Should I Get a Lawyer for a Motorcycle Accident?

After a motorcycle accident, one of the first significant choices you must make after a motorcycle accident is whether you should hire an attorney for your case.

In reality, this should not even be a question for you. Motorcycle accident victims who hire lawyers for their cases, on average, end up with much more money than those who do not.

Insurance companies focus their fire on individuals who make the mistake of trusting them with their financial future. They treat claimants represented by motorcycle accident attorneys much differently from those who approach them on their own.

A motorcycle accident attorney will perform many valuable tasks in your case that you cannot do on your own. They understand the specific laws and regulations for motorcycle accidents, giving them an edge in building a solid case on your behalf.

Your lawyer can gather evidence and negotiate with insurance companies, using their knowledge and experience to handle the legal process effectively. Besides, you are dealing with physical injuries, which may limit your ability to handle any details of your case without a considerable amount of help.

One thing that should give you confidence when you are looking to hire a motorcycle accident attorney is that you are taking no financial risk when seeking legal help.

A motorcycle accident lawyer works for you on a contingency basis, meaning you only have to pay them if and when you win your case. If you do not receive a settlement check, or a jury does not award you money, you are under no obligation to pay your motorcycle accident lawyer for their time and services.

In the meantime, you pay no upfront costs or hourly bills while your case is pending.

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You Need Evidence That Can Prove Fault

The prerequisite to financial compensation in a motorcycle accident case is proving that the driver was at fault for what happened. The bar you must meet shows their negligence in the accident.

Negligence usually means that the driver did something unreasonable under the circumstances. In other words, you must prove that they did something that a reasonable driver would not have done. Reasonable drivers follow traffic laws and know how to share the road with motorcyclists.

It is not enough to tell the insurance company or a jury what the driver did to cause your accident. You must prove it with concrete evidence of what happened in the accident. You need someone to come in after the fact to investigate what happened and compile the evidence you need to prove your case.

This task is exactly what a motorcycle lawyer can do for you. They will speak with witnesses who saw the accident and gather other physical evidence that you can include with a claim or lawsuit, potentially putting you in a position where you qualify for financial compensation.

Your motorcycle attorney will carefully review the accident details, gather evidence, and consult with medical professionals, accident reconstruction experts, and other relevant parties to determine the full extent of your damages.

They will also calculate medical expenses, lost earnings, property damage, pain and suffering, and any future medical or rehabilitation costs due to the accident.

You Must Know How Much Your Motorcycle Accident Claim Is Worth

Before you can even approach the insurance company with a claim or file a lawsuit in court, you must know how much you seek damages. No two motorcycle accident claims are worth the same amount because your damages depend entirely on you and your situation.

You may understand the legal concepts that underlie your motorcycle accident compensation, but you need to speak to a lawyer to know how much your claim is worth.

In any motorcycle accident case, the responsible driver must restore you to the exact position you were in before the accident. Although you cannot regain your health or undo what you have experienced, you can receive compensation.

Your motorcycle accident compensation must include money for the past harm that you have suffered and for what you will experience in the future because of your injuries.

Your motorcycle accident claim can be worth a significant amount of money. If the driver was at fault for the accident, they must pay you for all the economic losses you have suffered.

These losses include the medical expenses necessary to treat your injuries and the money you could have earned from working. In addition to actual lost earnings, the driver must also pay you for any reduction in your earnings capacity.

In addition, the driver must also pay for the subjective non-economic damages that you will endure. These damages compensate you for the impacts that your injuries have on the various aspects of your life, and the most significant element of non-economic damages is pain and suffering.

You must get paid for your own individualized experience and not allow the insurance company to use a formula to calculate your damages.

A motorcycle accident lawyer can estimate your damages and let you know how much to pursue in compensation because they have the skills to assess the true value of your case

Someone Must Communicate with the Insurance Company on Your Behalf

Insurance companies may want to communicate with you after your motorcycle accident, but do not speak with them without your lawyer present.

The insurance adjuster wants to talk to you to get you on the record with a statement and use whatever you say against you if it benefits the insurance company. You may even have no idea that you are under no obligation whatsoever to speak with the insurance company.

Alternatively, insurance companies may want to pressure you into an early settlement before you know how much your case is worth. If they dangle money in front of you quickly, there is a reason for it, and that should make you very suspicious.

In any event, any communication with insurance companies should be through more formal channels, and you need a motorcycle accident lawyer to speak for you. Hiring a motorcycle accident attorney reduces the chances of any loose statements you make undermining your claim.

You Need to Deal with the Insurance Company’s Bias

Insurance companies have financial self-interests at play when you are filing a motorcycle accident claim. One of the ways that they manifest this self-interest is by displaying a bias against motorcyclists when they file a claim or lawsuit.

The insurance adjuster is nobody’s fool and knows their employer will receive a hefty bill because motorcycle accidents tend to cause more severe injuries than other motor vehicle crashes. The insurance adjuster is trying to find any way to save their employer money at your expense.

Insurance companies take a much harder line on motorcycle accident claims. They are already difficult to deal with for car accident claims, but they make things even more challenging when a motorcyclist tries to obtain money for their accident injuries. They may deny the claim entirely when they feel you do not have strong enough evidence that their driver was to blame for the accident.

The insurance company may also manifest its bias by trying to blame you for the accident. Insurance companies believe that jury members may feel a motorcyclist is riskier than the average person and may push their luck as far as possible in the claims process.

Even if the insurance company only partially blames you for the accident, it can cut the compensation you receive (or eliminate it).

As much as you need to prove that the driver was to blame for the accident, you also need someone who can defend you from insurance companies and any allegations they may make against you. Expect the insurance company to treat you as guilty until you can prove yourself innocent in the claims process.

A motorcycle accident lawyer may need to present evidence that shows what you did (or did not do) and why you are not to blame for the accident. They may collect proof that refutes the insurance company’s accusations because that is what you must do to receive total compensation for your motorcycle accident injuries.

If you do not have a motorcycle accident attorney, you make yourself vulnerable to the insurance company taking advantage of you.

A Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Will Fight for Your Full Compensation

Merely receiving a settlement offer from the insurance company (if it even makes one) is no victory. Your motorcycle accident settlement must fully compensate you for your injuries, or else you are leaving money on the table.

However, insurance companies will never make a full and fair offer immediately. They may try to see what they can get away with in the negotiation process or try to tempt you to take less money. You have the legal right to full compensation in your case when the diver was to blame for the accident.

When the insurance company offers you too little money, the proper course of action is to reject the settlement offer. Insurance companies do not expect you to accept their initial offer because they know exactly how low it is.

Instead, your motorcycle accident attorney may need to negotiate further with the insurance company, making it well aware that you have the right to take your case to court if you cannot reach a settlement agreement.

If you have to file a lawsuit, your motorcycle accident attorney will represent you in your case against the other driver. You should hire a motorcycle accident lawyer with extensive courtroom experience because you never quite know when your case will end up there.

Even if you file a motorcycle accident lawsuit, there is a high chance that your case may settle before you end up in front of a jury.

When Should I Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney? Call Today

You do not have any time to waste when getting legal help. Your motorcycle accident lawyer must do a considerable amount of work before you take any formal steps to seek compensation, and they need to start now.

You never know when you will lose the evidence you need to prove your case or when the insurance company may try to trick or trap you. It costs you nothing out of your pocket to hire a motorcycle accident attorney, but it can cost you everything if you wait too long to retain one.

Seek the help of a qualified motorcycle accident lawyer. They have the knowledge, experience, and resources to guide you through the legal process, ensure fair compensation, and protect your rights.

Your personal injury lawyer will confirm that your claim is worth pursuing and will take the necessary steps to secure the financial compensation you deserve. Reach out to a professional who can guide you through the process and fight for your rights.

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