If you have suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident, you have likely suffered significant injuries that can have a large impact on your life. If a driver was negligent, they should pay you compensation for the harm their actions caused you. However, between you and full compensation stands an insurance company that does not want to pay it under any circumstances.
The best way for an insurance company to take you seriously is to approach them with a motorcycle accident lawyer. Getting legal help gives you both a fighter and a fighting chance of getting a full settlement for your injuries.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries Can Be Serious Because of the Nature of the Crash
Motorcycle accident injuries tend to be far more serious than those that you might sustain in the “average” motor vehicle accident. The motorcycle provides almost no protection to a biker from a serious crash. Even if you have worn a helmet and other safety gear, there is a high chance that you will be struck directly by the car and violently thrown onto the pavement. Statistically speaking, motorcyclists are injured in accidents more than half the time. In many cases, these injuries can be severe and life-changing.
One major cause of motorcycle accidents is the lack of protection and visibility, making motorcyclists more vulnerable on the road.
Motorcycle accident injuries can include the following:
- Fractures and broken bones
- Cuts and lacerations
- Soft tissue injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Burns
- Road rash
- Internal injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
Your Physical Injuries Can Cost You a Considerable Amount of Money
Physical injuries usually come with a cost attached. First, you can experience economic losses from your motorcycle accident injury. The most immediate loss is the medical bills sent your way. Even with health insurance, you will still be responsible for your share of the expenses. You may have a cost-share or a deductible you must meet, and this is money out of your own pocket.
Further, you may be out of work for an extended period of time if you have physical injuries. All of this adds up to a potentially dire financial situation you must address with a motorcycle accident settlement. You may be dealing with financial challenges for years to come, and you are legally entitled to compensation for both past and future harm.
Physical Injuries Have Other Costs That Add Up
Your non-economic injuries can be every bit as significant as your economic harm and perhaps even greater. Your physical injuries can be serious, and they can cause a variety of effects in your life. Never underestimate what serious and constant pain can do and the disruption it can pose to your life. Just living with continuous discomfort can impact your mental health in a number of ways. You may be dealing with anxiety and depression that accompany your physical condition. You might also be experiencing emotional distress from the motorcycle accident itself, as many crash victims deal with lingering post-traumatic disorder that can remain with them for the rest of their lives.
Non-economic damages can mean even more compensation than you receive for your actual economic losses. For example, the insurance company applies a multiplier to your medical expenses to arrive at your pain and suffering damages. However, these are also subjective damages that rely on what you report as your aftereffects of the accident. You can hardly expect the insurance company to willingly pay you everything you deserve based on your word alone. They will usually demand as much proof as possible of your intangible losses in addition to your economic losses. They may even discount some of the proof that they receive, especially when they have their own doctors diagnose you who have never seen you.
You Must Prove Your Damages to Receive Compensation
You also have the burden of proof to demonstrate your damages. This task can be especially challenging when there is significant non-economic damage. You should try to keep a log of what you experienced after the motorcycle accident. If you are dealing with any mental health issues, you should always seek help from a mental health treatment provider. Not only can it help you deal with the emotional effects of your injuries, but this treatment can also lead to notes where the provider relates their observations about your condition. The more evidence that you have that can take the subjective out of your claim, the stronger of a case that you can make to an insurance company (or a jury if necessary)
Your Lawyer Fights for You to Get Everything You Deserve
An experienced motorcycle accident attorney makes it their job and mission to get you fully compensated for all of the injuries that you have suffered in the crash. The insurance company shows a natural disrespect for motorcyclists. If you hire a motorcycle accident attorney, the insurance company will start to take you seriously. They cannot get away with wrongfully blaming you for the accident or trying to minimize the scope and extent of your injuries. If the insurance company keeps trying to compromise your legal rights after you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer, you have a credible threat of litigation that the insurance company needs to consider. Insurers often want to avoid going to court, so they might offer a fair settlement once they realize litigation is a real possibility.
The insurance company is naturally always going to try to underpay your damages. They know exactly how much you deserve in compensation, yet they will offer you far less and make you fight. If a settlement offer is for less than you deserve, an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will advise you to reject the offer and continue negotiating until you get the amount of money you deserve.
Your motorcycle accident attorney may advise you to file a lawsuit when the insurance company persists in being unreasonable in your claim. Even though there is a low chance that your case will go to trial, there is a higher chance of litigation when there is more money at stake.Seek your free consultation with a personal injury attorney now and discuss your options.