Recovery should be your goal after a motorcycle accident. When you set your sights on recovery, you should consider: 1) Your physical recovery, 2) Your psychological and emotional recovery, and 3) Your financial recovery.
To start your physical recovery, get a thorough medical evaluation. For your psychological and emotional recovery, consider seeing a mental health professional. If you want to recover financially, hire a motorcycle accident lawyer to lead the fight for the money you deserve. A skilled injury attorney can connect you with the medical experts you need while handling the legal process of your case.
Each rider experiences something different when they’re in an accident. Some get up and walk after their accident, while others lose consciousness. Some see their bike totaled, while others seemingly don’t suffer a scratch.
Regardless of how your accident unfolded, it is smart to:
Motorcyclists are 24 times more likely to die than motor vehicle occupants, in part because they have little protection from serious injury. Head injuries are of particular concern, and everyone involved in a motorcycle collision should:
You should receive a precise diagnosis for any symptoms and injuries you’re experiencing after the accident. Your doctor should also provide clear instructions to start your healing and prevent the worsening of your symptoms.
You will see an immediate benefit from hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer, as your attorney will:
Considering that many traffic accident survivors grapple with the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a lawyer’s help cannot come soon enough.
Keep in mind that getting medical care, hiring a lawyer, and seeking mental health treatment are similarly important priorities. Each of these are time sensitive, so you should always complete each of these steps as soon as you can.
It is important for motorcycle accident victims to get mental health services for several reasons, including to document the effects of the accident. If necessary, your attorney can refer you to a mental health service provider, and they will ensure you receive the evaluations and treatments you need.
Once you have hired a lawyer and sought help for physical injuries and psychological trauma, let your lawyer take the lead. You should:
When you’ve been through an event as traumatic as a motorcycle accident, your immediate goal should be to make life easier. Hiring an attorney is one of the clearest ways to accomplish that goal.
As an injured rider, you may only need one good reason to hire a lawyer. In truth, there are many compelling reasons to retain a motorcycle accident attorney, which include:
A motorcycle accident claim or lawsuit is a necessary and potentially financially rewarding undertaking. Yet, completing a claim or lawsuit:
Those who suffer injuries and psychological distress during a motorcycle accident are not typically well-suited to handle an insurance claim, let alone a lawsuit. Your attorney will eagerly accept every case-related duty, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Motorcycle accident lawyers do not ask clients for upfront payment, nor do they bill by the hour. Instead, your lawyer will use a contingency fee arrangement that means:
This agreement also means that your attorney will only be paid if they provide a positive financial outcome for you. This may increase your confidence that hiring a lawyer can lead to the settlement or verdict you deserve.
When you have a significant financial recovery on the line, hire someone who has been there before. A lawyer’s prior experience representing injured riders will:
Experienced personal injury lawyers also know the types of injuries and damages that often result from collisions like yours.
Attorneys and insurance representatives often find themselves on opposite sides of the negotiating table. Your motorcycle accident lawyer should be calm and unintimidated when negotiating with insurance companies, as they will:
The option of filing a lawsuit is critical during settlement negotiations. Insurance companies may not want to risk losing in court, and this may motivate them to offer the settlement you deserve.
Riders just ride. They don’t typically think about what will happen if they’re in an accident—or how much effort it will take to obtain fair compensation for medical expenses and other accident-related losses.
You can understand the immense value of hiring a lawyer when you recognize that motorcycle accident attorneys typically:
Motor vehicle drivers often fail to see riders in their blind spots. Your attorney will consider that a motor vehicle driver can be responsible for your accident, but they will also:
Your lawyer will use any useful evidence as they prepare to present settlement negotiations. If your case goes to trial, evidence can be particularly critical to your case’s success.
Those who cause a motorcycle accident are not always the same ones who end up paying the injured rider. Your attorney will seek fair compensation from any insurance company, motorist, or other party with financial responsibility for your damages.
Generally, anyone who is in a motorcycle accident will suffer harm. It’s your lawyer’s duty to document in vivid detail the nature and cost of the harm as well as the proof of fault. Some means of documentation may include:
Attorneys understand how to illustrate their clients’ damages, and that’s precisely what your lawyer will do for you.
Evidence of fault and documentation of your damages will be the bedrock of your client’s case. Their calculation of your damages will also be critically important.
Once your lawyer has composed these elements of your case, they can present their settlement demands to insurance companies or other liable parties. Your legal team may complete several rounds of negotiations, and they will either receive a fair offer or speak with you about filing a lawsuit.
If you had to file a lawsuit tomorrow, could you? If you can manage to file that suit, will you be able to complete it? Can you win at trial?
For most motorcycle accident victims, the answer to these questions is “no”. Even if you were healthy and uninjured, it can be difficult, time-consuming, and stressful for you to learn the legal process and complete that process successfully. Injuries and psychological trauma will make the process even more challenging.
When you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer, you:
It’s certainly not a given that you will file a lawsuit or go to trial after your motorcycle accident—the vast majority of civil cases settle. If your case requires it, your attorney will:
Trial is even less common than lawsuits, as the parties involved are often able to reach a settlement agreement before trial starts. However, a serious motorcycle accident may lead to a trial, as you may deserve a large financial recovery that liable parties aren’t willing to offer.
Riders’ vulnerability to serious injury means that motorcycle accident cases often involve severe damages. Your lawyer’s settlement demands may include:
Disabling injuries can require long-term care, changes to your home, a new vehicle, and many other items and services. Your attorney will put together a personalized accounting of your damages and present their demands to liable parties.
Motorcyclist deaths have been on an upward trajectory in recent years. If you have lost a loved one from fatal accident-related injuries, you may benefit immensely from a lawyer’s help. Your attorney will represent you compassionately while tenaciously fighting for the justice you and your other affected loved ones deserve.
You may not fully realize the value of a motorcycle accident lawyer until your case is complete. Don’t wait to hire your personal injury attorney, and let them begin building your case.