A motorcycle accident lawyer can help maximize your settlement amount to compensate for major injuries, permanent disabilities, and other damages caused by an accident. Their expertise is invaluable. In the aftermath of a motorcycle crash, it’s hard to know where to turn. Insurance settlements are often lower than expected (insurers often justify decreasing or denying a payout by saying you’re to blame or didn’t take steps to prevent a motorcycle crash).
We’ll explain how motorcycle accident settlements work and how an experienced attorney can get the compensation you deserve.
How a Motorcycle Accident Settlement Works
The aftermath of a motorcycle accident is often a financial blow many people can’t overcome without an accident settlement. Motorcyclists are at a higher risk of being seriously injured or killed in a crash than other drivers. To complicate matters, obtaining fair compensation involves a legal dispute, which can be complex, expensive, and tedious. However, a skilled lawyer can represent you and negotiate on your behalf to reach a settlement covering expenses related to your accident.
Why You Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
A lack of legal experience combined with being in an injured state works against you, which is why you need a personal injury attorney. They can help in the following ways:
- Determine the Value of Your Claim: An experienced lawyer knows how to estimate the value of a claim. The seriousness of your injuries, the cost of medical care, and the impact on your wages/future earnings are just a few factors. Your lawyer will also check police reports, witness statements, and medical records. They can even weigh the impact of pain, suffering, and emotional distress.
The stronger the evidence, the more likely your attorney can help increase your settlement (assuming you don’t share fault or have similar pre-existing injuries).
- Negotiate a Settlement: Effective negotiation requires patience and expertise. An experienced attorney has the legal, communication, and thinking skills to fight for you and consider the other party’s perspective. Multiple rounds of negotiation may be required before both sides reach an agreement. Motorcycle accident lawyers know how emotional and difficult this process can be, but they are experienced and patient, which helps find a solution that’s in your best interest.
- Legal Advice: Before attempting to negotiate, a lawyer can explain the more complicated legal language that pertains to your case. Insurance companies also use language you might not understand, which can lead to accepting a low settlement. Their first offer is almost always lower than what your case is worth. An attorney can discuss the insurer’s tactics and advise you not to make any statements or sign anything from them.
- Build Your Case: If there’s one thing motorcycle accident lawyers are good at, it’s getting proof the at-fault driver caused your injuries. They must determine your injuries resulted from the motorcycle accident, the crash was caused by the at-fault party’s recklessness, and you sustained damages as a result. Lawyers know the details required to prove these facts and collect evidence to support the claim. Once you‘ve fully healed or achieved maximum medical improvement, they can estimate your total losses and build a compelling case.
- Representation in Court: If a fair settlement isn’t achieved through negotiation or mediation, the case may go to trial. Going to trial is costly and risks losing a case, as it requires convincing a judge or jury of a party’s fault. But a lawyer may go this route if the insurance company is unreasonable or there are complicating factors such as multiple parties or a company with a legal team involved.
Common Motorcycle Accident Questions
How Soon Should I Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
It’s best to contact a motorcycle crash lawyer immediately after the accident. They’ll start collecting evidence and investigate every detail of your claim. Working with the insurance adjuster is another advantage; this helps ensure every detail is accurate and you’re not coerced into making a statement that could jeopardize the claim.
Does Having a Lawyer Guarantee My Case Will Win?
No case is guaranteed to win. But having an experienced lawyer willing to take on your case is a good start. Personal injury attorneys often work on a contingency fee basis, meaning they’re not paid unless your case wins. Along the way, they’ll consider every variable, apply relevant laws, and ensure you take all the required actions. They can also hire accident reconstruction and other experts to uncover additional evidence.
What About Losses that Aren’t Financially Calculable?
Aside from economic damages, an attorney can fight for non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, mental trauma, and loss of enjoyment of life. You can also be compensated for permanent disfigurement, disabilities, and impairments, or if your partner loses their life, loss of consortium can be factored in. An experienced lawyer knows the value of these losses, which can equal a significant amount of money.
How Much Is My Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?
Every case is different, so there’s no set amount you can expect to receive. Your motorcycle accident lawyer will weigh numerous factors and negotiate with insurance adjusters and other parties to get a maximum settlement amount. Generally, the more severe the accident, the more a motorcycle accident settlement can be worth.
Call Jacob Today
At the Law Offices of Jacob Emrani, we fight aggressively to get our clients the compensation they deserve. We’ve won multi-million-dollar settlements in many types of accident cases. Motorcycle crashes result in everything from road rash to debilitating head, neck, and amputation injuries to paralysis and death. Don’t risk being without an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer. Call us at (888) 952-2952 for your free consultation.