Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Edwardsville
Unlike cars, motorcycles don’t provide any protection against the elements. This makes crashes much more devastating and can put bikers at risk of a permanent disability. Whether temporary or lifelong, disabilities of any kind can cause you to lose money financially. You won’t be able to perform your normal work tasks and must take time off from work. This can negatively impact your income while you are slowly recovering from severe wounds.
Motorcycle accident lawyers can help you overcome these trials and make sure you are represented fairly. They properly estimate your damages so that you receive maximum compensation. Get a free consultation by calling Hipskind & McAninch LLC now to address getting fair compensation for your motorcycle accident injuries.
How Long Do I Have to File for a Motorcycle Accident in Edwardsville?
Motorcycle accidents can result in a seriously detrimental personal injury that impacts the lives of their victims. Personal injury victims have up to two years to file their personal injury cases. The statute of limitations of two years begins on the date of the injury. There are some unique cases where the statute of limitations can be extended. This includes the following:
- Minors under the age of 18
- Injured victims that were traveling
- Late discovery of personal injury
What Factors Influence Whether I Win My Case?
Motorcycle accident attorneys will review your claim to see who can be held liable or not. Sometimes the other party is completely at fault, but there is also the chance you contributed to your motorcycle crash. There is also the circumstance where multiple parties are involved. Based on your motorcycle accident, the following factors can influence whether Edwardsville motorcycle accident lawyers can win your case:
Weather Conditions
The weather conditions at the time of the crash can be a reason that motorcycle accident victims get injured. If you partially contributed to your accident, poor weather conditions can be used in your favor to prevent the reduction of your settlement.
Level of Damages
Motorcycle accidents typically have worse damages than you would experience in a car accident. However, if your damages were minor and you recovered within a week, you may not get a large settlement. If you can go back to work and don’t have a temporary disability, your settlement won’t be in the tens of thousands.
Obstacles on the Road
When there are obstacles on the road, this can help your argument for why you weren’t at fault for your accident. For example, if you stopped at the site of a large piece of debris and the person behind you slammed into your back, you could be considered at fault. They could argue that stopping is a form of brake checking and was too abrupt. However, if there were debris clearly in the way then you wouldn’t be at fault. Your attorney can consider the impact of obstacles on the road and how that influenced your motorcycle accident regarding other vehicles.
Safety Gear
Whether you were wearing appropriate safety gear, like a helmet and protective clothing, can also influence your settlement total. If you weren’t wearing any gear at all, this can reduce your settlement. The other party can argue that you made your injuries worse because you weren’t dressed for riding a motorcycle. For example, not wearing a helmet can make your settlement drop in some circumstances.
Riding Experience and Skill Level
Your riding experience and skill level can influence whether you win your case if the other party argues that you partially contributed to your accident. For example, if you are a very experienced motorcyclist that rarely gets into accidents, it is unlikely that you caused your motorcycle accident.
What Should I Do After a Motorcycle Accident?
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, you’re likely feeling overwhelmed and unsure of your next steps. You may be facing serious injuries and large medical bills while dealing with the emotional trauma that comes with being involved in such a traumatic event. The good news is that there are attorneys available to help you during this difficult time. A qualified motorcycle accident lawyer can help you make sense of what happened, fight for compensation on your behalf, and guide you through the legal process so that you can focus on getting better. Here’s what you should do after a motorcycle accident:
Get Medical Help
Call 911 as soon as possible. You should also get medical treatment for any injuries that you sustained in the crash. Even if you don’t think you’re injured after a serious crash, you should still make sure because you might have soft tissue injuries. The police will file an accident report that your personal injury lawyer can later retrieve.
Gather Evidence
The first thing to do after any type of accident is to collect as much evidence as possible from the scene. This means taking pictures, talking to witnesses, and writing down everything you remember about the incident. If possible, ask someone else to capture photos or video of the scene if you were injured too badly. Write down any pain and suffering you experienced because of serious injuries. Do this as soon as possible so that nothing is forgotten when it comes time to file a personal injury claim later on.
Call Your Insurance Company
Your insurance company should be updated anytime you have a motorcycle accident. The insurance company will file a motorcycle accident claim on your behalf and cover some of the damages. In some cases, they’ll even cover a portion of your medical bills if you suffered a serious injury in Edwardsville, IL.
Call Your Personal Injury Attorney
Contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer who can help guide you through this difficult process. Your attorney will gather additional evidence from medical professionals and other experts in order to make a case on your behalf. Motorcycle accident lawyers have experience filing personal injury claims and navigating the legal system. Your personal injury firm can provide guidance on what to do next.
File a Motorcycle Accident Personal Injury Claim
Your lawyer will need time to investigate your case before moving forward. This may mean waiting for a police investigation to be completed or conducting an independent investigation of their own, such as inspecting the road where you crashed or examining information from a black box in your motorcycle if it has one. You’ll also want to wait until your injuries are stable enough that you can answer questions about what happened and how you were injured so that nothing is forgotten when it comes time for trial.
Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Create a Settlement Strategy
If the other party in the crash admits fault or it is clear that they are responsible for your injuries, you may be able to settle out of court. Alternatively, if you decide to pursue a settlement, work with your lawyer on crafting a strategy and presenting a demand package that will convince the other side to compensate you fairly.
What Damages Can I Receive in a Motorcycle Accident Case?
Each case is unique, so be sure to discuss your situation in detail with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Edwardsville, IL. Motorcycle accident attorneys can help you understand your legal options and how to best pursue them. You may be able to seek compensation in a number of different ways. Your damages can include:
Medical Expenses
Any expenses you had to pay because of your auto accident can be compensated for with the help of experienced attorneys. This includes ongoing clinic visits, surgeries, physical therapy, and even the cost of commuting to and from your medical treatment.
Pain and Suffering
Motorcycle crashes can result in PTSD, grief, sadness, depression, anxiety, and more. Your pain and suffering can be the result of catastrophic injuries that took away your ability to participate in the hobbies you loved. Motorcycle accident lawyers can recover compensation by calculating your pain and suffering damages with a multiplier.
Lost Wages
The claims process also includes the estimation of any lost income. The amount of wages you missed out on while at home recovering is also considered in personal injury cases.
Wrongful Death
There are additional damages you can seek if your loved one suffered injuries because of a negligent driver and passed away as a result. Funeral and burial costs, loss of consortium, lost earning capacity, medical costs, and many other injuries can be included in your wrongful death settlement.
The types of injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents can vary widely, depending on many factors. Some of the most common injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Head and brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Road rash
- Amputations
- Burns
- Whiplash
- Internal bleeding
How Can a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents are more common than you might think. Motorcyclists can be severely injured or killed in crashes with other vehicles on the road. This is especially true when the driver of another vehicle doesn’t take precautions to avoid the crash. If a reckless driver caused your accident, you deserve compensation for medical expenses and lost wages from work due to injury. A personal injury attorney who has years of experience handling these types of cases could fight for your rights and help you receive fair treatment through settlement negotiations or trials. Do not hesitate to contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after getting hurt in such a wreck.
IL Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Can Help You
Being involved in a motorcycle accident can be overwhelming and confusing. By following these steps, however, you’ll give yourself the best chance possible at getting compensation and moving forward after this scary event. Contact an experienced motorcycle accident law firm today to learn more about what to do next after being hit on a motorcycle. Call Hipskind & McAninch LLC motorcycle accident lawyers now for a free consultation.