What is a “No Contact” Motorcycle Accident?

Were You Injured in a Motorcycle Accident? Call Us Today to Evaluate Your Case

When most people hear of motorcycle accidents, they assume there was a crash between a motorcycle and an automobile. However, this is not always the case. In fact, many motorcycle accidents that produce serious injuries and property damage are “no contact” accidents, meaning the motor vehicle and motorcycle never made contact with one another. While this may sound as if the driver of the motor vehicle could not be held liable in these situations, the circumstances surrounding the accident may indicate otherwise. As with most accidents of this nature, proving negligence on the part of the car’s driver will be key to winning a personal injury case. But to do so, you will require the services of a skilled Los Angeles personal injury attorney from Grey Law.

Proving Negligence

To win a Personal Injury Lawsuit in a no contact motorcycle accident case, it will be imperative that you and your motor vehicle crash lawyer in Los Angeles rely on their experience in these cases to prove the car’s driver was negligent. To do so, you will need to show that the driver failed to act in a manner consistent with what a “reasonable person” would have done under similar conditions. For example, if the driver of the vehicle suddenly swerved in front of your motorcycle while switching lanes and failed to use turn signals while doing so, this makes a good argument that they acted in a negligent manner. But to prove this, evidence such as police reports and eyewitness statements will need to be carefully reviewed, which is why you need to hire a knowledgeable motorcycle injury lawyer as soon as possible.

What Causes No Contact Motorcycle Accidents?

While not as common as accidents where a car and motorcycle collide, No Contact Motorcycle Accidents do happen for a variety of reasons. As stated earlier, the most common is when a vehicle ahead of a motorcycle switches lanes without using its turn signals, which leads the motorcyclist behind them to swerve or lay down their bike so as to avoid a collision. In other situations, a motorist may come to a sudden stop, surprising a motorcyclist and giving them little time to stop in a normal manner. Yet despite there being no actual collision between the vehicles, a motorcyclist can still suffer serious injuries and extensive damage to their bike, which is why you should always work with a lawyer who is well-versed in motorcycle accidents to handle and win such cases on a regular basis.

What About Rear-End Collisions?

In situations where a Rear-End Collision occurs, it is likely you as the motorcyclist would be held liable for the accident, even if the driver acted irresponsibly. Since it is the vehicle that is behind which is usually held responsible for causing these accidents, expect to have a much harder time proving your case. However, should you be able to have witness statements, police reports, and other evidence gathered from the scene showing the driver of the motor vehicle acted in a grossly negligent manner, it may be possible to come away a winner in court. However, since these cases can be much harder to prove and win, always hand over your case to an experienced attorney for motorcycle accident compensation.

No Contact Motorcycle Accident Injuries

While some people may think motorcyclists in these accidents are not injured, the fact is serious injuries almost always result from no contact motorcycle accidents. One of the most common is known as “road rash,” which causes skin to be stripped away by the asphalt and leads to serious lacerations, bleeding, and in some cases disfigurement that requires extensive plastic surgery to repair. Also, broken arms, legs, and ribs are very common with these accidents, as are neck and back injuries. Once these injuries take place, a long road to recovery will be ahead, along with months of medical bills and lost income. To get the compensation you will need to overcome these hardships, hire an injury lawyer from Grey Law.

Insurance Company Issues

As with any type of auto accident where the bike’s rider is injured, the insurance company for the car’s driver will do all it can to place blame for the accident on the motorcyclist. Unfortunately, there is often a strong bias against motorcyclists by police and others, who automatically assume a motorcyclist was riding in a reckless manner and likely did something to cause the accident. Since you may already be facing this type of bias, it will be of the utmost importance that you hire an experienced and trusted motorcycle accident lawyer.  Once you do, your lawyer can not only look at the evidence on hand, but also call in experts who specialize in analyzing and reconstructing motorcycle accidents. By having experts on your side who can show a jury exactly what happened and testify on your behalf, it is much more likely you can gain the compensation you deserve for your accident.

Negotiating A Settlement

While insurance companies may initially try to be tough and deny you much-needed compensation, it will not be long until they have a change of heart. However, this won’t happen because they have seen the error of their ways. Instead, it will take the strong negotiating skills of your lawyer to make this happen. Once an insurance company knows you have a knowledgeable attorney on your side, is presented with the evidence, and knows letting the case go to trial could actually force them to pay out even more in compensation, they will often agree to a substantial out-of-court settlement.

While on the surface it may appear as if your no contact motorcycle accident is a no-brainer in terms of who was at fault, the fact remains these cases are often much more complex than you may think. To ensure you get the money you need and deserve, consult with an attorney for motorcycle accident compensation today at Grey Law.