A motorcycle crash could leave a rider badly injured. Meanwhile, the driver who hit the rider might have only minor to moderate vehicle damage. You deserve justice and compensation, and hiring an attorney should be your first step.
Numerous potential causes of motorcycle accidents exist, although many accidents result from other drivers’ negligence. Traffic violations and risky turns or merging are significant causes of motorcycle accidents. Additionally, many accidents stem from a deep-rooted indifference toward motorcycle riders that many drivers seem to share. An attorney can help you commence legal action against the negligent driver in the hopes of getting financial compensation for your damages. It is important to be mindful of filing deadlines and that more than one driver might be at fault. Your attorney can help you gather the evidence you need to prove your claims.
Drivers are often negligent and cause severe accidents with motorcycles. Our Hattiesburg, MS motorcycle accident lawyers can help you file a lawsuit for your injuries. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
How Your Hattiesburg, MS Motorcycle Accident Might Have Happened
Motorcycle accidents often strike when riders least expect them. In many cases, riders took all necessary precautions on their motorcycle ride, but a negligent driver ruined everything. Determining the precise cause of your accident will help our Hattiesburg, MS motorcycle accident attorneys determine who to hold responsible for your injuries.
Traffic violations might feel small when committed, but they can lead to big accidents and worse injuries. A negligent driver might fail to brake at a stop sign or red light and strike a motorcycle rider in the intersection. Speeding is another common traffic violation that is known to cause accidents or make them worse. It is one thing to be rear-ended by a negligent driver while on your motorcycle, but the accident becomes exponentially worse the faster the driver travels.
Merging and turning are so commonplace that many drivers do not give these actions much thought. For motorcycle riders, they can be disastrous. If a driver turns or tries to merge into another lane without signaling or checking their blind spot, they could hit a motorcycle rider. This is especially dangerous for riders because motorcycles are smaller and are more easily concealed in a blind spot.
One big problem on the road these days is the indifference drivers have toward motorcycle riders. Drivers tend to roll their eyes when they see a motorcycle rider on the road rather than give them the same respect they would give any other car. On top of that, motorcycle riders have an unfair reputation for being reckless. In reality, motorcycle riders are often extremely careful because they know the risks that come with motorcycles. As a result, drivers tend to be less careful around motorcycle riders, and accidents are more likely.
Taking Legal Action for Compensation After a Hattiesburg, MS Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycle crash survivors are often very badly injured, while the negligent drivers who likely caused the accident are mostly fine. Our Hattiesburg, MS motorcycle accident lawyers can help you take legal action against the driver who hit you so you can get financial compensation to pay for your damages.
When to File a Lawsuit
While you probably need to take some time to get medical attention and recover from your injuries, you should be mindful of the filing deadline for a lawsuit. Statutes of limitations prevent potential plaintiffs from filing lawsuits after a certain amount of time has passed. In Mississippi, according to Miss. Code Ann. § 15-1-49(1), you have 3 years to file a personal injury lawsuit for a motorcycle accident.
The statute of limitations in your case will likely begin to run starting on the date of the accident. Suppose your accident happened several years ago, and you are afraid the statute of limitations has run down or is close to it. In that case, our Hattiesburg, MS motorcycle accident attorneys might be able to help you get the statute tolled. When statutes are tolled, the deadlines are extended. Tolling is permissible only under specific conditions, and the amount of extra time you might get depends on your situation.
Who is Liable for a Motorcycle Crash?
In many accident cases, motorcycle riders name one driver in their lawsuit because only one driver hit them. Cases involving only one other driver tend to be a bit simpler, at least when it comes to identifying the defendant. In other cases, multiple drivers contribute to the crash, and identifying all the responsible parties is a bit harder.
For example, suppose one driver crashed into another driver, and then that driver crashed into you. Depending on the situation, you might be able to hold both drivers liable for your injuries. In other cases, even more drivers are involved, and the situation becomes very complex. Depending on how your accident happened, you and your attorney might need to carefully review the case to figure out who should be named in your lawsuit.
Gathering Evidence
To prove your claims against the defendant, you need evidence. Evidence is hard to explain because it could be almost anything as long as it is relevant to the case and tends to prove or disprove the defendant’s liability. A lot of important evidence often comes directly from the crash scene. Unfortunately, crash scenes are usually cleared away very quickly by law enforcement, and important evidence might be lost.
Taking photos of the accident scene immediately after the crash is a good way to preserve important details to present as evidence. If you are too badly injured to take photos, we can talk to witnesses or other drivers who were at the crash site and inquire about any photos or videos. We can also check the surrounding area for security cameras that might have recorded the accident.
Even if we do not have photos or physical evidence from the accident scene, we can have witnesses testify about any first-hand knowledge they have regarding the accident. The more witnesses we can track down, the better for your case.
Call Our Hattiesburg, MS Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
After a crash, our Hattiesburg, MS motorcycle accident lawyers can help you file a lawsuit and take legal action for damages while you recover from your injuries. For a free case review with our team, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
