Following a motorcycle accident, do you really need to hire a personal injury attorney? Many people feel that hiring a personal injury attorney sounds very expensive. How will you manage those costs when combined with the other expenses on your plate? Should you simply attempt to handle your personal injury claim on your own?
You should always get in touch with an experienced personal injury attorney when you need to file a claim following a motorcycle accident or, indeed, any type of accident. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney can provide a number of advantages as you file your claim.
The Cliff Notes: Key Takeaways From This Post
We listed the advantages of hiring a personal injury lawyer after a motorcycle accident; however, here are the key bullet points if you are in a rush:
- Hiring a personal injury attorney shows the liable party you are serious.
- An attorney can help obtain evidence for your motorcycle accident.
- They reveal the true compensation accident victims deserve.
- Find an attorney with extensive trial experience.
- The injury claim process is much less stressful with an experienced lawyer in your corner.
1. Hiring a Personal Injury Attorney Shows the Liable Party You’re Serious
Many insurance companies, in particular, will start out by offering you a low settlement offer. They may dig in and try not to give you the full compensation you deserve, especially if you choose to represent yourself. In fact, many insurance companies assume that you do not know how much compensation you really deserve for your injuries, and may prey on your lack of knowledge regarding your legal rights in order to reduce their financial obligation to you. In many cases, simply working with a personal injury attorney can help increase the compensation offered by the insurance company. While this does not happen every time, hiring an attorney can often convince the insurance company to take you more seriously.
2. Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help Obtain Critical Evidence For Your Motorcycle Accident
Sometimes, an attorney may find it easier to collect evidence related to your accident, from checking witness statements to accessing video footage, including traffic camera footage, that allows you to view exactly what happened during your motorcycle accident.
An attorney can also help access and process information related to your accident when more than one party shares liability or when you have a more complicated accident claim. Consider, for example:
A commercial driver caused your accident
Commercial drivers, including any driver that works for a living, may share liability with their companies for any accident that occurs due to their negligence. Sometimes, the company directly shares liability for the accident: for example, the company may require its drivers to drive in unsafe conditions, force a driver to get behind the wheel while ill or inebriated or fail to adequately background check its drivers. The company may also share liability if it fails to properly maintain company-owned vehicles and a mechanical failure related to that lack of maintenance contributed to your accident.
When a commercial entity shares liability for your motorcycle accident, an attorney may access the company’s records, go through the driver’s logbooks and records, and check for any past accidents caused by that company, all of which can help provide further evidence of the company’s liability in your accident. Accidents with commercial vehicles require, in many cases, a more thorough investigation of the accident itself and what led to it. Having an attorney on your side can help process that information and ensure that you miss nothing in your quest for compensation.
A mechanical error in either your motorcycle or the liable driver’s vehicle caused the accident
Mechanical errors can lead to serious accidents, especially in the case of tire blowouts, engine failures, or brake failures. Missing tail lights or windshield wipers can also significantly increase the driver’s risk of causing an accident.
When a mechanical error contributes to an accident, your attorney may work to evaluate how that error or failure occurred.
- Did the failure occur due to a manufacturer’s error?
- Did the failure occur because of a mechanic’s failure to properly repair the vehicle?
In the case of a failure caused by the manufacturer’s error, you may have grounds to file a personal injury claim directly against the manufacturer of the defective part or vehicle. An attorney can help determine if the manufacturer knew about the issue and distributed the part anyway. An attorney may also evaluate whether others have suffered similar accidents due to that type of failure.
In the case of a failure caused by a mechanic’s error, the attorney may further investigate that mechanic. Did the error occur due to direct negligence? Did the mechanic, for example, fail to properly secure a part or, worse, cause damage to the vehicle while conducting repairs? The attorney may also help determine whether the mechanic has a past history of causing dangerous damage to other vehicles.
A full investigation on the part of an attorney can help turn up all parties that may share liability for your accident and provide you with vital evidence that can help you file your personal injury claim.
3. Injury Attorneys Reveal The True Compensation Accident Victims Deserve
Often, the insurance policy that covers the party that caused your accident will determine the maximum compensation you can receive for your injuries. When dealing with a commercial driver, a mechanical failure, or another liable party, however, you may find that you can obtain significantly more compensation for your injuries. Many motorcycle accident victims, however, do not fully understand how much compensation they deserve for their injuries or how to pursue it. Not only can that lead to accepting low initial settlement offers issued by the insurance company, but it can also make it difficult for those bikers to negotiate effectively.
An attorney will help break down the compensation you really deserve. This includes:
Compensation for medical bills you sustained as a direct result of the accident
Serious injuries, including injuries like traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury, can leave you with massive medical bills to manage after your motorcycle accident. A personal injury claim cannot take away your injuries, restore mobility, or decrease your pain, but it can provide you with compensation that can make it easier for you to pay for those medical bills.
Repayment for wages you lost due to your injuries
Did you have to miss work immediately after your accident? What about the long-term: could you return to work completely, or did you need to make modifications to your current schedule or job responsibilities to make it easier for you to complete your duties in spite of your injuries? An attorney can help you calculate those lost wages and include them as part of your personal injury claim.
Payment for pain and suffering
An attorney can help you understand how your pain and suffering, both physical and emotional, can impact the compensation you can ask for after an accident that results in severe injuries.
4. Find a Personal Injury Attorney With Extensive Trial Experience
The majority of motorcycle accident claims settle out of court. No insurance company wants the added expense of taking your claim to the courtroom–not to mention the fact that many insurance companies dread facing an experienced attorney in the courtroom, where they will maximize the benefits you receive from your accident claim.
If your claim does go to trial, however, you want to make sure that you have a trial-experienced attorney on your side: one who has represented many past claims in the courtroom, who understands your legal right to compensation and how you should pursue it, and who will help present your case in such a way that it will help maximize the benefits you can receive. You deserve an attorney with extensive courtroom experience: one that will bring the experience to your trial if needed.
5. The Injury Claim Process Is Much Less Stressful With an Experienced Injury Lawyer in Your Corner
Handling your claim alone can cause a great deal of stress, especially if you have a difficult claim to contend with or you find yourself going back and forth with the insurance company for a long time after your motorcycle accident. You may find your stress levels rising every time you have to take a call from the insurance agent or the liable party in your accident.
An attorney, however, can reduce your stress, take over negotiations on your behalf, and provide immense peace of mind that can make it easier for you to navigate life after your accident. Many motorcycle accident victims find that handing over their claim to an attorney frees up their time and energy to focus on the other elements of their recovery. That peace of mind often turns out priceless as you manage the personal injury claim following your motorcycle accident. Not only that, having an attorney on your side will increase the odds of maximizing your benefits as you file your claim, which can help reduce your stress levels as you navigate your finances following your accident. You need to know that you have someone on your side, fighting for you, and an attorney provides that reassurance.
Do you need an attorney to help you manage a personal injury claim following a serious motorcycle accident? Herman Wells can help. Contact us today to learn more about your legal right to compensation following a serious motorcycle accident.