Posted in General
Personal Injury Lawyer
Each year, approximately 5,000 people are killed in motorcycle accidents. More than 85,000 victims sustain serious and catastrophic injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, the law allows you to pursue damages against the party who is responsible for those injuries. A motorcycle accident attorney, like a motorcycle accident lawyer in Salt Lake City, UT, can build a case to prove who was negligent and how that negligence caused the victim to suffer.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
The most common causes of motorcycle accidents are distracted driving or just not paying attention to the road. If a driver fails to signal when they are changing lanes or forgets to check their blind spots and drives into a motorcycle in the other lane, it can be a fatal accident for the person on the bike. The law deems this type of behavior negligent, and the driver could be legally held responsible for the victim’s losses.
In some states, even if the victim was partially at fault, they will still be eligible to pursue damages against the other driver. For example, if the other driver was under the influence of alcohol when they hit the motorcyclist, but the motorcyclist had been driving over the posted speed limit, the motorcyclist could be, legally, partially at fault. The court would determine what percentage of the accident was the victim’s fault, and that percentage would be deducted from the total amount of financial compensation the injury is worth.
Damages from the Accident
If the motorcycle accident attorney determines that there is enough evidence to file an injury claim against the other driver, he or she will then determine how much the claim is worth. This is usually broken down into economic and noneconomic damages.
Economic damages are those that have a specific dollar amount attached to them. Medical expenses are considered an economic damage. This includes ambulance transport, ER, hospital stays, surgeries, physical therapy, doctors’ visits, medications, medical devices, and any other medical costs for your injuries. It also includes the wages and benefits you are not receiving because you cannot work while you are recovering.
Noneconomic damages include pain and suffering, emotional anguish, permanent disability, scarring, disfigurement, and loss of life enjoyment. These do not have a specific dollar amount. Your attorney will determine the financial worth of these losses based on the severity of your injuries and how long your recovery takes.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
Have you been injured in a motorcycle crash? Motorcycle injury law allows victims to pursue financial compensation for the losses they have suffered due to the actions of a negligent or reckless driver. A motorcycle accident attorney understands the overwhelming stress a crash and the resulting injuries can have on families, and will work diligently to obtain financial compensation because of the harm victims suffered by the at-fault party.
Thanks to Rasmussen & Miner for their insight into getting compensation if you are involved in a motorcycle accident.
