Motorcycle accidents can be pretty horrific in many instances. Since a motorcycle is smaller than your typical commuter car or pickup truck, the person on the motorcycle is more likely to incur a severe bodily injury.

Motorcycle accident deaths are disturbingly high. For example, motorcyclists only account for three percent of vehicles on U.S. roads and highways. Yet, they account for fourteen percent of all U.S. motor vehicle-related fatalities, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 4,885 motorcyclists in the U.S. were killed in traffic accidents in 2017. Of those killed, 28 percent were alcohol-related, while 32 percent were due to speeding.

If you or a family member was seriously injured in an accident while riding your motorcycle, you can pursue financial restitution for your harm and losses through a Tracy motorcycle accident injury claim.

Generally, you can recover two types of damages through this type of claim – economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those harms and losses you can easily calculate with invoices, pay stubs, and receipts. Non-economic damages are not so easily calculable. They usually include the mental anguish, stress, frustration, and psychological damage associated with the accident. Below is a brief overview of each form of compensation.

Reimbursable medical expenses are those costs you’ve incurred in treating the bodily injuries you suffered from the collision. Since they are measurable, they are part of economic damages. The medical expenses that can be reimbursed include the medical bills you incurred due to the collision and future medical expenditures such as physical therapy, surgery, prescription pain medications, etc.

When you get involved in a motorcycle accident, you might be unable to work for some time. It could be days, weeks, or months (typically depending on the collision’s severity). You can seek reimbursement for the loss of your present wages. This can be established by submitting evidence of past pay stubs or tax returns. In most instances, your loss of present wages doesn’t mean you can’t work anymore. It is intended to compensate you for the income you would have earned without the motorcycle accident.

In addition to present wages, you may be able to pursue future wages. This usually applies when your injuries are so severe that you cannot return to work for an extended period or are permanently disabled. Calculating future earnings can get quite complex, especially if you will need to project out years or decades of earnings. Your Tracy motorcycle accident attorney can retain the services of an economist to help determine future earning potential.

The pain and suffering you endure from the accident are more intangible and less concrete than your medical expenses and lost wages. They include waking up in the middle of the night with a pounding headache or low back pain. They include missing your child’s baseball game or tennis match because you had to visit the physical therapist. They include being unable to help your spouse care for the house or make dinner. An excellent way to express these damages to a judge or jury is by keeping a daily journal describing the inconvenience and troublesome aspects of managing daily activities with a serious bodily injury.

The liability of both you and the defendant is also a great determiner of the measure of compensation you can reasonably receive through this type of claim. If the defendant is not fully liable and you contributed to causing the collision, you can still obtain financial compensation, but it may be reduced.

This is because California adheres to the theory of comparative negligence to determine the amount of compensation that may be awarded in a Tracy personal injury claim, including a motorcycle accident claim.

For example, you have $75,000 in economic and non-economic damages. However, a jury found you to be 25 percent at fault for causing the accident. The compensation you would likely get will be reduced by 25 percent.

Most defense lawyers and corporate lawyers charge hourly rates for cases they handle. However, most Tracy motorcycle accident attorneys do not charge clients an hourly fee or ask for a hefty retainer fee. Instead, motorcycle accident attorneys work on a contingency fee. This arrangement allows you to hire a top-notch attorney without having to pay any money upfront, and you do not pay anything during your personal injury claim. Your lawyer only gets paid when they obtain a financial recovery for you through a settlement or jury verdict. When the lawyer obtains a settlement or verdict for you, they usually receive a percentage of the total amount recovered, ranging between 33 percent and 40 percent.

You need to file your motorcycle accident injury case within two years of the accident. This is because of the statute of limitations period established under California law. If you do not file your lawsuit within two years, there is a good chance your lawsuit will get thrown out of court.

You probably have many unanswered questions if you or a family member has been in an accident while operating a motorcycle. Let an experienced and skilled Tracy motorcycle accident attorney assist you during this difficult time.

Watch the following YouTube video for more on how the contingency fee works.

At AutoAccident.com, our motorcycle accident attorneys are dedicated to helping obtain the justice and fair compensation bikers deserve after being injured in a crash. To learn more on how our Tracy injury lawyers can help you, call (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice today. See some of the verdicts and settlements we have obtained for our clients.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 8.31.23] Photo by Djordje Petrovic from Pexels sb bw [cs 1013]}