Motorcycle accidents are unfortunately common, and toll that it can take on people involved in it can be immense.
Not only does a motorcycle accident take a tremendous physical and mental toll on the individual, but it also introduce a multitude of medical expenses as well.
A motorcycle crash can often leave people in a very slipper financial state, as you might have too foot the bill for the medical bills and repairs for the actual motorcycle.
Finally, there could also be many intangible costs to bein involved in a motorcycle accident.
So if you ever find yourself in a motorcycle accident, here is quick guide on how you can deal with it.
What you should do after Motorcycle accidents
If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you need to take a few important steps after the crash.
These steps are not just important so that you can build a better case to present to an insurance agent for a personal injury claim, but it can also help you cover for your severe injuries like traumatic brain injuries.
Seek help from a medical professional
First, you need to check for any injuries suffered. Motorcycle accidents will often leave people with concussions or internal organ damage that is not as visible from the outside.
Therefore, motorcycle accident injuries should not be taken lightly, and you should go to a doctor for an immediate check up.
If you have insurance, not going immediately can lead to the insurance company writing off the injury claim. Therefore going immediately after getting in an accident can help you gather evidence to build a case to present to your insurance company.
Contact your insurance company and report the motorcycle accident claim
Motorcycle accidents can be very dangerous, especially to the rider. Other than the possible traumatic brain injury that they can suffer, motorcycle accident victims can also have a difficult time recovering from their injuries.
Therefore, if you have motorcycle accident insurance, you need to be contacting your insurance company to tell them about what happened.
Gather the relevant polic and medical reports
You preferably want all of the relevant information about the incident to add to your motorcycle accident case. So, this can include information about your injuries and information about the incident that occurred.
For both of these situations, you need to have a medical report that states all of the injuries that you have incurred as a result of the at fault driver. You should also get the police report that details the incident and the property damage that occurred.
Contact a motorcycle accident attorney
Considering the amount of pain and suffering that you are going through at the moment, you should contact personal injury lawyers to help with your personal injury claim.
A motorcycle accident lawyer or personal injury attorney understands the laws surrounding this type of accident, and will be able to offer a fair settlement in case matters go to court.
Filing a lawsuit on your behalf
Most personal injury attorneys will file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf to pay for economic damages and non economic damages. Injured motorcyclists might have incurred as a result of the car accident.
Motorcycle accident cases can be difficult to deal with, since there are a number of injuries that the attorney will have to account for, such as spinal cord injuries and head injuries.
But it is possible for them to reach a motorcycle settlement where the victim is able to receive financial compensation of a relevant monetary value to help pay for medical care that can teat their serious injuries.
In depth understanding of auto insurance policies
A personal injury lawyer also has a better understanding of insurance policies, and will focus on financial recovery of lost income, lost wages, future earning capacity, emotional distress, and life altering injuries.
How much value do you lose after a motorcycle accident
Despite motorcycles being one of the best ways to cut around traffic and save on gas, they can be a lot more dangerous than regular cars.
Case in point, an accident will almost always result in personal injuries that could require physical therapy and bring about serious mental anguish and financial hardship.
Value for a bike can plummet following a motorcycle accident
One of the biggest disadvantages of getting in a motorcycle accident, other than the obvious lost wages and the pain and suffering is that the value of a motorcycle can plummet almost instantly following a crash.
If you were in a motorcycle accident, chances are that the entire bike totaled, which significantly dropped its value.
Looking at a hypothetical
For instance, your bike’s original price was of $10,000. But after getting in an accident, your insurance provider might only offer $8,000 when you pursue compensation.
This will leave you with $2,000 loss, which is why you should get help from an experienced attorney who can help you get proper compensation for your injuries.
Average motorcycle accident settlement
The average payout for a motorcycle accident settlement can vary greatly depending on the specifics of a case. If a case has a motorcyclist that has not undergone serious injuries, then the settlement will likely be very less.
How they calculate damages
Therefore, whenever an attorney goes about calculating the settlement for a motorcycle accident, they will always first look at the severity of the injuries.
Injuries can often fall into two major categories: soft tissue and hard tissue.
Soft tissue vs. hard tissue injuries
Soft tissue damage refers to scrapes and light bruises, but hard tissue damage refers to broken bones or nerve damage. Therefore, recovery compensation will increase if an individual has more hard tissue injuries.
Cost of repairs
Next is property damage, which they will often calculate by looking at the cost of repairing the vehicle.
Loss of income
Finally, there is lost income, which an attorney will calculate by looking at the lost wages during recovery, and they can even look at the individual’s lost earning potential.
All of these factors affect the overall compensation that an individual will receive for their settlement.