Have You Been in a Motorcycle Accident
When you are in a motorcycle accident, it’s best to consult with a lawyer specializing in representing motorcycle accident victims. Due to the factors surrounding the construction of motorcycles, there’s a great deal more at stake than for someone involved in a collision with another car or truck. The nature of a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine and averages only 77 MPG means that most people will never own one, won’t ride one, or aren’t around them every day. This makes riders vulnerable to accidents. In this article, we will discuss reasons why you should choose motorcycle accident attorney. Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Know How To Fight For You Motorcycle accident attorneys know how to fight for your rights and get the compensation you deserve after an accident. A lawyer will examine all aspects of the case and see if the evidence supports your claim that someone else was at fault for the crash and your injuries. Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Can Help You With The Paperwork And Insurance Claims Process After an accident, navigating through the paperwork process required by your health insurance company and any other insurance companies involved in your claim can be challenging. Even worse, many insurance companies have what is known as “no-fault” laws, which means they will pay out benefits even if they believe it was their driver’s fault. You Want to Know Your Rights If you were involved in a motorcycle accident and were not at fault, it is essential that you know your rights and how to pursue them. A motorcycle accident attorney has years of experience dealing with these types of cases and can inform you on what to expect throughout the process. They will also act as your advocate throughout the case so that you don’t have to worry about anything else but recovering from your injuries. You Need Help Recovering Compensation When someone causes harm by driving recklessly or negligently, they are liable for the damages they caused. If you suffered injuries or lost loved ones because of their actions, they should be held responsible for paying compensation for your losses. A motorcycle accident attorney can help ensure that all parties are held accountable for causing harm through negligence or recklessness behind the wheel. They Know How Insurance Companies Work Insurance companies pay out as little as possible when claims are filed. They try to avoid paying by claiming that the incident wasn’t their insured’s fault or by citing loopholes in the law that allow them to deny payment. A motorcycle accident attorney can help you navigate these challenging situations and ensure you get what’s rightfully yours. They Know What Matters In Court In a court of law, evidence and testimony matter more than anything else. That’s why it’s so crucial for you to have an experienced attorney on your side who knows exactly what kind of evidence is needed to win your case especially if it goes to court. Your lawyer will know what questions need to be asked on the witness stand and what types of arguments can be made during closing statements that make all the difference in winning or losing an insurance claim case against car drivers who caused your injuries while driving recklessly. Experienced Attorneys Can Help You Get Fair Compensation While most attorneys will do their best to get you the settlement you deserve, some are better at it than others. An attorney with experience handling motorcycle accidents will have an in-depth understanding of the process of getting fair compensation for injured parties. They’ll know how to negotiate with insurance companies and other parties involved to get their clients as much compensation as possible. Reasonable Attorneys Will Understand Your Needs as an Injured Party An attorney who understands what it’s like being disabled or suffering from chronic pain after an accident can provide better representation than someone that has not worked with clients that have been in a motorcycle accident. If you’ve been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, you’ll need an attorney who understands how difficult it can be to deal with those injuries daily. For more information and a free consultation, contact us in Oklahoma City at (405) 253-4478 or our Ardmore office at (580) 798-0447.
How Negligence Impacts a Lawsuit
Have you recently been injured due to someone else’s carelessness? If so, you may wonder if you have a valid personal injury case. Making an accurate determination is a complicated process. The first thing your personal injury attorney will need to establish is whether or not the other party was negligent. This article is an overview and will look at what negligence is and how it can impact your case. What is Negligence? For someone to be held liable for your injuries, their actions must have fallen below the standards of care that a reasonable person would have met in the same situation. This is known as negligence. For example, if you are walking across the street and a driver runs a red light and hits you, their actions would likely be considered personal injury negligence. On the other hand, if you were walking down the street and slipped on a patch of ice that had not been shoveled or salted, the property owner might not be found negligent because there was no way for them to know that the ice was there. For negligence to occur, four main elements must be present: duty, breach of duty, causation, and damages. Duty The first element is duty. The plaintiff (the person filing the lawsuit) must prove that the defendant (the person being sued) owed them a duty of care. This means the defendant was obliged to act a certain way to avoid harming the plaintiff. For example, all drivers must operate their vehicles safely to avoid injuring other motorists. Breach The second element is breach. The plaintiff must show that the defendant breached their duty of care by failing to act as a reasonable person would have under similar circumstances. Returning to our earlier example, if a driver ran a red light and collided with another vehicle, they would be considered to have breached their duty of care by failing to act as a reasonable driver would have under those circumstances. Causation The third element is causation. The plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s breach of duty was the cause of their injuries. This means that the plaintiff would not have been injured by the defendant’s actions. Damages The fourth and final element is damages. The plaintiff must show that they suffered some type of loss or harm as a result of the defendant’s negligence. This could be physical injuries, emotional distress, property damage, or financial losses such as lost wages or medical bills. If any of these elements is missing, there can be no negligence. For example, if the defendant did not owe the plaintiff a duty of care (say, for example, if you were hit by a car while trespassing on private property), then they cannot be held liable for your injuries-regardless of how unreasonable their actions may have been. How Does Negligence Impact Your Personal Injury Case? As mentioned above, negligence is necessary for liability in a personal injury case. If your attorney can establish that the other party was negligent, they will likely be held responsible for any damages you suffered due to their actions. These damages can include economic and non-economic losses such as medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more. However, even if negligence can be established, some protections are still in place for defendants in personal injury cases. For example, many states have laws limiting how much money plaintiffs can recover for pain and suffering damages. Additionally, suppose the plaintiff was partially at fault for their own injuries (say, they were jaywalking when they were hit by a car). In that case, they may have their damage award reduced by an amount proportional to their level of fault under what is known as comparative negligence laws. In some states, if the plaintiff is more than 50% at fault, they may be barred from receiving any damages at all. Conclusion If you’ve been injured due to someone else’s careless behavior, you may wonder whether you have a valid personal injury case. The first step in answering this question is to establish whether or not negligence occurred-and this blog post has hopefully given you a better understanding of what negligence is and how it can impact your case. Of course, this is just a general overview; for specific advice tailored to your unique situation, contact us in Oklahoma City at (405) 253-4478 or at our Ardmore office at (580) 798-0447.
