A motorcycle accident has the potential to alter your life forever. These accidents can lead to devastating injuries that can last a lifetime. In some cases, the injuries you sustain from a motorcycle accident can prevent you from maintaining employment or enjoying life as you did before the collision.
If your motorcycle accident resulted from the negligence of another person or entity, you could qualify for financial compensation. A successful injury claim could provide you with monetary damages for your medical bills, lost wages, and mental anguish, among other things. Do not wait to discuss your options with an Anderson motorcycle accident lawyer. We specialize in personal injury cases and only handle these types of cases at our firm.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Thousands of motorists suffer serious injuries due to motorcycle accidents each year. The factors that cause these accidents can vary, but every successful injury claim involves the negligence of another person.
While the number of motorcycle accidents is steadily falling, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), thousands of motorcyclists continue to suffer injuries each year. Some of the most common causes of these injuries include:
- Visibility issues. The fact that motorcycles are much smaller than cars or trucks works against motorcyclists. Drivers that fail to watch for motorcycles are particularly likely to collide with them.
- Busy intersections. One of the most common factors in a motorcycle accident involves a rider that is turning across traffic at an intersection. Many drivers fail to see the rider until it is too late.
- Unsafe passing. Motorcycle riders have the same right to use the road as automobile drivers. Unfortunately, many drivers encroach on motorcyclists, causing accidents.
- Hazardous conditions. Slick, icy, and wet roads are common causes of motorcycle accidents. This is especially true of riders who travel too fast for the conditions.
- Mechanical issues. Some accidents occur through the fault of the rider or nearby motorists. When a mechanical defect causes an accident, it is possible to pursue compensation from the manufacturer of the faulty part.
We Must Prove Negligence To Recoup Damages
To recover compensation in a motorcycle accident claim, you must prove the other party was negligent. As the American Bar Association explains, this requires showing:
- The other party owed you a duty of care. Everyone owes others a duty of care. For instance, all motorists have a duty of care to drive with caution. Government agencies have a duty of care to provide safe roadways.
- The other party breached their duty of care. This occurs when the other party doesn’t act as a reasonably prudent party would. A reasonable motorist would follow traffic laws. A reasonable government agency would promptly fix any roadway hazards.
- The breach of duty caused your injuries. We must prove that because another party breached their duty of care, you suffered harm. In Indiana, you can still bear a portion of fault for the accident and still recover compensation.
- You incurred damages because of the accident. We must show that because you suffered harm in a collision, you have various damages, such as healthcare expenses.
An Anderson motorcycle accident lawyer from Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. can assemble evidence to build a solid case. We can do what it takes to prove the other party’s negligence caused your injuries.
For a free legal consultation with a motorcycle accidents lawyer serving Anderson, call 317-636-7777
Available Damages
The compensation available in your motorcycle accident case will depend on your losses from the accident. That said, there are many types of compensation that are often available in these cases.
This compensation typically falls into two categories: economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for your tangible losses in the accident. Examples include medical bills and lost wages. Establishing the economic damages you are entitled to can be done through the use of bills, invoices, paid receipts, and estimates.
Non-economic damages are not so simple to quantify. These damages compensate you for the subjective losses you experience in a motorcycle accident. Examples include pain and suffering or mental anguish. Because there is no set value for these losses, only witness testimony can establish their value.
Medical Bills
The medical costs that come with a motorcycle accident are often the largest form of economic compensation available in a motorcycle accident claim. In addition to the emergency medical costs you accrue, you could also seek compensation for any surgeries, physical therapy, or medical devices.
Pain and Suffering
Compensation for your physical pain and suffering can be a part of a personal injury claim as well. Typically, this represents the largest type of non-economic damage in most motorcycle accident cases.
Lost Wages
If you are too injured to immediately return to work, your lost wages could quickly wreak havoc on your financial situation. In a motorcycle accident claim, you can seek compensation not only for the wages you missed after the accident but the future earning capacity you lose due to permanent injuries.
Property Damage
In addition to damages related to your physical injuries, you are also entitled to seek compensation for damage to your personal property, including your motorcycle. You can seek compensation to repair or replace your bike, depending on the severity of the damage.
Anderson Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 317-636-7777
Reasons To Hire Our Lawyers After a Motorcycle Accident
Our attorneys are prepared to handle your case’s legal details while you focus on your recovery. We can help you seek the best possible results by:
Determining What Your Case Is Worth
If you get an offer from an insurance company soon after the accident, it may not truly reflect all your costs and losses. Our attorneys understand motorcycle accident cases and can demonstrate the settlement amount or award you deserve.
We will work to ensure that your settlement reflects:
- Your past, present, and future medical bills
- Major impacts on your wages and career
- Important non-economic losses
We think you shouldn’t be left paying out of pocket for future surgeries or the cost of changing careers to accommodate new physical limitations. Additionally, we can even work with field experts to prove hard-to-quantify losses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Without a lawyer’s help, you may not realize how much compensation you’re eligible to seek for all these damages.
Dealing with Aggressive or Bullying Tactics
Unfortunately, you could run into aggressive or unfair tactics when dealing with an insurance company. An insurance company may protect its bottom line and limit payouts to claimants by claiming that you were more responsible for the crash than you were. They could also review your medical information and state that your injuries aren’t as serious as you say.
Additionally, the insurer could unfairly delay the fulfillment of your claim or deny your case outright.
You shouldn’t have to deal with these kinds of challenges while you’re recovering from painful injuries. Our lawyers know how to stand up for you. We know the specific challenges many motorcyclists experience after a crash. We’re prepared to help defend you against unfair accusations of fault and help you seek the damages you deserve.
Offering Guidance Through the Legal Process
When you’re dealing with medical appointments, missed time from work, and other hardships after a crash, you may benefit from extra support through the legal process. During this time, you may not want to have to pick up phone calls from adjusters or negotiate a fair offer on your own.
We can help you:
- Understand all your legal options
- Explain important laws that may affect your case
- Communicate with all parties involved in the accident
- Deal with the negotiations for you and present you with any settlement offers
Click to contact our Anderson Motorcycle Accident Lawyer today
Why Choose Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. for Your Anderson Case?
At Sevenish Law Firm, P.C., Randy Sevenish is the “Lawyer Who Rides.” This gives our team a deep understanding of motorcycle accidents and the unique situation of motorcyclists as they seek compensation.
Additionally, our firm is dedicated to helping victims of injury. Handling personal injury cases is all we do. We are not like some jack-of-all-trades firms that handle all types of cases yet end up masters of none. Our experience allows us to seek the best possible results for you.
When you work with Sevenish Law Firm, P.C., you can also expect to get:
- Legal help from our attorneys based on contingency, meaning we require no legal fees upfront. If you don’t recover compensation, you don’t have to pay for our legal services.
- A free consultation so you can learn all your legal options. We can review your case and explain how we can help during the consultation.
Complete a Free Case Evaluation form now
The Deadline To File Your Injury Lawsuit
Every lawsuit filed in Anderson must comply with the statute of limitations. This includes personal injury cases related to a motorcycle accident. The statute of limitations is the hard deadline set for filing a lawsuit. If you file your case after the deadline expires, you can expect the defendant to quickly move for a dismissal with prejudice.
Outside of some limited circumstances, the court will grant that motion. This will result in the end of your chance at monetary compensation for your injuries. The time limit to file a lawsuit varies from one state to another. According to Indiana Code § 34-11-2-4, a plaintiff generally has two years from the date of a motorcycle accident to file their lawsuit.
Keeping track of your deadline to file a lawsuit can be challenging. The good news is that an Anderson motorcycle accident lawyer can help you comply with every legal deadline you might face.
What To Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Anderson, Indiana
There are steps you can take after your collision that could support your claim. Some of these considerations include:
- Seeking medical attention. Motorcycle accidents can result in grievous injuries––some of which don’t show symptoms right away. By seeking medical care, you can protect both your health and injury case.
- Get the contact information of any witnesses. Witnesses aren’t just people who saw the accident happen. They can include first responders, your healthcare team, and family members. We can use witness testimony to prove what happened before, during, and after your collision.
- Document your losses. Your lawyer will gather all the necessary information to support your case. However, you may come into possession of items that could prove your losses further. For instance, you may get emails from your employer about your missed days from work. You may get medical bills as you undergo treatment. We can use these items to prove your right to damages.
We also encourage you to consider partnering with our motorcycle accident team serving Anderson. Since 1985, we’ve advocated for Hoosiers injured in motorcycle accidents. When you entrust your case to us, you can rest assured that we’ll do everything in our power to seek what you’re owed.
Two Things To Avoid After Your Motorcycle Accident in Anderson
Above, we noted some of the things you should do after your collision. However, here are two things you should avoid:
- Giving a recorded statement. The insurance company may ask you to give a recorded statement. Yet, this is not in your best interest. Anything you share on the record, even something unrelated to your case, could hurt your right to compensation. Your lawyer will give the insurance company all relevant information.
- Posting information online. The claims adjuster may monitor your social media pages, hoping that you’ll share something to discredit your case. You want to protect your case’s potential. So, we recommend taking a break from your social media accounts––or, at the very least, tightening up your privacy settings.
You Could Qualify for Monetary Compensation After a Madison County Motorcycle Accident
You do not have to face a motorcycle accident claim on your own. With an Anderson motorcycle accident lawyer by your side, you can get help recovering the compensation you deserve.
Let the team at Sevenish Law Firm, P.C. review your case and determine if we can offer the assistance you need. Call now to schedule your free, no-risk consultation with us today.
Call or text 317-636-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
