Motorcycles are one of the most dangerous vehicles out there. Per data from the NHTSA, 14% of all traffic fatalities in the United States in 2019 were motorcycle riders, and over 84,000 motorcyclists were injured due to vehicular crashes in the same year.
No matter whether it is the motorcycle driver or the other party at fault for an accident, it’s important to know what to do if you ever find yourself in the middle of a motorcycle accident. Some of the steps you should follow are relatively easy to guess – call 911, get checked out by a medical professional, and file an official police report of the accident.
One of the most important steps to take, however, is one that people often forget about – getting a motorcycle accident lawyer to represent you. There are several reasons that taking this step is necessary for everyone involved in a motorcycle crash.
They Allow You to Focus on Your Recovery
If you do decide to seek compensation for your injuries, it is possible to represent yourself in court. Lawyers generally advise against it, as most people don’t have the necessary experience to fight a legal battle effectively. However, if you have experience in the legal field, there’s a chance that this may not apply to you.
However, even if you are a personal injury lawyer, it’s always a good idea to get someone else involved. By turning your case over to an attorney, you can focus on resting and recovering from your injuries instead of trying to build a solid case. There’s much less stress for you to deal with, and you can concentrate on getting your life back on track and getting 100% healthy.
They Can Help Determine If You’re Entitled to Compensation
Not everyone involved in a motorcycle accident is entitled to financial compensation. For example, if you were at fault for the accident, there’s a chance that the other party will approach you for restitution. Additionally, sometimes freak accidents happen where no one is at fault.
Even if you are entitled to financial restitution, you will first need to figure out who was at fault. This isn’t always the other driver – in some cases, the fault can lie with the municipal authority where you were driving if a defective road caused the crash. In other situations, it can even lie with a pedestrian. Your lawyer will help determine who was at fault and who you should approach for compensation.
Finally, your lawyer can help determine how much compensation you are entitled to. There are several factors that can play a part in determining the figure, and this article can give you a better idea of what these factors are. Depending on what the conditions surrounding your motorcycle accident were, there is a chance that you may be entitled to a significant amount of money.
If you try to handle compensation without legal help, there’s a good chance you’ll accept a lowball offer instead of what you are actually owed. Remember, the other side – no matter whether that’s another driver, an insurance company, or a government body – is hoping to keep their costs down, and that means trying to get you to accept less money. Having a lawyer by your side reduces the likelihood that the final settlement will be unfair to you.
They Can Help You File a Legal Claim
If you do decide to move forward with a claim for compensation, you will likely need to file a legal claim to get everything started. This process is relatively complicated if you aren’t already familiar with the court system, and a lawyer can make things much easier. They will also be able to guide you in situations where filing a legal claim isn’t immediately required.
Some states allow you to negotiate with an insurance company for a settlement before going to court. If you choose to go this route, your attorney will represent you during these negotiations. Should the process make its way to being a court case, your lawyer will then be able to represent you in front of the court and will be able to help you find expert witnesses to support your side of the argument.
Should you decide to file and argue a claim without the help of a lawyer, there’s a good chance that the final settlement you’re awarded is much lower than it can be. An experienced lawyer will know all the tricks of the trade and will be able to anticipate moves from the other side’s legal advisors to make sure your settlement is as large as possible.
No matter what type of motorcycle accident you’ve been in, hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer in the aftermath is a must. Even if all they will tell you is that you’re not entitled to compensation, having the certainty of knowledge is always better than wondering whether you could have done things differently later down the line.
