The exhilaration and freedom of riding a motorcycle in Sandy Springs is all too often dampened by the risks others present on the road. Between careless drivers, dangerous vehicle defects, improperly maintained roadways, and other hazards, a leisurely commute can quickly become a life-changing event.
Injuries are likely to be severe — even fatal — as a result of the exposed nature of motorcycle riding.
Injury victims and their families can take solace in one fact: they may be able to recover compensation from the drivers and other parties that caused their accidents. This compensation can help pay for the steep costs of medical care, as well as other losses experienced because of missed work, out-of-pocket expenses, and vehicle damage.
Called “damages,” these losses are most likely to be recovered when the accident victim chooses to enlist the help of an experienced attorney team.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm has extensive experience representing the victims of motorcycle accidents and other motor vehicle incidents. Our knowledge of how to handle the process and familiarity with dealing with insurers means that you are able to dramatically raise your chances of a successful claim while simultaneously reducing the amount of work involved on your part.
When you’re ready to learn how to make the claims process easier and how we can help you obtain as much compensation as possible, call us at (470) 323-8779 or contact us online to schedule your free, no-obligation case review.
How Can a Sandy Springs Motorcycle Accident Attorney Help Increase My Chances of a Successful Injury Claim?
Filing an injury claim is rarely an easy prospect, especially if you are having trouble identifying the party at fault for your accident. While insurers may seem to make the process simple, providing apps and online portals to quickly submit your claim, the reality behind the scenes is that they are looking into any way they can to limit their own liability.
Between disputing the causes of your accident, alleging that some of your injuries involved pre-existing conditions, and minimizing the payouts they offer, insurance companies and the attorneys they hire are ready to play hardball in order to reduce their exposure to liability. An inexperienced claimant could easily be taken advantage of, which is one of the major reasons that hiring their own injury attorney could make a difference in their case’s outcome.
Appointing a Sandy Springs injury lawyer to represent you on your case means you automatically gain the advantages of their professional knowledge and experience. Insurers are more likely to tread carefully and toe the line, offering a claim settlement amount that’s closer to the true damages you have experienced.
Even when they don’t extend this courtesy, though, you still have a professional at your side capable of highlighting your best options for maximizing the compensation that’s available to you. Anyone who is represented by our Sandy Springs motorcycle accident law firm can breathe more easily, knowing that they can obtain the following services and benefits:
- Comprehensive case management, from start to finish, reducing the time and stress spent on your claim while raising its chances of a successful outcome
- In-depth investigation of your accident, including the gathering of compelling evidence and identification of all parties who contributed to liability
- Accurate estimation of your total damages, past and future, with the assistance of medical and economic experts who can help project future care costs and lost wages
- Negotiation and representation to insurers and other liable parties, reducing the anxiety of navigating these conversations on your own and also the risk of making key mistakes that could impact your case outcome
- Preparation for a possible lawsuit and jury trial in cases that involve significant damages, disputed fault, or that fail to produce a satisfactory settlement out-of-court
- Compassionate legal counsel and guidance, keeping you informed and in control of your case at all stages
- Referrals to trusted service providers for medical care, physical rehabilitation, vehicle repair, and more, many of whom offer deferred payment for injury victims with pending claims
What Damages Can I Claim in My Motorcycle Accident Claim?
Full assessment of all damages is essential for reducing the risk that an injury victim will be left paying out-of-pocket for the costs of an accident that was no fault of their own. Working with their attorney, they can consider all of the following categories of damages in order to determine what is most appropriate to seek for their case.
Medical Expenses
Medical bills quickly accrue when caring for injuries sustained in a car accident. Those involved usually attend multiple doctor’s appointments and may have surgeries, hospitalization, physical therapy sessions, and medication to help manage their condition and recovery. Healthcare costs will add up quickly, and they are likely to make up the bulk of the claim’s value.
One thing that is important to anticipate is the full future costs of any care, including any follow-up appointments, rehabilitation, or long-term care needs. Many car accident victims will fail to calculate these in full, leaving them short-handed once they receive their settlement check.
Having an attorney decreases the risk that you will be left on the hook for the costs of your own care after an accident.
Loss of Income and Earning Capacity
Recovering from a car accident takes away a lot of your time. This includes the time you will be at work and possibly working towards a raise or promotion.
To make matters worse, some injuries are so severe that they lead to disfigurement and disability, which can, in turn, limit or prevent one from taking on more responsibilities or doing their work at all if it requires extensive physical labor.
Importantly, a lost wages claim seeks to reimburse the injury victim for all losses, not just loss of hourly earnings. That includes the need to use paid time off benefits as well as reductions in commissions, bonuses, performance incentives, retirement contributions, and other forms of compensation the injury victim was likely to receive had they not been hurt.
Pain and Suffering
While the physical pain and personal suffering an injury victim experiences does not have a dollar amount assigned to it, it nevertheless significantly detracts from their quality of life. Motorcycle accident claims are supposed to provide compensation for these non-monetary losses, offering a set amount for the total pain and suffering of the victim.
Injury claimants can help document these losses by keeping a regular accounting of their experience. That includes the pain they feel throughout the day, the activities or tasks they weren’t able to participate in as a result of their condition, an inability to bond with loved ones as they did before the injury, and any other hardship, mental anguish, and symptoms like anxiety or depression that they experience.
Property Damage
A personal injury settlement will include compensation for the costs of repairing or replacing the vehicle involved in the motorcycle accident, including all accessories, modifications, and other non-stock elements invested into the bike. Further, the injury victim can claim the loss of helmets, clothing, personal devices, and cargo damaged in the crash.
Wrongful Death Damages: Funeral & Burial Costs, Loss of Household Income
In the event of a fatal motorcycle accident, a representative of the decedent’s estate can file a “survival action” claim seeking to restore losses to the victim’s estate that resulted from the wrongful death crash. All of the above categories will be sought, including the costs of care prior to the victim’s death and compensation for the pain and suffering they experienced.
In addition, surviving family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim in order to recover the damages they have suffered. The costs of handling remains and memorial services are often sought, as well as the value of the income the loved one would have brought to the household for the remainder of their lifetime.
In addition, close family members can request compensation for their own suffering, emotional hardship, and inability to bond with their loved one as they would have had the accident not occurred.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are only awarded by juries through injury claims that proceed to a lawsuit and trial. These damages are only provided in cases where there is an exceptional lack of regard for the health and safety of the victim, creating a deterrent for others while simultaneously accounting for the outsized effects of the liable party’s negligence, recklessness, or intent to harm others.
Many times, punitive damages can significantly increase the size of an eventual injury award, making them appropriate to consider in cases where the at-fault party’s actions were criminal, intentional, or egregious.
How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Sandy Springs?
By many measures, motorcycle collisions in Sandy Springs are, fortunately, rare. Statistics from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) indicate that there were 116 recorded accidents in the city from 2018 – 2022.
Of these accidents, seven were fatal, and 20 led to serious injuries.
However, looking at statistics in a greater scope, a clearer picture emerges of the dangers motorcycle riders face. Data from the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety shows that 1,545 motorcyclists passed in fatal wrecks from 2012 – 2021.
On the national level, data from 2020 reveals that motorcycles account for 14% of all traffic deaths despite making up just 3% of all registered vehicles.
Clearly, the risks to motorcycle occupants are high. Any carelessness or selfish behaviors on the part of others on the road can quickly lead to a dangerous — or deadly — accident.
Common Motorcycle Accident Scenarios
Below are some of the most likely types of incidents that lead to serious motorcycle accident injuries.
- Vehicles making improper left turns in front of oncoming motorcycle traffic, causing the rider to be unable to brake or respond in time
- Vehicles following too closely, leading to rear-end collisions, especially at stoplights and intersections
- Unsafe lane changes, where drivers fail to check their blind spot or intentionally make dangerous maneuvers with motorcyclists present
- Road rage incidents, where drivers purposefully get into “close call” situations with motorcyclists after getting angry in traffic
- Drunk driving reduces the capacity for drivers to notice motorcycles around them or to misjudge the safety of certain traffic maneuvers
- Speeding which can not only make an accident more likely but can also raise the severity of injuries experienced in an accident
- Defective vehicles and poor maintenance lead to accidents that could have otherwise been avoided or that were otherwise not as likely to produce the severity of injury seen
- Poor roadway design and maintenance, especially in connection to debris, potholes, improperly secured cargo, gravel, and other roadway hazards that pose greater threats to motorcyclists
Work With Our Experienced Sandy Springs Motorcycle Accident Law Firm
Any motorcycle accident has the chance to inflict serious harm on the operator and any passengers. They risk broken bones, deep “road rash” abrasions, spinal trauma, traumatic brain injury, internal organ damage, and more.
The lack of protections for motorcycles — and the weight differences between a larger vehicle and a motorcycle — contribute to the likelihood of serious injuries, long-term disability, or death. In such accidents that involve high damages, at-fault parties are more likely to dispute fault, allege pre-existing injuries, or claim the motorcyclist or some other party contributed fault.
Having an attorney can help claimants to separate objective legal facts from speculative “wishful thinking” on the part of those who hold liability.
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is prepared to aggressively fight for the right of you and your family to claim as much as possible in the wake of your motorcycle accident. Our focus lies on helping you claim all applicable damages and establish exactly who is at fault and why.
These strategies have contributed to our winning record of obtaining millions in settlements and jury verdicts on behalf of our injured clients.
Contact us today to see why we are regarded as a trusted ally and critical resource for legal knowledge and case investigation. We fiercely protect our clients’ legal rights and seek to exert the full extent of our capabilities towards helping them recover more from their accident claims.
Schedule your free, no-obligation case review today with an experienced Sandy Springs motorcycle accident lawyer near you when you call (470) 323-8779 or contact us online.
