Ask a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer: Get Answers to FAQs

Metier Law Firm
Tue, 07 Jul 2020 00:00:17 +0000
Motorcycle Accident, accident attorney, motorcycle accident attorney, motorcycle injury attorney, motorcycle injury lawyer

After a motorcycle accident and subsequent injury, you most likely have many questions in mind: How will I pay for this? How damaged is my bike? Is the other driver OK?

Then, after you begin to settle in more to what happened, these questions may turn more defiant and angry. Finally, you’ll meet with a motorcycle accident lawyer and be able to voice many of your concerns and questions. By this point, your questions will have evolved even more. You’ll most likely ask about what you can recover in damages and what you’re allowed to claim as part of your personal injury.

Here at Metier Law Firm, we’re here for all of your questions. While we obviously can’t tell you in this blog exactly how much you could get in your settlement, we can answer some of the most common questions that we’re regularly asked. If you’re in Colorado and have been in a motorcycle accident, then you need lawyers on your side who understand. At Metier Law Firm, we don’t think of ourselves as lawyers who are motorcyclists — we consider ourselves motorcyclists who are also lawyers. Because we have the same passion for riding that you do, we intimately understand your situation. For a motorcycle accident lawyer in Fort Collins, Denver Metro, Golden, Colorado Springs, or the surrounding areas, contact Metier Law Firm today to schedule a risk-free consultation.

Are motorcycle accidents more common than car accidents?

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), there were approximately 106,000 motorcycle accidents and 5,669,000 car accidents in 2013. From this data, it’s clear that car accidents are more common than motorcycle accidents. However, any motorcycle accident lawyer will tell you that the damages and injuries from motorcycle accidents are typically much more extreme. In Colorado, for example, motorcycles only make up about 3% of the vehicles on the roads — and yet they represent about 20% of the fatalities on our roads. In fact, according to a report from the NHTSA, motorcycle accidents produce up to 35 times the fatalities that private passenger vehicles do.

What should you do after a motorcycle accident?

Immediately after an accident, you should simply take a moment to stay still and breathe. Unless you know you’re in the middle of the road and are in immediate risk of danger, stay where you are and try to gather your surroundings. After all, you may be injured without even knowing it at first because of shock.

Here’s everything our motorcycle accident lawyers recommend doing right after the accident:

Check for injury

Call the police

Take photos

Get off the road

Gather information

Don’t admit fault

Contact your insurance company

Seek medical attention

Contact a motorcycle accident attorney

Contacting a motorcycle accident lawyer should, as listed above, be one of the first things you do. This will ensure that you handle your claim in the best possible way and have the greatest chance of fair compensation.

What are common injuries from motorcycle accidents?

Motorcycle accidents are notorious for the damages they cause, some of which are fatal. Because motorcycle accidents are so dangerous, we always recommend wearing a helmet. In Colorado, the law requires all riders and passengers under the age of 18 to wear a helmet when on a motorcycle. However, as motorcycle accident lawyers and motorcyclists ourselves, we always recommend wearing a helmet; we’ve seen the injuries that come from accidents in which someone wasn’t wearing a helmet.

Whether you wear a helmet or not, however, it’s undeniable that motorcycles can cause severe damage. Here are some of the most common injuries we see and help clients get compensation for:

Burns (from road rash, explosions, contact with the engine, or gasoline)

Lacerations and abrasions

Sprains

Whiplash

Collapsed lung

Internal bleeding

Traumatic brain injury

Spinal cord injury

Pain and suffering

Loss of work

Emotional distress

Tip: If you weren’t wearing your helmet when you were injured, you can still recover some damages — even if your state has a mandatory helmet law.

What does comparative liability mean?

If you live in Colorado and have sustained a personal injury from a motorcycle accident, then you may have heard the term “comparative liability” tossed around in discussing your claim. What exactly does that mean?

Because Colorado is a “comparative liability” state, this means that the settlement or verdict amount is based on how much liability is on the plaintiff. As an example, let’s imagine a $100,000 settlement. If the plaintiff is 20% at fault, then this would turn into an $80,000 settlement.

How can a motorcycle accident lawyer help?

So how, exactly, can a motorcycle injury attorney help? When you work with Metier Law Firm for help in getting compensation from your personal injury, we’ll be with you every step of the way.

From the moment you first schedule your risk-free consultation with us to the moment the case is resolved, we’ll be a dedicated advocate in your case and work tirelessly toward getting you a desirable settlement or verdict. A motorcycle accident lawyer will understand the intricate details and problems presented with your claim and know what to do. For example, the injury lawyers at our firm are experienced and knowledgeable concerning traffic laws, medical treatments, liability, motor vehicle regulations, and more. We have experience fighting insurance companies that try to avoid offering you fair and just compensation.

Meet With a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Colorado Today

You can count on Metier Law Firm for strength when you need it. Our team of motorcycle injury attorneys will treat you with dignity, respect, and passion as they work hard to help you get the compensation you deserve. Furthermore, our personal injury law firm handles claims on a contingent fee basis. This means that you won’t pay a legal fee until money is actually collected as your compensation. Get started today with a risk-free consultation throughout Colorado. We serve clients in Fort Collins, Denver Metro, Golden, Colorado Springs, and the surrounding areas. We know how debilitating and challenging personal injury can be — contact us today to work with a motorcycle accident lawyer.