Damages Recoverable in Motorcycle Accidents

How to Recover Damages in a Motorcycle Accident ?

If you are a frequent rider, then you are keenly aware of your vulnerability on the road. You ride without the steel protection enjoyed by automobile drivers and must therefore remain alert, cautious, and conscientious. Other drivers should do the same, but they are often distracted by text messages or passengers. Some refuse to follow traffic rules and regulations while others insist on driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

This is unacceptable and if you have been injured in an accident caused by such recklessness, you should take legal action.

First Moves

Your first move should be to contact a cyclist crash attorney in Los Angeles. You may not need to file a lawsuit straightaway. The insurance company of the driver who caused the accident may offer you a fair and adequate settlement. However, you should accept nothing until a motorcycle accident lawyer has looked at it.

If the insurance company refuses to make a settlement offer, then you will need to sue. Before you file a claim, you must have a legal strategy, or at least the beginnings of one, in place. A lawyer well-versed in damaging injury cases can help you with this. During the initial consultation, they will ask you to recall the events that led to the accident and all that occurred afterward. Your representation will be interested in the particulars of the accident and your medical prognosis. These facts will form the basis of their legal strategy.

The Impact of a Collision

Few motorcyclists walk away from an accident unscathed. Even minor crashes result in scrapes and bruises that must be treated immediately afterward. If the accident was severe, you could be in the hospital for weeks or months. You will have to go through a period of physical rehabilitation and remain on prescription drug medication for some time. You may lose your job over this period, be forced to reduce the number of hours you work or be compelled to take a lower-paying position.

Damages You Can Recover

You should not be left alone to shoulder the financial burden of such an accident. The person who put you in this situation should be made to pay for it. You have the right to sue for damages. Here are some of the accident-related expenses you can claim in your personal injury suit:

Medical Expenses

You will accumulate a large medical bill while in the hospital. The worse the accident is, the more money it will cost you. At a minimum you will have to pay for:

• Ambulance transportation
• Emergency room visit
• Diagnostic tests such as X-rays and MRIs
• Surgery
• Painkillers
• Crutches or other assistive devices
• Physical therapy
• Follow-up care

The last two can be very expensive, as it may take you quite a long time to fully recover your strength and the full movement of all your body parts.

Lost Income

Few people can afford to miss a single paycheck. If you are unable to work for 2 or 3 months, you will miss quite a few. This will set you back with the bills you had before the accident, which may put you in desperate financial straits. It is right for you to get the pay you missed because of the accident.

Pain And Suffering

Pain and suffering are quantifiable. Your injuries will affect both you and your family. They may upset the order of things in your household, especially if your partner is forced to reduce the number of hours they work to care for you. The person who hit you should be made to pay for the extreme stress and strain they have caused your family.

How A Motorcycle Injury Attorney Los Angeles Can Help

The legal professional representing your case will review the accident report submitted by the police. They will then engage the services of professional investigators who will re-examine the scene of the accident and re-interview any key witnesses. Your lawyer will also make inquiries into the background of the driver and their sobriety at the time of the accident. If the driver who hit you has a history of traffic violations or was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident, your lawyer will find out about it.

Your Los Angeles personal injury attorney will also employ an auto accident reconstruction expert to develop a simulation of how the accident unfolded based on the evidence left at the scene. They will also gather the statements from medical experts that explain the nature and seriousness of your injuries and why the accident was the only thing that could have caused them.

When you have a strong foundation with your case and present enough evidence to the defendant, you’ll be sure to reach a settlement offer that is commensurate with what you have endured.