A skilled and knowledgeable motorcycle accident attorney can ensure that you receive the full range of available insurance benefits. They can also help you avoid lowball settlement offers from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
When looking for an attorney, look for one who specializes in personal injury and concentrates on motorcycle accident cases. Ask for references and testimonials from previous clients. Contact Car Accident Lawyer Maryland for professional help.
Many motorcyclists have health insurance coverage that can help pay for medical bills in the event of an accident. However, that does not cover all of the other losses associated with a motorcycle accident such as lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage and others. For this reason, it is important for motorcycle drivers to understand their options for seeking compensation for their injuries and losses from the liable parties in a personal injury lawsuit.
A skilled and experienced New York City motorcycle accident attorney can help you determine the best way to proceed with a claim. Their role is to gather all relevant evidence including police reports, photographs of the accident scene and vehicles involved, witness statements, medical documentation of your injuries, and other evidence. Having all of this information is critical because the insurance company will be looking for ways to lessen your claim and pay you as little as possible.
Liability insurance covers a biker’s legal liability for damages to other people’s property or injuries caused by their negligence in a collision. It may also include collision coverage to pay for repairs to a motorcycle after an accident. However, this type of insurance does not typically pay for specialized motorcycle parts or accessories and only covers factory-standard equipment. For this reason, motorcyclists should consider purchasing additional equipment coverage if available.
In addition to liability insurance, bikers should consider obtaining supplemental uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage as well. This will cover a motorcyclist and their household members if they are hit by an uninsured driver or someone who has limited insurance coverage.
Considering how common it is for drivers to be uninsured or underinsured, this type of insurance should not be overlooked by motorcyclists. This coverage is usually bundled with an auto or home insurance policy and can be extremely helpful in the event of an accident.
A lawyer can help you decide what type of insurance coverage is right for you and your family, and they will work with the insurance companies to obtain maximum compensation for your injuries and losses. Remember, insurance companies will be working to minimize their liability and pay as little as possible to you, so it is important to have a strong lawyer on your side.
Statute of Limitations
In the days after a motorcycle accident, what you do can have long-term implications on your ability to get compensation. It is crucial to act quickly and take certain steps as soon as possible. For example, you should seek immediate medical attention to rule out any internal injuries and provide documentation of your injuries. You should also take photos or video of the scene and your bike, if possible, and try to collect contact information from any witnesses. You should never admit fault to anyone or discuss the accident on social media until you have spoken with a lawyer.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, you may have claims against multiple parties. For instance, a head-on collision usually involves two vehicles moving in opposite directions and can be very serious. In these cases, you could be entitled to compensation from the driver of the other vehicle and the State or local municipality for poor road conditions or negligently placed objects.
An attorney can help you identify all potential sources of compensation and file an injury claim against the at-fault party. In addition, if the at-fault party has no insurance or insufficient insurance, you may be able to pursue compensation through your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.
The types of damages available to victims of motorcycle accidents include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages typically include payment for medical bills, lost income, and other financial losses. Non-economic damages include pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional distress.
In addition to working with experts, a lawyer can build a strong case by examining police reports and witness testimony. In some cases, a skilled lawyer can convince a jury that the at-fault party was negligent, which is required to win compensation.
An experienced New York motorcycle accident lawyer can negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurer and handle all aspects of your claim so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries. In addition, an attorney can help you navigate the complex legal and insurance requirements and protect your rights to maximum compensation.
Subrogation Actions
The subrogation process is a systemic approach to ensure both the accident victim and the insurance company are treated fairly post-accident. It is an effective mechanism for distributing just compensation, but it requires careful adherence to a strict set of guidelines. A skilled personal injury lawyer can navigate this process on your behalf, ensuring that you receive a full and fair settlement.
In general, you’ll need to be ready to share all the details of your accident with your attorney in order to build a strong case for your claim. This includes scene photos, accident reports, medical records, eyewitness statements, and more. Your lawyer will gather and compile this information to create a thorough account of how the accident occurred and the at-fault party’s liability.
However, you must be careful about what information you divulge to the insurance companies and your doctor. You are legally obligated to cooperate but you should only provide this information within reasonable limits. If you give out too much information, your case may be compromised.
Similarly, if you are on a public healthcare program like Medicaid, your health insurance provider will likely want some of your settlement or jury award. This is because the insurer has a legal right to recover its costs through a subrogation action against the liable third party. Your attorney can make sure that your health insurance company’s liens are properly handled, preventing them from collecting against your settlement or jury award.
If your injuries are significant, you’ll need to file a workers’ compensation claim or a car accident claim with your insurance company to cover medical bills and lost wages. These claims are usually covered by your own insurance, but there’s also a deductible that you’ll have to pay out of pocket before the coverage kicks in. Typically, your insurer will fight to recover these expenses and your deductible through subrogation actions.
While you’re dealing with all the stress of recovering from your injury, your attorney should handle all communication with the insurance companies and the medical providers on your behalf. This includes answering any questions that they may have and keeping you updated on the progress of your case.
Expert Witnesses
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, the evidence supporting your claim may be incomplete without expert witness testimony. An expert witness is someone who has education, training or experience that qualifies them to provide an opinion on a disputed issue in your case. Expert witnesses are well-respected professionals and have specialized knowledge of their fields. They can help to establish liability, demonstrate damages, and improve your attorney’s credibility with the jury.
An expert witness can also help to strengthen your case by providing technical expertise that the defense cannot challenge. For example, a mechanical engineering expert can examine physical evidence from the crash site, such as skid marks on the road or vehicle damage, and determine how the crash happened. In addition, accident reconstruction specialists can use photos of the scene, the vehicles involved and eyewitness accounts to reconstruct how the crash occurred. They can also analyze the debris left behind by the crash to determine the direction of travel and who struck who.
Economic experts can help to calculate the financial impact of your injuries and support your compensation claim. They can present complex financial evidence in a way that is easy for juries to understand, and they can provide detailed reports and projections to show the long-term costs of your injuries.
Vocational experts can be useful in cases where your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous profession. They can provide an opinion on your abilities to work in a different industry, as well as the amount of money you could lose by not working at all.
In some cases, your motorcycle accident attorney may work with a specialist to prove that the crash was caused by a product defect. These experts have experience analyzing cars, trucks and motorcycles for defects, and they can provide an independent evaluation of the evidence to identify which parts were defective. They can then testify that the manufacturer of the car, truck or motorcycle was liable for your injury. They can also help to identify any repair or maintenance companies that might have been liable for the accident as well.