Being in a motorcycle accident can lead to significant injuries, and even take you out of work. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by someone or something else, you are entitled to compensation for your injuries. Motorcycle accidents are especially dangerous for motorcyclists, who continue to be overrepresented in fatal traffic crashes, with 5,579 motorcyclists killed in 2020 alone according to the US Department of Transportation.
The experienced motorcycle attorneys from The Law Offices of John Phebus are standing by to assess your case.
The CDC notes that many motorcycle crash injuries and deaths are preventable. While you might wear a helmet and drive as safely and responsibly as possible, you cannot account for the behavior of other drivers on the road. Drivers have a responsibility to pay attention when they drive, and to follow the rules of the road, and if an accident is caused because of a failure to do this the driver will be liable for the related damages.
The damages that you are entitled to will depend upon the short- and long-term medical costs associated with your injuries, like the emergency room visit and any ongoing medications, treatment, or rehabilitation that your injuries might require. Your damages also include lost wages, work benefits, and any negative impact on your earnings potential caused by your injuries.
Measuring these amounts can be complex, and your experienced Surprise motorcycle accident attorney handles every step of the process so you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
Drivers are guilty of many acts of negligence and recklessness that endanger the lives of motorcyclists in Arizona. Driver error is the number one cause of motorcycle collisions. Examples include speeding, tailgating, red-light running, making unsafe lane changes, drunk driving and failing to yield the right-of-way. When drivers are not paying attention, they are engaging in what is known as distracted driving. This is especially dangerous to motorcyclists, as they do not have the benefit of a metal chassis and airbags to protect them in the event of an accident.
Even with the safest motorcycle and helmet, a driver can cause a motorcyclist very serious injury. Arizona is a fault state, meaning that the driver or party at fault for the motorcycle accident is who will pay for the victim’s injuries. All drivers in Arizona must carry minimum amounts of liability insurance to pay for a motorcyclist’s medical bills and property repairs. You can only collect compensation for damages that you can prove, and this is done by collecting relevant evidence and drafting it into your claim or case.
Working with an attorney on your motorcycle accident takes the stress of collecting evidence, drafting a claim, and negotiating it with the insurance company out of your daily life. Your lawyer can return to the scene of the motorcycle accident, interview eyewitnesses, collect copies of accident reports and medical records, and take many other steps to build your case. If the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement, we will take them to court on your behalf to collect what you deserve.
A motorcyclist does not have a great deal of protection from serious injuries. Most motorcyclists only have their helmets and the protective gear that they are wearing to prevent injuries – if that. Unfortunately, this means that severe injuries are inflicted against many motorcyclists involved in traffic accidents in Surprise, such as:
Many motorcyclists are never the same after their accidents. They can suffer permanent physical damage, disability and/or emotional scarring. While no amount of money can ever make up for a catastrophic motorcycle accident, fair financial compensation awarded to the victim can help an injured motorcyclist move forward with greater peace of mind.
If you get injured in a motorcycle accident, it is important to hire an attorney to represent you during the claims process. A motorcycle accident claim is not the same as a typical car accident case in Arizona. Insurance companies are less willing to pay injured motorcyclists due to biases against them.
An insurer may try to pay you less than you deserve with an argument such as the assumption of risk or the helmet defense, for example. This could interfere with your ability to make a fair and full financial recovery. In addition, motorcycle accident cases typically involve more severe and costly injuries than those inflicted in car accidents. Paired with unfair stereotypes against motorcyclists, severe injuries increase the odds of an insurance company offering significantly less than you deserve.
Finally, motorcycle accidents involve special laws and regulations in Arizona, such as different insurance rules and motorcycle safety and helmet laws. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney in Surprise can help you navigate all of these complications in the pursuit of justice and fair compensation.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident in Arizona, seek counsel from a lawyer as soon as possible about bringing a personal injury claim. You have a deadline, known as the statute of limitations, on your ability to file a claim. In Arizona, the statute of limitations is two years for most motorcycle and automobile accident cases. The clock will begin ticking on the date of your collision, unless you do not discover your injury until later. In this case, the statute of limitations will start on the date that you discover or reasonably should have discovered your injury.
Your initial consultation is free, and if we take your case, you pay nothing out-of-pocket, and we only get paid if we win on your case. This is because we take cases on contingency, which means that we get paid out of a portion of what we win for you, that we’ll agree upon before getting started.
To discuss options with The Law Offices of John Phebus, schedule a free consultation or call (623) 847-7117 as soon as possible after you have received medical care to support the quickest and fullest possible compensation in your case.
