What You Should Know Before Hiring a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident as the rider or the passenger, or if you have been in any type of motor vehicle accident, it is in your best interest to speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.

If you are the family of a loved one that was killed in a motorcycle accident where they were not at fault, you should also speak to a motorcycle injury lawyer who can determine if there is a wrongful death liability.

It’s common for motorcycle accident victims to have been injured due to negligence or careless driving from another. Because the nature of many motorcycle accidents is serious or potentially catastrophic injury, it’s important for victims of an accident to reach out to a motorcycle accident lawyer right away so they can put together a case to get the maximum compensation to pay for all expenses immediate and ongoing as a result of the accident.

1. Work on Contingency: Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency so you don’t pay until they win for you. Be sure to talk to each one specifically on their fee structures so you are aware of how they work with their clients. Some costs may not be covered in contingency fee structures. The average contingency fee is between 33% – 40%.
2. Experts in Assessing Claim Value: Legal experts are professionals of the law. The law dictates what a victim is entitled to. A personal injury accident attorney is the best source to assess the maximum fair compensation you may be entitled to for your case based on their abilities to win and help their clients build strong cases.
3. Skilled Negotiators: Insurance companies are much more likely to negotiate with someone with legal representation. An accident attorney evens the playing field with insurance companies who have powerful legal teams on their side.
4. Representation in Trial: Most cases settle out of court but in the event that your lawsuit goes to trial, it’s in your best interest to be represented by a quality personal injury lawyer.
5. Statistics: Statistics show that those represented by an attorney win 3.5x greater reward than those who represent themselves.
6. Accidents Can be Extremely Costly to the Victim: Victims of serious accidents go through a lot of turmoil. Many will have to deal with medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage just to name a few. The purpose of an accident attorney is to fight for the maximum compensation a victim is entitled to to pay for these losses that occurred as a result of someone else’s negligence or bad intention.
7. Insurance companies are businesses that look out for their company. In the midst of dealing with frustration from a serious accident victims may be tempted to take the settlement offer by an insurance company to pay for immediate bills. Don’t agree to anything without speaking to an accident attorney first to know what the value of your compensation claim is worth.

There is no easy way to calculate an estimation of your compensation without speaking to a motorcycle accident attorney or several to get a range of estimates based on their experience of winning cases in your area. We’ll match you to several motorcycle accident attorneys in your area so you can speak to them directly about your accident.

The purpose of compensation is to make sure you recover all costs for your injury and losses due to your accident which may include:

• Medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages
• Lost future wages if unable to work as a result of the accident
• Property damages
• Wrongful death
• Inability to enjoy a normal life
• Punitive damages

Unfortunately, no. Insurance companies are not incentivized to offer you the maximum you can be compensated for your accident. Insurance companies are businesses with legal teams to on their side. They will often recommend the minimum they feel they need to pay you. This is true for both the insurance carrier for the driver that hit you as well as your own insurance company.

Having experienced legal representation with a motorcycle accident lawyer knowledgeable in the laws of your city goes a long way in evening the playing field and getting you the maximum compensation you may be entitled to.

Motorcycle accident lawyers gather evidence, assess fair compensation, and negotiate on their clients’ behalf for a settlement that maximizes their compensation. In fact, most motorcycle accident attorneys work on contingency which means their incentives are aligned with their clients. They don’t get paid unless they win for their client. Most motorcycle accident lawyers are paid a percentage of the compensation (typically this will be between 33%-40%) so they will fight for the maximum compensation a client is entitled to.

There have been countless cases where an insurance company makes a low initial offer hoping an accident victim settles right away, but an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer wins a settlement that is 10x higher than what the insurance company initially offered.

Most motorcycle accident attorneys work on contingency. That means that they don’t get paid unless they win for you. Then, their pay is taken from your compensation. Often the fee rate ranges between 33% and 40%.

This means that you don’t pay anything upfront and you don’t pay unless they win. They will take their fee out of your the compensation they recover for you.

A study by the Insurance Research Council showed that those who were represented by an attorney recovered 3.5x greater reward than those who represented themselves.

The majority of personal injury claims cases settle outside of court as opposed to going to trial. Here are examples of several settlement cases. These cases are public statements made by law firms in different states. They are not representative of compensation for similar accidents. Every accident is unique and different states have different laws. Only an experienced motorcycle accident attorney can give you a good idea of what they would expect to win for you for your situation.

$400,000 settlement for a motorcycle accident in California.

• A motorcyclist was traveling eastward toward an intersection when a northward traveling car turned left in front of him. The motorcyclist was unable to stop his motorcycle before being hit by the car which launched him from his motorcycle causing major knee injuries. These injuries prevented him from being able to return to work as a field scientist or to return to his hobbies.
• The personal injury attorneys retained by the motorcyclist were able to work with investigating officers who determined that the driver was at fault. Given the surgeries the motorcyclist had undergone and the upcoming surgery that was likely needed, the attorneys were able to recover $400,000 to pay for the plaintiff’s injuries.
• Reference: (GJEL Accident Attorneys)

$50,000 settlement for a motorcyclist and their passenger who collided with a minivan in Illinois.

• The personal injury attorneys retained sought maximum policy limits from the insurance companies of $25,000 per motorcyclist and $25,000 for the passenger.
• Reference: MPM

$250,000 settlement for motorcyclist injured in a hit-and-run crash in Washington.

• Police never found the driver but the victim’s personal injury lawyer was able to recover $250,000 through the victim’s own insurance policy.
• Davis Law Group

$400,000 settlement recovered for a motorcyclist victim who collided with a driver pulling a U-turn in the middle of the road in Washington.

• Davis Law Group

If you’ve recently had a motorcycle accident, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. A motorcycle accident lawyer can help evaluate what you may be entitled to recovering in compensation.

Get a free case evaluation with several motorcycle accident lawyer in your area today. Specify on the short questionnaire that you were involved in a motorcycle accident. We’ll match you to several local motorcycle accident lawyers who can handle your case. A local experienced motorcycle accident lawyer is better equipped with knowledge of laws in your city and what could be negotiated in your case.

During the free case evaluation, you can ask any questions you have including what they feel they could get you for your accident, what their fee structures are, how they work with their clients, their track record and any other questions you have to compare with other motorcycle accident lawyers.

If your loved one was killed in a fatal motorcycle crash in California due to the negligence or wrongful act of another, you may be able to recover money for their accident to cover medical expenses, funeral costs, and losses for pain and suffering.

It’s very common for those not at fault in a motorcycle accident to have been hit by a negligent driver. Here are some of the common accidents that occur with at-fault drivers:

• Cars Turning Left:

  The most common cause of motorcycle vs car accidents occur when a car turns left at an intersection without noticing an oncoming motorcycle, resulting in a T-bone collision. In cases where the motorcyclist is not speeding or riding recklessly, the driver is often at fault. Drivers may not notice a motorcyclist due to their smaller profile before turning left. Drivers may also be distracted when driving and not paying attention to an oncoming motorcyclist.

• Road Hazards: Motorcyclists are much more vulnerable to road hazards because they are actively balancing a motorcycle and any hazards can easily cause a crash. If something falls from a truck and strikes a motorcyclist, the truck driver is responsible for not securing their load. If a road is in a state of disrepair, this could be the responsibility of a government agency if a motorcyclist hit a road hazard that led to their accident.
• Lane Splitting: Lane splitting is when a motorcyclist rides between two lanes of traffic, typically in situations of low speed like in traffic. Lane splitting is legal in California when it is safe to do so. It is only recommended when riding under 30 mph and the difference in speed should not exceed 10mph over the speed of traffic. However, 17% of motorcycle vs auto accidents occur due to lane splitting. If it can be proven that a driver was negligent, for example, if they were texting when changing lanes, the driver could be at fault. Lane splitting is illegal in most other states. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to use a motorcycle accident attorney in your city and state because laws are complex and vary by region.

Motorcycle accident injuries often result in very serious injuries due to the vulnerability of the motorcycle rider compared to a driver who is enclosed in a steel car that is much heavier and better protected.

Due to the severity of injury it is important to hire an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer that can fight for your claim to recover losses incurred from an accident where you were not at fault or only partially at fault.

Common motorcycle accident severe injuries include:

• Burns
• Road rash
• Fractures or broken bones
• Disfigurement
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Disabilities

If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash, get matched to motorcycle accident lawyers in your city today.