or the seat belt and airbags to protect you. Instead, your body absorbs the shock of the collision. Common physical injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, broken bones, and deep abrasions to the skin.
What is not obvious, and so harder to document is the psychological damage that a person sustains after a motorcycle wreck. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is very prominent among people who are in an accident while riding a motorcycle. PTSD is accompanied by its own set of symptoms, such as insomnia, anxiety attacks, strong mood swings, and inability to concentrate. If the aftermath of your motorcycle accident has left you with these symptoms, your personal injury attorney should be made aware of them, so that they can be factored into your settlement.
4. The success of your claim rides on following the right steps immediately after your wreck.
If you are injured in a motorcycle accident as a result of someone else’s negligence, you are due compensation for your pain and suffering. However, the steps you take immediately after being in the accident can really make or break the outcome of the accident:
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- Collect any and all evidence that can be used to support your claim. Take lots of pictures. have someone else take photos if you are unable.
- Get medical attention right away. This is important for your own well-being, and to establish the extent of injuries you sustained in the accident.
- Write down a timeline of events, including any details that you remember. Even inconsequential ones. These details will become more difficult to recall as time goes on but could be key to the outcome of the claim.
- Keep good records of anything involving the aftermath of the accident. This includes the medical treatments you undergo, the work you missed, the progress of your recovery, and any pain and suffering you endure in the process. The more documentation you have to support your claim, the more your attorney has to leverage.
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