The machines are glamorized on both the big screen and the small screen.
An insurance company even made a motorcycle the centerpiece of its marketing pitch.
For all the glitz and glamour ascribed to owning a motorcycle, there is one irrefutable fact that splashes water on the “Born to be wild” party.
Motorcycle owners are highly vulnerable to sustaining serious injuries caused by an accident.
It does not matter if the accident involved just a motorcycle on a remote road or multiple vehicles driving along a bustling interstate.
A motorcycle accident can leave a devastating mark on both you and your bike. How you handle the aftermath of a motorcycle accident determines whether you receive compensation from your insurance company, as well as if you can build a strong enough case to file a civil lawsuit that seeks monetary damages.
Possible Damages Awarded in Motorcycle Accident Cases
Whether you seek compensation through your insurer or file a claim in a civil court for just compensation, the fact remains that the physical toll a motorcycle accident took on you translates into a costly medical bill that can take years to pay off, if it doesn’t first bankrupt your finances.
Motorcyclists involved in any type of crash are highly vulnerable to long lasting head and/or neck injuries.
Concussions take time to heal, which means you can expect to experience a significant drop in personal income.
Lost wages and costly medical bills team up to drain personal bank accounts within a short period.
Any expense paid out of pocket represents damages that you should recover by filing a vehicle insurance claim.
Motorcycles typically receive the brunt of the damage caused by a crash.
You have the right to seek monetary damages to take care of the repair bill or the replacement bill if your insurer determines the motorcycle is beyond repair.
Throw in the cost of a state licensed personal injury lawyer, and you have a substantial bill to pay after a motorcycle accident.
Your Actions Matter after a Motorcycle Accident
Although contacting law enforcement right after a motorcycle accident should be the first item on your to do list, the fact remains that sometimes, a law enforcement agency cannot make it to the accident scene in a timely manner.
It is up to you to play lead investigator, which means interviewing witnesses to the crash.
Timing is everything when it comes to obtaining witness accounts to vehicle crashes.
The longer you wait to talk to witnesses, the more likely one or more witnesses leave the scene of the crash.
You also want the freshest account from witnesses, as time has a tendency to diminish our recall power.
Taking photographs of the damage done to your bike helps the adjuster for your vehicle insurance company determine the extent of the damage.
You should also shoot pics of the road and weather conditions on the day of the crash to help speed up the insurance claim process.
Insurance claims that do not involve fault and instead, place the blame for a motorcycle accident on the road and/or weather conditions, typically take less time to process.
Before filing an insurance claim or submitting the paperwork that initiates a lawsuit, you should understand the strength of your case by undergoing a free case evaluation.
Schedule a free case evaluation today to determine the best course of legal action.
