A motorcycle ассіdеnt саn have devastating, life-altering consequences for the motorcyclist. If you or a loved one have bееn іnvоlvеd іn a ѕеvеrе motorcycle ассіdеnt, speaking to an experienced personal injury attorney is strongly recommended. A Lodi motorcycle accident lаwуеr will be a trusted partner in gеttіng the proper соmреnѕаtіоn уоu dеѕеrvе.

The California Office of Traffic Safety reported that roughly 12,000 California motorcyclists suffered devastating injuries in collisions in 2013 alone. If that was not bad enough, nearly 500 people died in motorcycle accidents. This means thousands of lives are adversely affected by motorcycle wrecks yearly, just in California.

When someone riding a motorcycle gets hit by another vehicle, harm and loss are often devastating and potentially permanent. This is because the motorcyclist typically absorbs the entire force of the collision while the occupant of a larger vehicle is shielded by airbags and other safety devices.

A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed the traumatic injuries motorcyclists endure when involved in a collision. The results show approximately 30 percent of injuries to bikers are in the lower extremities (including legs and feet). In comparison, 22 percent of motorcyclists suffered severe head and/or neck injuries.

Other types of serious injuries include the following:

• Bone fractures and sprains
• Facial lacerations
• Brain trauma
• Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
• Knee injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Muscle Tears
• Nerve damage

As you can see, these injuries are quite severe and may require months or weeks of rehab to fully recover. This is why speaking to a Lodi motorcycle accident attorney about pursuing a personal injury claim makes sense.

An injured motorcyclist can pursue compensation for the following economic and non-economic damages:

• Medical expenses include emergency room bills, rehabilitative care, prescription medication, etc.
• Lost wages as a result of missing time from work
• Pain and suffering damages, including emotional stress, psychological damage, and mental anguish associated with the wreck.

The compensation you can reasonably expect to recover through a personal injury claim depends significantly on the available automobile insurance coverage between the reckless driver that hit you and your own policy. Unfortunately, many California drivers only carry a bare minimum automobile insurance policy. Suppose that is the case, and your injuries are catastrophic. In that case, you should consider filing a separate injury claim through the uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage under your auto insurance policy.

In a motorcycle accident injury lawsuit, the burden is on you to prove that the other driver was liable for your harm and losses. This means specific legal elements must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence. The critical legal elements include showing that the other driver owed a duty, they breached that duty, and that breach caused your injuries and actual damages.

For example, drivers in California owe a duty of care to other motorists on the road to operate their vehicles safely and reasonably, including motorcyclists. If a driver was drunk, changing lanes abruptly, texting, and driving when they hit your motorcycle, that would constitute a breach. You must prove that the collision caused your harm (reasonably easy to verify) and that you suffered economic and non-economic damages.

Filing and negotiating a motorcycle accident claim can be complex and overwhelming for someone who has never had to deal with an insurance adjuster. Motorcycle accident injury lawsuits feature multiple moving parts and deadlines, including pre-trial discovery, settlement negotiations, speaking to witnesses, etc. A lawyer can help by handling these tasks to focus on your recovery.

Hiring a Lodi motorcycle accident lawyer is also wise because you will likely receive a larger settlement from the other driver’s insurance company. No one can guarantee how your injury case will turn out. Still, statistical data shows that individuals represented by an injury lawyer obtain larger settlements and jury verdicts than others who lack legal counsel.

The following YouTube video explains what to look for in a motorcycle accident lawyer.

The California legislature enacted a statute of limitations limiting the time a claimant may file suit against a defendant. According to California Civil Procedure Section 335.1, an injured individual has two years from the accident date to file a lawsuit against the other driver. If you fail to get the lawsuit filed within two years, your motorcycle accident case will likely be barred from going forward. As you can see, you should not delay taking legal action. Taking action immediately is also beneficial because your lawyer needs time to develop a persuasive case, collect evidence, interview witnesses, etc.

An injury from a motorcycle accident can be a traumatic and stressful experience. Your injuries may be so severe that multiple surgeries and weeks of rehabilitation are required to return to 100 percent. This is why you need to hire an experienced Lodi motorcycle accident attorney with a track record of securing large settlements and jury verdicts for their clients.

We take cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no fees upfront, and we don’t get paid until the successful outcome of your case. So why not call today? It is free to call and talk to our injury lawyers. When you contact us, we will review the motorcycle accident details and see how best to proceed.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a motorcycle accident or suffered wrongful death as a result of one, please call our experienced Lodi motorcycle accident attorneys as soon as possible for free, friendly advice at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400. See our past verdicts and settlements.