Work with a Friendswood Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Who Understands How to Get Full Compensation for Your Injuries
Motorcycles and the people who ride them in Friendswood do not get the respect they deserve. Other motorists are often in too much of a hurry to pay attention to the narrow profile of a motorcycle. They make assumptions that motorcyclists do not follow the rules of the road. But at DeKeyzer Law, we know that most of the time, bikers are actually much more safety-conscious than other drivers.
Yet despite the precautions, motorcyclists still get injured because of the negligence of car and truck drivers. And the consequences can be deadly. Without the protection offered by a metal frame, motorcyclists involved in collisions often suffer catastrophic injuries, while those in other vehicles walk away without a scratch.
The Texas Department of Transportation reports that 9,720 people were injured or killed in motorcycle crashes during the most recent year for which statistics have been published. Most of those accidents could have been prevented, and many times, those injured should be entitled to compensation for their losses. But recovering compensation is not easy even when injuries are severe. It takes a knowledgeable, dedicated Friendswood motorcycle accident lawyer to overcome insurance companies’ tactics and achieve success.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Friendswood
Nothing upends your world like a motorcycle accident. Bikers often end up in the hospital with no memory of the collision. If you are conscious after an accident, it is important to do what you can to stay safe and to ensure that someone calls the police and medical assistance.
Even if you don’t feel hurt, it is critical to get a full medical exam from a doctor who is equipped to check for internal bleeding and other injuries that are not obvious. While EMTs on the scene can provide first aid, to get a thorough exam, you will need to see a doctor or go to a hospital. This protects your health and your ability to recover compensation for your injuries because medical records from the exam can be used as evidence. The police report from the accident scene will also provide critical evidence.
Once you’ve taken steps to protect yourself, it is helpful to gather evidence that can be used to demonstrate the cause of the accident. This includes taking photos of the accident scene and vehicle damage, securing video footage from nearby cameras, interviewing witnesses, and taking notes on what you remember and the impact of your injuries on your daily life. An attorney can help tremendously with this vital process.
Insurance companies like to get involved right away, and what you say to them can be used against you, so it is important to be careful. When you work with DeKeyzer Law, a Friendswood motorcycle accident lawyer can handle communication for you so that you don’t have to worry about it. Talking to an insurance company without first getting legal advice can limit or even completely prevent you from recovering resources to pay medical bills and make up for lost wages, pain, and other effects.
Causes of Friendswood Motorcycle Accidents
Most motorcycle accidents occur because someone was negligent. The negligent person didn’t set out to harm anyone, but they didn’t act responsibly, like a reasonable person would have done under the circumstances. Common causes of motorcycle accidents in Friendswood include:
- Driving while distracted, such as looking at a cell phone rather than the road
- Following a motorcycle too closely to allow adequate time to stop
- Driving at too great a speed to allow sufficient time to stop
- Failure to look closely while changing lanes or making a turn
- Debris spilled in the road, causing a motorcyclist to lose control
- Driving while sleepy or under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Even the use of legal medications such as cough medicine can be considered negligent if the driver has been warned that the medication could cause drowsiness. When you work with a Friendswood motorcycle accident lawyer at DeKeyzer Law, we can investigate to determine the cause of the accident and then work to secure compensation from the person liable.
FAQs About Friendswood Motorcycle Accidents
How do you establish liability for a motorcycle accident?
Liability is legal responsibility. When someone is held liable for causing an accident, they have an obligation to pay damages to compensate accident victims for the harm they have suffered.
To establish liability and obtain the ability to recover compensation, the attorney representing the victim presents legal arguments supported by evidence. When the insurance company sees that an attorney has the evidence and the chain of reasoning to win in court, the insurance company will usually offer a settlement adequate to compensate the victim for their losses, including legal fees. If the insurance company does not offer a reasonable settlement, then the evidence and arguments will be used in court to persuade the judge.
What kind of damages can be recovered?
If it were possible, the outcome of a legal action would restore the accident victim to the way they were before the accident. Since this is not possible, a Friendswood motorcycle accident lawyer will instead request compensation for each aspect of loss suffered by the accident victim. This includes amounts for:
- Medical bills
- Future medical needs
- Wages lost due to missed work
- Anticipated future reductions in earnings
- Pain
- Suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
Settlements initially offered by insurance companies usually do not provide nearly enough to meet future needs. It is important to fully value each component to understand the value of your accident claim.
Does Texas law allow me to receive compensation if I wasn’t wearing a helmet at the time of the motorcycle accident?
While Texas law requires motorcyclists and passengers to wear helmets in many situations, failure to wear a helmet may not prevent you from recovering compensation after a motorcycle accident. A rider could be considered negligent for not wearing a helmet, and that negligence might contribute to the cause of their injuries. If that’s the case, then the amount recovered in damages would be reduced by an amount proportionate to the rider’s share of causation.
For instance, if the court found that failure to wear a helmet was 20% of the cause of the injuries, the damage award would be dropped by 20%. If the rider suffered a leg injury that was not helmet-related, the award might not be reduced at all. But if the court found that the lack of a helmet was more than 50% of the cause of a rider’s injuries, then the law would prevent the rider from recovering any compensation. This is why it is vital to work with a knowledgeable attorney who can argue effectively as to why your actions did not contribute to the cause of your injuries.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation to Learn What Your Case May Be Worth
Although it might seem logical to focus on complete medical recovery first before turning to legal issues, it is important to act quickly on both medical and legal matters after a motorcycle accident. The insurance companies will begin working right away to deny liability, and you need a legal team working for you to outmaneuver their tactics.
A Friendswood motorcycle accident lawyer at DeKezyer Law can work to secure your legal right to recovery, allowing you to work toward healing and rebuilding your life. For a free, confidential consultation to learn more about the assistance our team can provide, call us at 713-904-4004 or contact us online now.