Motorcycle Accidents

 

Characteristics of motorcycle accidents

A majority of motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle. In most of these cases, the motorcyclist suffers serious injuries. While motorcycles only account for two percent of the registered vehicles in the U.S., motorcycle accidents account for 5% of fatal accidents. This is because motorcyclists have little to protect them from the physical forces that are released in collisions. By contrast, the occupants of cars, trucks, and SUVs are protected by the steel frame, airbags, and other safety equipment.

Cars, trucks, and SUVs have greater stability since they weigh more and have four wheels. Motorcycles are lighter and have two wheels, making them more vulnerable. This means that motorcyclists are much likelier to suffer serious injuries or to be killed in motorcycle accidents than people who occupy motor vehicles.

Many motorcycle accidents result in the cyclist being thrown from the bike. When motorcyclists are ejected, their injuries may be much more severe. A large majority of motorcycle accidents cause catastrophic injuries or fatalities. The types of injuries that might be sustained may involve extensive medical care and long periods of rehabilitation. If you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, getting help from one of our trusted Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers is important.

Half of all people who are injured in motorcycle collisions suffer lifelong injuries. Recovering from these types of injuries can take years. Some motorcycle accident victims suffer permanent brain injuries from their accidents. Others suffer severe spinal injuries that result in quadriplegia or paraplegia.

Collisions may be caused by negligence when the drivers of motor vehicles fail to yield to oncoming motorcycles. In many of these cases, motorists turn onto highways in the path of oncoming motorcyclists, causing serious accidents. In 80% of these types of cases, the motorcyclists are not at fault.

Why should you contact a motorcycle accident attorney?

Some people who are injured in motorcycle accidents hesitate to talk to a personal injury lawyer because they think that doing so will cost them a substantial sum of money. However, most personal injury attorneys offer free consultations. At the consultation, your attorney will evaluate your potential claim. You will have the chance to assess the lawyer to determine whether he or she is a good fit for you and your case. If you decide to retain the attorney, he or she will likely work on a contingency-fee-basis. This means that he or she will not be paid for his or her attorney’s fees unless he or she successfully settles your case or wins a jury verdict award for you. This means the attorney’s fees will only be payable if you win your claim.

Motorcycle accidents in California are complex. Insurance companies commonly try to blame the motorcyclists instead of accepting the liability of their insureds. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can help to guide you through the legal process and might be likelier to recover fair compensation that covers all of your losses.

It is common for police reports to fail to include all of the relevant facts in a motorcycle accident case. Some people who serve on juries have biases towards motorcyclists and believe that they are risk-takers. This might make them prejudge the cases. Attorneys understand how to ferret out these biases and object to biased people from a jury pool being included in the jury. The medical costs from motorcycle accidents may be substantial, and your insurance might not pay for all of the costs.

An experienced attorney should understand how to present your case to clearly show the liability of the defendant. How the evidence in your case is presented will be important for the amount of compensation that you might ultimately receive. If you try to deal with the insurance company alone, you are much less likely to recover compensation to pay for your losses.

Our lawyers focus on motorcycle accidents in Los Angeles. They have recovered hundreds of thousands of dollars for our clients over the past few decades. We strongly believe that accident victims who have suffered injuries because of the negligence of others should be compensated for their losses.

Damages in a motorcycle accident claim

The amount of compensation that might be available to you will depend on multiple factors, including the severity and extent of your injuries, the sources of recovery, and the facts and circumstances that occurred. For these reasons, the compensation will vary from case to case.

A motorcycle accident lawyer can help you to recover compensation for your surgeries, medical costs, rehabilitation, living expenses, income losses, and noneconomic losses. You might recover damages for your future anticipated expenses and income losses, scarring and disfigurement, physical pain and suffering, property losses, and emotional trauma. If the defendant’s actions were particularly egregious, punitive damages might be available.

Contact us today to schedule a consultation at our office in Los Angeles. Our team of motorcycle accident attorneys has the skill and experience to handle your claim. If you wait too long, you may be barred from recovering damages for your injuries and losses.

While money will not make up for the suffering that you have undergone because of your motorcycle accident, it can help you to deal with the stress of being injured by relieving some of the financial pressures.

Things to know about insurance company settlement offers

Insurance companies are focused on protecting their bottom lines. One of the ways that they do this is by minimizing the amounts that they have to pay to claimants or by avoiding paying them altogether. Insurance companies have a goal to settle claims as fast as possible for the least amount of money.

Insurance companies may drag their feet in paying you. They know that injured accident victims have bills that pile up and hoe that they will agree to settle for a low amount out of desperation.

Insurance companies will sometimes make a settlement offer soon after an accident occurs. In many cases, these offers are unreasonably low. If you accept an offer, you will not be able to come back later to recover more money for your losses. You should always have a personal injury lawyer review any offer that you receive.

Contact us today

Motorcycle accidents can be devastating. If you have suffered serious injuries because of the negligence of others, contact our Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorneys today to schedule a free consultation.