Motorcycle riders feel free, one with the road, and gain a sense of freedom that cannot be found when driving a car. But the perks of riding a motorcycle quickly become overpowered by pain and fear when in a motorcycle accident.
These accidents happen when you least expect them, and they often produce catastrophic results. Victims may experience life-changing injuries, significant financial burdens, and difficulty in receiving compensation from the negligent party’s insurance company.
All of these challenges can compound to overwhelm victims, creating a chance that they will not see the compensation they expected when settling their claim.
At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, we are here for you in every step of your claim. Our legal team is dedicated to providing the guidance and representation needed to ensure your case receives the compensation it deserves.
Schedule a free initial case review with an experienced attorney in Lawrenceville today when you call (770) 525-9098 or contact us online.
Get Help from a Lawrenceville Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Motorcycle accidents result in severe injuries that disrupt your life, career, and overall quality of life. These incidents may lead to extensive medical treatments, medical bills, loss of wages, and working hours, affecting the victim in many ways.
In 2019, over 3,900 motorcycle accidents were reported in Georgia.
Unfortunately, not all victims can handle insurance claims independently. They may face frustration when they see a settlement offer that’s much lower than expected.
Insurance companies and negligent parties are not looking to pay what they owe. In fact, many motorcycle accident victims end up fighting hard on their own to counter “lowball” offers from insurers with little success.
When you work with a qualified motorcycle accident attorney, you have access to our professional knowledge, pool of resources, and experience in handling cases like yours. At The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, you can expect dedicated and compassionate client-centered care from all of our associates.
Our sole goal is to ease you through the process of an injury claim while helping you seek the highest amount of damages possible for all expenses you have incurred.
Services and benefits provided by our professional attorney team include:
- End-to-end management for your case: Reduce the burden of managing your case while staying informed and in control, with awareness of all your available legal options.
- Legal counsel and guidance: Get experienced advice on the most appropriate courses of action to take and key factors that can impact your ability to reclaim damages.
- Rigorous investigation of your accident: Get to the bottom of how and why your crash occurred with in-depth accident analysis, evidence gathering, research, expert interviews, and more.
- Identification of all at-fault parties and available forms of compensation: Determine who is truly at fault for your injuries and the most appropriate sources of compensation to pursue.
- Accurate valuation of all damages: Prevent your claim from being undervalued, as we consult with medical and billing experts to uncover the full costs of treatment in addition to projected future care costs, along with all lost wages and appropriate pain and suffering damages.
- Professional representation and negotiation: Avoid uncomfortable conversations and prevent yourself from making common mistakes by delegating interactions to your attorney. Our knowledge of negotiation tactics and how insurers operate also enables us to seek the maximum value for your claim.
- Preparation for a possible lawsuit and trial: In the event your claim does not result in a favorable out-of-court settlement offer, or when challenges arise for gathering evidence or other key factors, your attorney can help you sue the appropriate parties, potentially even taking your case to a jury trial in order to seek the highest damages possible.
What Are the Key Factors of a Motorcycle Accident?
Motorcycle accidents can vary in their causes and severity. They often result from a combination of factors, including driver negligence, hazardous road conditions, and the actions of other drivers.
These accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries that fall into one of these three categories:
- Single-Vehicle Accidents — These accidents involve only the motorcyclist and occur when dangerous conditions are present, like road hazards or the driver’s loss of control.
- Multi-Vehicle Accidents — In these cases, a motorcycle collides with another vehicle, such as a car or truck. These accidents can result from various factors, including a driver’s failure to yield, distracted driving, or driving under the influence. The weather may contribute to the accident, as dangerous conditions like ice and heavy rain limit visibility and increase the risk of losing control.
- Hit-and-Run Accidents — Hit-and-run accidents occur when the negligent driver leaves the scene, leaving the motorcyclist injured and often unable to identify the culprit.
Identifying Liable Parties
Demonstrating how others were liable in an accident is critical in building a successful motorcycle accident case. Your attorney will work towards identifying how each party involved contributed to the negligence that caused your injuries.
They will review all evidence, including accident reports, eyewitness statements, and expert testimony to support your claim.
Your attorney will consider different factors that may have contributed to the accident, such as:
- Other driver’s negligence — Assess whether the other driver involved in the accident was negligent, distracted, impaired, or violated traffic laws.
- Road Conditions — Determine the state of the road at the time of the crash and see if weather, lack of maintenance, or hazards were on the road at the time of the accident.
- Vehicle Defects — Investigate whether a vehicle defect, such as faulty brakes or tires, contributed to the accident.
Local and governmental agencies responsible for road maintenance may be liable if any road issues contributed to the accident. For example, if the striping on the road was difficult to see or nonexistent, and the car next to you merged into your lane because they believed it was their lane, the governmental agency failed to keep the road safe for public use.
In addition, in some cases, liability may extend beyond the other driver or government agency. Manufacturers are responsible for launching safe products into the marketplace and may be held liable for any accidents that result from their defective products.
Accidents like a blown tire or faulty brakes may mean that the products they sell are unsafe for use.
Contributory Liability
Similar to the laws in many other states across the US, Georgia law recognizes that multiple parties can share fault in an accident. The police report will provide information regarding the involved parties, how the accident occurred, and determining liability at the scene.
Each party will then be assigned a portion of blame, which will determine the percentage of damages they are expected to pay.
In some cases, you may be accused of contributing liability to your own accident. Your total award size would then be reduced by your percentage of assumed fault.
Although contributory negligence may be a cause of concern, your attorney will work towards reducing your liability and, in turn, increasing your payout.
Statute of Limitations
In Georgia, a statute of limitations exists for all personal injury cases, limiting claimants to a two-year window to file a lawsuit with the court system. A statute of limitations is put in place to prevent cold cases from being presented before a judge while encouraging victims to take action to begin the process of settling quickly.
While two years is a standard in Georgia, there are some exceptions to this rule:
- Cases where the defendant is out of state
- Cases that involve a minor under the age of 18
- Cases where the victim is not mentally fit to file a claim
Working with your Lawrenceville car accident attorney will help you understand if these extensions apply to your case. In addition, your attorney will understand and adhere to any deadlines, including the statute of limitations.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Although we make every effort to prevent an accident, not all drivers respect laws and road rules when they are out there. When someone blatantly disregards another’s safety, it is called an act of negligence.
Proving negligence is a key factor in determining liability and compelling the other party to pay for the damages inflicted. Immediately following a motorcycle accident, you should take the right steps to ensure your safety, protect your legal rights, and build a case against the negligent party:
Call 911
If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, your main priority is to ensure your safety. Contacting 911 not only helps document the accident but also secures prompt medical attention for yourself and others who need it.
Gather Evidence
After ensuring your safety, collect evidence at the accident scene if you are able to do so. This includes taking photos and video footage of the accident, vehicle damage, and any road hazards that may have contributed to the crash.
Once the police are on the scene, they will prepare a report detailing what happened and who was involved. The police report is essential to the evidence needed to support your claim.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if your injuries appear minor, seeking medical attention after an accident is essential. Some injuries may not appear right away after an accident and can become more severe over time.
Prompt medical evaluation and treatment can be critical to your ability to recover, and it ensures you have documentation connecting your injury to the date of the accident.
Do Not Admit Fault
Avoid discussing fault, or you might inadvertently make statements that could be used against you later. It’s essential to consult with an attorney before discussing the details of the accident with other parties. If possible, communications should only happen through your legal counsel.
Injuries Resulting from Motorcycle Accidents
Experiencing a severe accident is a terrifying and traumatic situation. You can find yourself in pain and may witness your loved ones suffering as well.
While the severity of the collision heightens the likelihood of sustaining injuries, even accidents occurring at speeds as low as 30 mph can hurt. Some injuries commonly seen in motorcycle accidents are:
Head Injuries
Head injuries can have long-lasting consequences, with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) presenting significant changes in cognitive, behavioral, and physical traits. What concerns medical professionals the most about head injuries is that they remain undiagnosed until a thorough medical examination is completed.
If you suspect that you might have sustained a concussion or TBI, it is imperative to seek medical attention as soon as possible.
Spinal Cord Injuries, Fractures, and Broken Bones
Catastrophic motorcycle accidents can result in spinal cord injuries, affecting mobility and potentially causing paralysis. Besides spinal cord injuries, the force of impact in a motorcycle accident can lead to fractures and broken bones, requiring surgery and extensive rehabilitation to correct.
Road Rash and Soft Tissue Injuries
Road rash is caused by friction and isn’t usually dangerous, although you would want to treat this immediately to prevent infections. On the other hand, soft tissue injuries are painful and can lead to a stress fracture, which is a small hairline crack in a bone.
These injuries can be painful and often lead to complications if not promptly and adequately treated.
Psychological Conditions
Whether you are in a car accident, truck accident, or motorcycle accident, victims face a mental toll from coping with the event of the crash, recovering, and possibly adapting to a new way of life. Nothing is protecting a driver in a motorcycle accident, meaning that the human body will hit the pavement and possibly other objects before the accident is over.
As one can imagine, the severe injuries caused by a motorcycle accident come with dire psychological consequences. Victims cope with conditions like anxiety, depression, PTSD, and similar.
Hire a Lawrenceville Motorcycle Accident Law Firm to Help You
Motorcycle accidents are terrifying, costly, and may significantly impact your overall quality of life. If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident in Lawrenceville, you don’t have to face the challenges alone.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is here to provide you with the legal support and guidance necessary to pursue the compensation you deserve. Our experienced team of attorneys will advocate for your rights and ensure that your case is handled with the utmost care and attention.
Get started today and schedule your free initial case review today by calling (770) 525-9098 or contacting us online.
