Motorcycle accidents often leave victims with serious injuries that could affect them for the rest of their lives. The injuries in these accidents are often more severe than for victims of other auto accidents, as motorcycle riders have no car around them, let alone airbags and other safety devices, to protect them from injury.
If your accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, you could be entitled to sue them in court to get compensation for your injuries. While insurance should cover your accident, the insurance companies might refuse to pay the full value, and you might need a court order to get the damages you truly need.
For a free review of your potential case with the motorcycle accident lawyers at Howe Law, call (844) 876-4357.
Dealing with the Aftermath of a Motorcycle Accident in Opelika, AL
In the days and weeks after an accident, there are a few stages of issues to take care of. First, you should get medical care. Second, you should collect evidence and police reports if you are able to. Third, you should contact a motorcycle accident lawyer.
Getting Medical Care
Getting the care you need to heal your wounds and put you on a path toward recovery is absolutely essential. If you do not get medical care, there are many immediate, life-threatening injuries that could be overlooked – most notably brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. Internal bleeding can also go overlooked, potentially leading to a more serious medical emergency if it goes untreated.
On top of this, you will want to get medical care because it supports your injury claim in two important ways. First, if you forego medical care, the defense will try to argue that your injuries must not have been that bad if they did not even need treatment. This will hurt any claims you make, so get your injuries treated. Second, if you have no records of medical treatment, the defense will try to argue that the injuries you are filing a claim for were not related to the accident, and must have appeared in the days afterward, possibly from some other accident. If you get medical treatment on the day of the accident, those records can help link your injuries to the motorcycle crash.
Collecting Evidence
At the accident scene, you can take pictures of the crash scene, get the other driver’s contact and insurance info, and take notes about the damage to the vehicles, the weather, and the road conditions. You can also collect any other information about the accident that you are able to find, such as statements from witnesses or security camera footage from stores that might have had cameras out front.
However, you might be too injured to collect evidence. If that is the case, focus on getting medical care. When you call 911, you should ask for an ambulance and then follow all recommendations the EMTs provide, including any recommendations to go immediately to the ER.
You should also ask for a police response when you call 911. The responding officer can write up a report and submit it, and that report will have much of the same information you would collect. In the weeks after your crash, you should request a copy of the officer’s accident report.
Calling a Lawyer
Whenever you are able to, call our motorcycle accident attorneys for help with your case. We can immediately start collecting evidence, getting witness statements, keeping track of your expenses, and building your case. The sooner you contact us, the quicker we can get your case moving forward. From there, we can advise you on how much your case might be worth and how to best maximize your compensation.
Getting Full Compensation for Your Opelika, AL Motorcycle Accident
When you file an insurance claim for auto accidents in Alabama, it is usually filed with the at-fault driver’s insurance rather than your own insurance. However, motorcycle accident victims often face severe injuries, and insurance companies are often unwilling to pay the full cost of those damages, even when they are still below their driver’s policy limits. Getting full damages in your case often means reaching past the insurance claim and filing a lawsuit against the driver.
When you take your case to court, it means that a neutral jury will ultimately review your case and determine what your claim is worth and who was at fault. The judge will hear motions before the case ever gets to trial, and they will facilitate the “discovery” stage, where evidence is exchanged and depositions (witness interviews) are taken.
Your lawyers can also negotiate with the insurance company at any time, potentially getting you a settlement that fairly compensates you. If the insurance companies refuse to admit that their driver was responsible or deny the value of your case, then you could be left with no choice but to move forward with trial.
Our lawyers can also review any settlement offers and advise you on whether they fully cover your case or not. If they do not, we can go back to the negotiating table and argue for better coverage.
Damages in a Motorcycle Accident in Opelika, AL
Determining how much your injury claim is worth requires us to go over the evidence with you and learn more about your pain and suffering, how the injuries affected your ability to work, and how your daily life has been limited by the injuries. Keep in mind that motorcycle accident cases can include a claim for all monetary harms – medical bills, vehicle damage, etc. – as well as intangible, “non-economic” damages like pain and suffering or emotional distress.
Call Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Opelika, AL Today
Call Howe Law today at (844) 876-4357 for a free case assessment with our motorcycle accident lawyers.
