Motorcycle accidents can result in devastating consequences that can lead to payouts ranging from $9,000 to over $200,000, with most motorcycle accident claims settling around $80,000. Yet, while these may be some of the more average monetary recoveries, these amounts will also depend on the circumstances of the motorcycle accident, which means your payout can be significantly more or less than these amounts.
However, to better understand your legal options following a motorcycle accident and the resulting compensation, ask a motorcycle accident lawyer to explain the factors that can affect these payouts and how that lawyer can fight for the justice and financial damages you deserve.
The Factors That Can Affect Your Motorcycle Accident Payout
If you or a loved one suffered harm from a motorcycle accident, various factors could influence the amount of money you can recover following this collision.
These factors include:
- The injuries sustained, including the type of injury and the severity of the injury
- Whether the injuries are permanent or whether there is a good chance the injuries will heal
- The type of medical treatments needed and the extent of these treatments
- The insurance policies involved and the amount of coverage available
- The ability to live a normal life after the accident
- The ability to work in the same position you did before the accident
- The amount of lost income you endured from being unable to work after the motorcycle crash
- Your pain and suffering following the motorcycle accident
- The need for replacement services following the crash, such as cleaning services or child care services
While determining the consequences of these factors can be difficult, you will not have to figure them out on your own. Instead, when you work with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney, these legal professionals can figure out how these factors will influence your payout and prepare the strongest legal claim on your behalf and help you go after the maximum financial damages you need.
How Can Your Injuries Affect Your Motorcycle Accident Payout?
Following a motorcycle crash, the injuries that can result can be devastating. However, while these injuries will often depend on the collision, some of the more common types of trauma following these accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Facial trauma and eye injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Crushing injuries
- Internal damages, including internal bleeding or organ damage
- Road rash
- Wrongful death
Furthermore, depending on the severity of the injuries sustained following a motorcycle accident, these crashes can also result in extensive medical bills that can forever impact you and your loved ones. Consequently, the more severe the injuries are, the greater the likelihood that the settlement amount will be more significant.
However, to better understand how your injuries will affect your payout, discuss your case with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. These attorneys can review the extent of your losses and help you go after the money you are entitled to.
Can Insurance Companies Affect How Much Money You Can Get for Your Motorcycle Crash?
When insurance companies get involved following a motorcycle collision, they commonly try to minimize your payout to increase their profits. One tactic they use to achieve these results is offering you a meager settlement after a motorcycle accident. They hope that in your vulnerable state, you will not consider whether this amount is fair to you or speak with legal professionals to determine if you deserve more.
Rather, they hope you accept it, no questions asked. However, if you take this settlement offer and discover later that this amount only covers some of your bills, losses, and future needs, you cannot return to the insurance company and ask for more money.
For these reasons, before you accept anything from the insurance company, consider discussing any offer you receive with a knowledgeable motorcycle accident lawyer. These attorneys can review the offer and determine whether this amount is reasonable for you and your needs. If not, they can return to the insurance company and fight for the maximum compensation they need.
Can Going to Trial After a Motorcycle Accident Increase Your Financial Payout?
If the insurance company is not willing to get you a just settlement offer following your motorcycle accident, you may be able to pursue litigation to secure both economic and non-economic damages, which can increase your overall payout amount.
These damages include payment for the following types of losses:
- Medical bills resulting from a hospital stay, doctor visits, prescription medications, surgeries, rehabilitation therapy, emergency services, and other types of treatment
- Lost income and business opportunities
- Future medical treatments
- Reduced earning capacity
- Damage to personal property, such as the costs associated with the replacement or repair of your motorcycle
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Humiliation and inconvenience as a result of the injuries involved
However, to know which damages may apply to your case, consider speaking with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. These legal professionals can help you determine the scope of your losses, determine which damages you can pursue, and help you fight for the financial damages you deserve.
What Types of Evidence Can Help Your Motorcycle Accident Payout?
Certain types of evidence can help validate your legal claim following a motorcycle accident and increase the amount you can obtain after this tragic collision. This evidence typically includes the following:
Expenses Related to the Motorcycle Accident
After a motorcycle accident, try to keep all the receipts related to the accident and the harm sustained. These bills can assist your attorney in proving the severity of the injuries you suffered and the financial hardships these injuries resulted in. They can also help these legal professionals fight for the compensation needed to cover these costs.
The Medical Records Related to the Incident
Even if you do not think your injuries are that serious following a motorcycle accident, you should still get examined by a doctor as soon as possible. Many times, symptoms of serious injuries such as brain trauma or internal bleeding can take time to manifest. However, the longer you wait to check the conditions, the more deadly they can become.
In addition, these healthcare professionals can also provide you with a medical report which can not only detail the extent of your injuries but provide your lawyer with evidence of a link between the harm you suffered and the motorcycle accident. This can be especially beneficial if the insurance company tries to state that the injuries were not that severe or resulted from a pre-existing condition or a subsequent event.
Expert Testimony
Your attorney may also bring in certain experts, such as doctors, accident reconstructionist specialists, and financial specialists, to provide testimony that can be used to help validate your legal claim. These experts can provide information proving what and who caused the motorcycle crash, the severity of the harm you endured and how these injuries impacted your life and will continue to affect it going forward.
Documentation and Photos of the Motorcycle Crash
Documentation after a motorcycle collision can help provide proof regarding what happened and who was responsible for the accident. However, gathering this evidence following a motorcycle crash is probably the last thing you think about. For these reasons, following an accident, consider contacting an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Your attorneys, when hired, can promptly review the accident and gather pictures and videos related to:
- The scene of the crash
- The damage to the vehicles involved
- The placement of these vehicles on the road
- The traffic and weather conditions at the time of the collision
- Traffic signs and signals near the accident scene
- Road conditions (potholes, skid marks, road defects)
These lawyers can also look for individuals who saw the accident and get their contact details. These witnesses can often provide testimony that can help corroborate your legal claim and assist your lawyer in going after maximum financial damages.
How Long Will It Take to Reach a Settlement Agreement After a Motorcycle Collision?
Although a skilled motorcycle accident attorney can tell you about the legal process involved with a motorcycle accident legal claim, these legal professionals can not tell you exactly how long it will take for the case to settle.
In truth, most attorneys may want to wait to settle your claim until you have reached maximum medical improvement, as this will allow them to better grasp your injuries and the medical treatments required. This can also help them better understand how much compensation you should pursue. As a result, there is no way to tell how long the legal process will take.
However, your lawyers can speed up the settlement process by ensuring that the insurance company does not drag its feet regarding settlement negotiations and getting you the money you need.
The Statute of Limitations Can Stop You From Getting Paid
The statute of limitations is a law that indicates how long individuals have to file a lawsuit after an alleged offense. Yet, while these laws will depend on the type of claim and the state where the accident occurred if you suffered harm following a motorcycle crash, the time you have to bring legal action is limited. If you fail to file this suit before time, the court can stop you from going after the money you need.
That is why, after a motorcycle collision, consider discussing your case with a knowledgeable motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. These attorneys can determine the deadlines involved in your case and ensure that the appropriate motions and legal documents are prepared and filed before this time expires.
Although you may have years, in some instances, to file a lawsuit after a motorcycle accident, as more time passes, the evidence will disappear, you can no longer find witnesses to testify regarding what happened, and memories of the incident will fade. All issues can hurt the amount of your payout.
How Can an Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Help You Obtain the Financial Damages You Deserve?
If you or a loved one have been harmed in a motorcycle accident and want to know what payout you can obtain after this tragic collision, consider discussing the case with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer.
Your lawyers can not only explain your legal options and remedies but can also:
- Gather evidence that can help you fight for the compensation you are entitled to, including witness testimony, photos, and accident reports.
- Hire experts to validate your legal claim and determine the total extent of your losses.
- Provide an honest opinion on the value of your motorcycle accident case.
- Take on settlement negotiations with the other parties and fight for a just amount.
- Pursue trial, if these other parties are not willing to settle for a fair amount and fight for maximum compensation
Do not wait any longer to go after the justice and recovery you deserve after a motorcycle accident. Instead, contact an experienced personal injury attorney today for a free case consultation and learn how a lawyer can go after the payout you need.