Blue Grass Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys

Motorcycle injury attorneys serve as committed supporters for riders when calamity strikes. Specializing in motorcycle accidents, they navigate legal complexities to ensure injured riders receive the justice and compensation they deserve.

Why You Should Talk to a Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Blue Grass

When a motorcycle accident occurs, the last thing the victim and their family are usually thinking about is taking legal action. Instead, thoughts are typically focused on the victim’s injuries and recovery. While a motorcycle accident can be entirely overwhelming and emotional—and talking to a motorcycle accident attorney may not feel like a natural step to take—meeting with a lawyer is imperative. Here’s why you or your family should talk to a motorcycle accident attorney in Blue Grass as soon as possible after a motorcycle accident.

Damages from Serious Injuries

Even when motorcyclists are riding with proper safety gear, serious injuries such as the following are common:

- Head and brain injuries
- Broken bone injuries
- Burn injuries requiring skin grafts
- Soft tissue injuries

Even if the motorcyclist has health and motorcycle insurance, these damages can be expensive. What’s more, if the injuries have a prolonged estimated recovery time, the rider may be unable to return to work and earn an income, and may need to pay for special therapy or healthcare. Having an attorney on your side can help you to recover damages for all of these expenses.

Gathering the Right Evidence

Part of recovering damages will be proving the fault of the other party. To prove guilt, evidence will be incredibly important to your claim. Types of evidence that you may need to show fault include the following:

- Physical evidence from the accident scene/pictures of physical evidence
- Medical documents, doctors’ statements, and medical bills
- Eyewitness testimony
- Police reports
- Key facts about another driver (history of driving offenses)
- Possible proof of intoxication of another driver

Negotiating with Insurance Companies

Who pays for your damages—your insurance company or the other driver—will depend upon a variety of circumstances, including who was at fault and the type of insurance that you have. Regardless, having an attorney on your side to handle negotiations can be a relief. Often, insurance companies will attempt to offer accident victims settlement amounts that are far too small to cover adequate damages. If the number is large, it can be tempting to accept, even when it’s lower than it should be. To avoid a situation like this from occurring, the advice and negotiating skills of an attorney are very helpful.

What Happens if I Was Partially at Fault in an Iowa Motorcycle Accident?

If you are found partially at fault in an Iowa motorcycle accident, the amount of compensation you will be eligible to recover will be reduced. It’s important to realize that just because you might be partially responsible for the motorcycle accident in which you were injured, it doesn’t mean that you can’t seek compensation with the help of the injury attorneys at Walker, Billingsley & Bair.

Iowa’s Comparative Negligence Rules

In Iowa, when courts, attorneys, and insurance adjusters calculate settlement packages, they abide by a rule known as comparative negligence. This rule stipulates that the amount of compensation you can collect will be reduced by your degree of fault in the accident.

In other words, if you were partially at fault in an Iowa motorcycle accident, you will be responsible for your portion of the damages. As long as you were less than 51 percent responsible for the accident, you can still pursue financial compensation for a motorcycle accident in Iowa. For example, if your settlement totaled $100,000 and you were found to be 25 percent at fault for the accident, you will receive only $75,000 in damages. This is why proving fault, negligence, and other important legal issues can be critical in these types of cases.

Lessening your degree of fault and demonstrating that the other party was liable for the accident is a key component of a successful claim. This is where Iowa injury attorneys may become instrumental. Your attorney can help you collect evidence, protect your rights, and best demonstrate your case to the adjusters or the courts.

Recovering Compensation for Disfiguring Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Riding a motorcycle is a risky business. With ever-increasing traffic jamming our highways and frustrated commuters behind the wheel, a motorcyclist not only must learn to drive defensively but also must learn to anticipate and react to the poor or aggressive driving of other motorists.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Safety, motorcycle accidents accounted for only 2 percent of all road accidents in 2012, yet they resulted in 12 percent of serious, injury-related accidents and 14 percent of all accident fatalities. The best way to beat these statistics is to follow the rules of the road and wear a helmet. However, even the most cautious riders have accidents, and if you suffered disfiguring injuries in a motorcycle accident, you may pursue compensation for damages.

Check Your Insurance Policy and Consider a Third-Party Liability Claim

It is a good policy to keep complete coverage on your bike; it is a dangerous risk not to have yourself properly insured. Not all accidents involve other vehicles, and you need to be able to cover medical and living expenses while you recuperate. If you have been seriously injured or disfigured due to weather conditions or unintentional driver error, you are entitled to collect money from the insurance company if you have purchased the right type of motorcycle insurance coverage. Additionally, you may file a third-party claim against another driver's liability insurance if the other driver caused your accident.

Hire an Attorney Immediately

It is important to talk to an attorney as soon as possible after the accident. If you were in a serious accident, never settle with an insurance company until you obtain professional legal advice.

Insurance companies have lawyers and experts on their staff, and it is in their best interest to offer a quick settlement. This, however, is not usually in the victim’s best interest. Even if the settlement sounds fair, you are not in the physical or emotional condition to make proper judgments on these kinds of decisions. A reputable attorney will represent you, so all you have to worry about is getting better.

Types of Compensation for Which You May be Eligible

Victims of motorcycle accidents who suffered serious or disfiguring injuries may be entitled to compensation for their medical bills, hospitalization, long-term care, hiring of caregivers, physical therapy, and any loss of earnings. Depending on the severity of the injury, these expenses may compensate for current damages and future ones.

In addition, an accident victim may be entitled to pain and suffering and emotional distress related to the disfiguring injuries. In the case of extreme scarring or amputation of a limb, a person may need both emotional and physical therapy to help heal the wounds. There could also be long-term complications and the possibility of future issues that need to be addressed when discussing compensation.

Consulting a Motorcycle Accident Attorney

The toll from severe motorcycle injuries can encompass substantial medical expenses and long-term care costs for victims and their families. Lost wages may compound matters, especially if employment becomes unrealistic for an extended period. Getting help from a motorcycle accident attorney allows the pursuit of comprehensive compensation, from financial damages and emotional distress such as pain and suffering.

Victims of these accidents should seek consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney, as damages may be extensive and recovery of compensation is important.

At Walker, Billingsley & Bair, our motorcycle accident attorneys can represent you in dealings with your insurance company, or when filing a personal injury claim. Set up your consultation now by calling 641-792-3595.