It takes a motorcycle owner to truly appreciate the daily danger that bikers endure on the roadways. Despite aggressive ad campaigns raising awareness of motorcycle accidents, collisions between cars and motorcycles remain common in and around Manteca.

Statistics conclude that traveling by motorcycle is still one of the most dangerous. In fact, motorcyclists are estimated to be 29 times more likely than car occupants to lose their lives in a collision and almost five times more likely to be injured, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Just because motorcycles are considered a more dangerous form of transportation does not mean that accident victims do not deserve financial restitution for their injuries. California law provides just as much protection to motorcycle riders as to motorists and pedestrians. Cars have a legal duty to share the road and not drive to the reckless abandon of motorcyclists.

Accidents involving a motorcycle and another vehicle can occur in many different ways, including:

• A driver rear-ended a motorcyclist
• The city or state negligently placed dangerous and hazardous objects on the road
• A driver failed to yield
• Hit-and-run accidents
• A distracted driver collided with a motorcyclist
• A drunk driver collided with a motorcyclist

While automobile safety features have dramatically improved over the years, no one disputes that motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds simply do not provide the same level of protection that cars, trucks, and vans offer to these operators’ vehicles. This is why it is common for a motorcyclist to bear the brunt of bodily damage when they are hit by another vehicle or are forced off the road by a negligent driver.

Motorcycle accident injuries can be severe, including lacerations, scarring, broken bones, open wounds, paralysis, brain damage, ligament damage, loss of limbs, etc.

California’s personal injury laws generally allow motorcycle accident victims to pursue a financial recovery for their harm and losses. You can pursue compensation by going to court or settling with the other driver’s insurance company. The damages you could conceivably recover include economic damages such as reimbursement for your medical bills. This often includes the cost of surgery and emergency room care and future medical costs like rehabilitation treatment and prescription medications.

Along with your medical bills, you can pursue reimbursement for lost wages because you had to miss work to recover from your injuries or take time off to visit your doctor(s). Lost wages can include wages that would have been earned during the injury recovery period and any wages that would have been earned in the future if you are permanently disabled as a proximate result of the collision.

In addition to economic damages, you can pursue recovery of non-economic damages. These are commonly referred to as pain and suffering damages. This includes compensation for the mental anguish, inconvenience, and anxiety associated with the collision. These harms and losses are difficult to calculate and put on a spreadsheet. For example, what dollar value can you place on the ability to walk? Or the loss of a limb?

In rare instances, you may be able to seek a punitive damages award from a jury. These are monetary damages specifically intended to harm the at-fault driver. But they are typically only available when there is clear evidence that the other driver’s conduct was shocking and outrageous.

Motorcycle accidents often pose complex factual and legal issues. Savvy insurance adjusters and defense attorneys will often contest liability and try to devalue your claim to intimidate you or hope you miss the statutory deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit. This is why it makes so much sense to have the services of an experienced Manteca motorcycle accident lawyer on your side. Not only can a lawyer navigate through the sly defense tactics, but they can also provide peace of mind that your case is being taken care of responsibly and professionally. They help level the proverbial playing field.

An attorney is also beneficial because proving a motorcycle accident claim is difficult. California law requires that a plaintiff prove that the other driver was negligent by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that your lawyer needs to introduce evidence showing that the defendant driver acted unreasonably under the circumstances (i.e., breached a duty of care). That breach proximately caused your harm and losses. There needs to be an extensive investigation into the accident, interviews of witnesses, review of photographs of the accident, and other relevant issues to present sufficient evidence. A seasoned Manteca motorcycle accident lawyer is ready and able to handle these tasks.

In California, a motorcycle accident lawsuit must be filed within two years of the accident to be eligible for financial recovery. This is due to the statute of limitations. Each state has its own statutory deadlines for civil claims, and California is no different. This is why it is critical to contact a Manteca motorcycle accident attorney immediately so they can begin working on your case.

A serious motorcycle accident can have life-altering consequences. A severe injury can take weeks, months, or years to fully recover from, if ever. You may have to endure multiple surgeries and spend significant time visiting doctors. These are major harms; you should hold the at-fault driver responsible for their negligence.

Watch the following YouTube video for more information on what to look for in a motorcycle accident lawyer.

If you or someone you hold dear has been injured or died in a motorcycle accident due to a negligent motorist, please contact injury lawyers today for free and friendly advice. We can call (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400. It won’t cost you anything to call and talk to us. We take cases by contingency fee. You pay nothing upfront. We get paid if and when we win your case.

We have been helping folks with their personal injury and wrongful death cases since 1982.

You can see the Verdicts and Settlements we’ve obtained here.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 8.31.23] sb bw [cs 1054] Photo by Pixabay}