Tuscaloosa Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you’ve suffered a serious motorcycle accident, you are likely facing substantial medical debt, a long time away from work, and other complications. How do you protect yourself, get the support you need, and start getting back to normal?
If the accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be able to seek compensation for your losses. To get what you truly deserve, you’ll need a strong motorcycle accident attorney who is ready to fight aggressively on your behalf.
Ready to get started? The team at Mann & Potter is here to help. Call us at 205-879-9661 to schedule a consultation now.
Why You Need a Tuscaloosa Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The choice to hire an attorney can be a difficult one, especially if you’re worried about drawing out the settlement process. We understand—when medical bills start piling up and you aren’t sure when you can get back to work, waiting for an attorney might seem counterproductive.
However, the fact is that you have a low chance of getting the settlement you deserve without the help of a motorcycle accident in Tuscaloosa. Insurance companies know that they can get away with offering motorcycle accident victims a low settlement. There’s a lot of bias against motorcyclists, and insurance companies will take any chance they can to claim that the accident is your fault.
You might get a call from the other party’s insurance provider right after your accident, especially if it’s obvious that the other driver was negligent. No matter how friendly the insurance adjuster is and no matter how genuine they seem about “making this right,” remember that they are not on your side.
They want to protect their company’s profit margins by paying you as little as possible—nothing, if they can get away with it. Anything you tell them will be used to drive down your settlement. In many cases, that’s not even enough to cover your medical bills or your time away from work.
When you bring an attorney with you, insurance companies treat you a little differently. They know that their normal tricks don’t work. When your attorney presents evidence that their client was negligent and that you’ve suffered because of it, it’s much harder for them to offer an embarrassingly low settlement. Simply put, hiring an attorney for your motorcycle accident claim gives you a stronger chance at getting what you really deserve.
Motorcycle Accident Claims—Why Are They More Difficult Than Car Accident Claims?
If you’ve been in a car accident before, you might wonder why it seems so much more difficult to get a full and fair settlement in a motorcycle accident. Unfortunately, there is a lot of prejudice against bikers. When people are involved in an accident with a biker, they’re more likely to blame the biker simply for being on the road. While driver training does remind drivers that bikers have a right to the road, that simply doesn’t seem to stick for most drivers.
This attitude extends to insurance companies and adjusters. If they believe they can find any way to pin the accident on you, they’ll do so. They will use stereotypes against you, claiming that bikers tend to be less careful on the road, drive recklessly around other vehicles, and take unnecessary risks. All of these factors make it harder to get the compensation you’re owed.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Motorcyclists are at risk of serious injuries when they’re involved in an accident. The type of injuries you suffer play a big part in determining how much money you may receive in a settlement. Some of the most commonly reported injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Road rash and subsequent infections
- Organ injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal cord damage
Fighting for Compensation
If you can prove that the other party caused your accident and demonstrate the extent of your injuries, you may be able to recover significant compensation. Before you can prove liability, you have to satisfy several different requirements:
- Show that the other party had a duty of care to you—when you are on the road, everyone else on the road has an obligation to drive safely in a way that minimizes risk to other drivers
- Prove that the other party failed to meet that duty and caused an accident—if they drove carelessly, drove while distracted, or ignored road signs, those all satisfy this requirement
- Link the accident to your injuries—this is often satisfied by getting a prompt medical examination right after an accident
- Demonstrate the extent of your injuries—this involves providing medical bills, medical records, and other documentation of how the injuries have impacted your life
Once your attorney successfully proves that the other party caused your accident, they can then negotiate a settlement based on everything you’ve lost as a result of the accident. In a motorcycle accident, you may receive compensation for:
- Medical bills. Treatment for motorcycle accident injuries can be incredibly expensive. If the other party caused the accident, they should have to pay for the related costs.
- Future medical expenses. Some injuries are so severe that they require ongoing or lifelong treatment. When this happens, your settlement may include money for future medical treatment needs.
- Lost wages. Spending time away from work can be financially devastating, and a fair settlement should compensate you for your lost income.
- Lost future income. When an injury stops you from working long-term or limits your ability to work at your previous level, you may receive compensation for the loss of future income.
- Property damage. Damage to your motorcycle may also be compensable in your settlement.
- Disability or disfigurement. Bikers who suffer physical disfigurement or disability in a motorcycle crash often receive additional compensation for this permanent loss.
- Pain and suffering. While a settlement cannot give you back the time you lost to pain, it can financially compensate you for that pain.
Contact Mann & Potter for Help with Your Case Today
The sooner you contact a Tuscaloosa motorcycle accident attorney, the sooner we can start working for you. Take the first step now by calling us at 205-879-9661 or contacting our team online.
