How Do You Recover From a Motorcycle Accident?
You can recover financially from a motorcycle accident through an insurance claim or lawsuit. While you recover from physical injuries, a motorcycle accident lawyer can pursue your financial recovery.
What Are the Steps Towards a Post-Accident Financial Recovery?
Make your first priority to care for any injuries that you have suffered. If you lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident, you should prioritize the grieving process. Securing a financial recovery may also be a high priority for you.
When it comes to financial recovery after a motorcycle accident, you may:
- Hire an attorney: Before your rights come under fire (they may already be at risk), hire an attorney to protect you.
- Continue to document your medical treatment: If you have received medical treatment, obtain documentation for that care. Paperwork detailing your doctor’s visits and injuries will likely be useful to your insurance claim or lawsuit.
- Keep a journal of your damages: You may also keep a detailed record of other damages. Your own account may best document your pain and suffering.
- Reach out to your lawyer with any questions or concerns: As your lawyer begins working on your case, you should reach out with all questions and concerns. Your attorney will gladly serve your needs.
The person responsible for your motorcycle accident, their insurer, and others may be actively working to undermine your lawsuit or insurance claim. Having a lawyer to defend you should be priority number one.
Let Your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Handle Your Legal Fight
There are several reasons to let a lawyer help with your motorcycle accident case. Motorcycle accidents pose an outsized risk of injuries and death.
Right now, you may:
- Face an uncertain recovery period
- Need to work through the loss of a loved one
- Find yourself under financial pressure
- Lose income and time at work
- Lose your usual mode of transportation
- Not know how to proceed
A motorcycle injury attorney will guide you through this difficult time in your life. If you try to take on your motorcycle accident case without help, the stress can worsen your existing injuries. Being injured, in a state of grief, and under other pressure is also not a recipe for a strong case.
Who Is Legally Responsible for a Motorcycle Accident?
Liability for a motorcycle accident varies from one crash to the next. The circumstances of your accident will be of great concern to your attorney.
Your lawyer may obtain a complete understanding of your accident by:
- Visiting the scene of your motorcycle accident
- Speaking with any witnesses who saw your accident or observed the circumstances that led to your accident
- Obtaining direct evidence of your collision, like video footage
- Obtaining the police report for your accident, if one exists
- Working with professionals to reconstruct your accident (through digital or other means)
Their initial investigation will help your attorney determine liability.
What Is the Standard for Liability in Motorcycle Accidents?
Negligence is generally the liability standard in motorcycle accident cases. Negligent people fail to act as a reasonable person should in the same circumstances.
In the context of a motorcycle accident, negligent (liable) parties may include:
- A motorist: Motorists often cause collisions through negligent acts like speeding, driving while intoxicated, running red lights, and tailgating. When a motorist causes a motorcycle collision through negligent behavior, the potential for serious injury is greater than in other motor vehicle accidents.
- A municipality: Governments can be liable when roads under their supervision cause accidents. Potholes, poorly positioned work crews, and downed traffic lights are all hazards that may be within a municipality’s legal purview.
- A motorcycle or vehicle manufacturer: If a defect in your motorcycle or another motorist’s vehicle caused your accident, then a manufacturer may be liable.
- A pedestrian: If a pedestrian contributes to a motorcycle accident-by darting into traffic, for example-then the pedestrian may be responsible for resulting damages.
Each motorcycle accident contains a story. Your attorney will gather facts, evidence, and documentation, then seek compensation from liable parties.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Motorcycle Accident Case?
Recoverable damages are the focal point of each motorcycle accident case. No matter how minor a motorcycle accident may appear, damages are certain.
Some common forms of recoverable damages from motorcycle accident cases include:
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering (and all necessary treatment)
- Lost income
- Lost earning power
- Lost bonuses and other professional benefits
- Repairs for your motorcycle
- Temporary transportation while your motorcycle is undergoing repairs
- Any other damages that have resulted from your motorcycle accident
Each victim has unique damages. Calculating the cost of your damages can be difficult, especially non-economic damages like pain and suffering. Your attorney will calculate your damages in a legally acceptable manner.
Ultimately, your motorcycle accident settlement or judgment should cover all current and future damages from your motorcycle accident. As such, your lawyer may project the cost of any medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering from your accident.
Can I Afford an Attorney to Lead My Motorcycle Accident Case?
Anyone can afford to hire an attorney for a motorcycle accident case. Injury attorneys generally work on a contingency fee basis. This structure means that your lawyer will likely only collect their fee if they get a financial recovery for you.
Clients in contingency fee arrangements don’t:
- Pay any out-of-pocket expense to hire the attorney
- Don’t pay any hourly fee, retainer fee, or case-related expenses
- Pay any fee unless the attorney wins-at which point the attorney collects a portion of the winnings
You should know what contingency fee a law firm commands for its services. Some states cap how much an attorney can collect from their client, which is another protection that you might have when hiring a lawyer.
Contact a Motorcycle Attorney Today About a Possible Case
Never wait to get legal help. Your case may have strict deadlines that require the prompt filing of your claim or lawsuit. Your lawyer will move quickly to file your case, but you must first call prospective law firms and make your choice.
