You take motorcycle safety seriously. When you ride, your well-being and that of your fellow drivers and riders is your sole concern. Unfortunately, not everyone shares this attitude toward driving. Not everyone who operates a motor vehicle is watchful and vigilant. In fact, some are outright reckless.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident that owes to the negligence and inattention of another driver, then you do have legal options.
What You Should Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Motorcyclists do not have the physical protection that most drivers take for granted every day. This makes them especially vulnerable to harm. If you are in a collision with another vehicle, you should take the following actions to ensure your safety and health while protecting your rights later on:
1. Ensure you are not severely injured. If you are conscious and able to walk, you should go over to the driver to make sure that they are alright.
2. Call emergency services. You should call 911 so that both police and medical respondents arrive at the scene. Do not assume that the other person did so.
3. Exchange information. Exchange insurance details and personal information with the driver.
4. Take photos of the accident. You should take as many photos as you can of the accident, including the damage done to your motorcycle.
5. Get examined by a medical professional. Always go to the emergency room for a full physical examination. Even if you are feeling alright, you should have a trained professional assess your condition. They may find something that you can’t see or feel at that moment. If you were injured in the collision, you should also take photographs of your injuries before they are treated.
6. Obtain legal representation. You should retain the services of a motorcycle accident attorney immediately. Speaking with an attorney will examine the evidence of your case and help you determine what your rights are moving forward.
Why Should You Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney?
There are individuals who may want to handle their own motorcycle personal injury claim. In our experience, injured individuals who obtain legal representation not only have a better chance of receiving a larger amount of compensation, but they are able to focus on healing while letting their attorneys do the legal work.
It is best to work with a personal injury attorney who has experience working with similar cases like yours - in this case, motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accident attorneys will have deep insight into personal injury law as it applies to such cases. They will be familiar with how to work with insurance companies and third parties in order to get their clients the most compensation possible.
Here are some of the aspects of a personal injury claim that your attorney will be able to do for you:
1. Determine Whether You Deserve Compensation
The insurance company of the other driver will most likely contact you. They will want to interview you as part of their investigation. They may even offer you a low-dollar settlement. You should not sit down with or talk to such individuals without your personal injury attorney.
You should also avoid signing any document until your attorney has had a chance to review it. Your attorney will look at the facts of the case and determine if you deserve more compensation that the settlement amount you are being offered. They will assess your injuries and other hardships and advise you on the amount you should demand from the insurance company. In any case, you should never try to negotiate with an insurance company on your own.
2. Explain the Process of Filing a Legal Claim
The attorney can explain the procedures and timeline for getting compensation. In most cases, it will be a matter of negotiating with the insurance company. Your attorney will launch their own investigation into the accident. They will gather witness statements, forensic evidence, camera footage, police reports, and other facts related to the incident and use them as evidence in order to show the insurance company that you deserve more than what they are offering you.
3. Represent You in Court
The case may have to go to trial. This will only happen if the sum of money you need to defer your medical costs and other losses is evidently more than what the insurance company is offering and they refuse to offer this amount.
If the case does go to court, you want a lawyer with exceptional abilities as a litigator. Your lawyer will present the case for you. They will argue the facts and demonstrate to the jury that the accident owed to the recklessness of the other individual, that it caused you severe harm, and that their insurance company owes you a significant amount of money.
4. Help You Obtain the Compensation You Need to Recover
If the accident caused you serious harm, if it forced you to undergo multiple surgeries and to stay months in the hospital, you will need a large amount of cash to offset the expense. The cost will not only come in the form of medical bills; it will also come in the form of income lost, mental strain and stress on your family, and your own pain and suffering.
In addition, our personal injury attorneys work on contingency fees, which work to help injured parties obtain legal representation that they otherwise would not have been able to afford. By working on this fee system, our clients do not pay anything unless we help them win compensation.
Call an Experienced and Reputable Motorcycle Attorney Today
A motorcycle accident can be absolutely devastating. Riding a motorcycle may have been your once favorite recreational activity, but may now seem like the beginning of a long journey of healing. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney will help you get the compensation you need to heal both physically and emotionally after an accident.
If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you need competent, experienced, and highly skilled legal representation. The Chicago personal injury attorneys at McNabola & Associates will fight on your behalf so that you can focus on getting well and moving forward.
Contact our firm at (312) 888-8700 for a free consultation.