Merging accidents happen when someone who is merging into the flow of traffic from a side road or another lane misjudges the maneuver and sideswipes or hits another vehicle on the side, causing both vehicles to crash. Some of the worst merging accidents happen when a motorcyclist is hit by a merging vehicle and the rider is thrown or dragged along the surface of the highway, causing severe scratching and bruising known as road rash.
If this has happened to you and you have been badly injured in a merging accident, then you should contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as you are able to do so. Assuming that your road rash injuries were not your fault, but due to the negligent actions of another driver, you have grounds to file a personal injury claim against that driver. A successful claim will allow you to recover the cost of medical treatment and replace lost wages at the least.
Cost of a Road Rash Injury After a Merging Accident
Motorcycle injuries due to a merging accident can be very serious. Even if you don’t land on your head, you can be thrown across the hard road surface and even dragged along the road. The severity of road rash injuries depends on how fast you and the other vehicle were traveling at the moment of the impact and also what protective gear you were wearing. The more exposed skin you had in contact with the ground, the worse the injuries are likely to be.
You would need hospital treatment for cuts and lacerations and possibly broken bones or other more serious damage. You may need several days in hospital and treatment with antibiotics and painkillers followed up by a period of recovery at home. You would be seeking compensation for the days spent at the hospital, any necessary surgery, lost wages while you were being treated and while recovering together with the cost of repairing your motorcycle.
Filing a Claim For a Road Rash Injury After a Merging Accident
A claim for a road rash injury must be made within the period allowed by state rules on personal injury, normally two or three years from the date of the accident. You are advised to discuss the accident with a lawyer first to see what your chances of claiming compensation are.
Personal injury claims are not accepted without considerable preparation on your part. Your lawyer can help and will let you know whether he / she thinks you have enough evidence to show the other driver’s insurer that their client was at fault and that negligent driving caused the injuries for which you were claiming. If you were badly injured at the time of the incident, you may need to rely on the police report made at the scene and any statements made by eye witnesses who saw you come off your bike. You will also need to provide evidence of how much the accident has cost you such as bills and invoices as well as reports from the hospital or a doctor about your injuries.
Why You Should Speak With a PI Lawyer
Personal injury claims are never straightforward. Insurers tend to favor their own client in any negotiation about compensation, but are more likely to respond favorably if you are represented by an experienced personal injury lawyer who has handled cases like yours before.
