The timeline for your motorcycle accident lawsuit may be unpredictable. Some cases may be resolved in a few weeks, if not days. Other cases may take longer. A few variables can affect how long your case takes.
If insurance is available to you and insurance companies negotiate in good faith, your case may not take long. If you need to file a lawsuit, your case may take longer. Having to go to trial may yet again extend your case’s timeframe. Whatever course your case follows, trust that your lawyer will work hard to resolve the case as soon as possible.
With a Lawyer Leading, Your Motorcycle Accident Case Will Take No Longer Than Necessary
An attorney cannot guarantee how long your case will take. Doing so can:
- Create unrealistic expectations
- Lead to the prediction being incorrect
- Put pressure on your lawyer to resolve your case in a certain timeframe, which might be detrimental to the quality of the case
Rather than guaranteeing a completion date, your lawyer will make a different guarantee. Your attorney can guarantee that they’ll do everything possible to resolve your case as soon as possible—without settling for an outcome that is short of what you deserve.
Some ways that attorneys can promote an efficient case are:
- Their experience with motorcycle accident lawsuits: Experience breeds efficiency. While your case will have unique characteristics, a lawyer’s history representing injured riders will allow them to avoid unnecessary delay. Expect your attorney to know what works and what doesn’t and to use this knowledge in your favor.
- Their history with insurance companies: Insurance companies are one of the greatest unknowns in a motorcycle accident case. Your lawyer should have prior experience dealing with motorcycle insurance providers (and auto insurance providers). An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will not waste time indulging insurers’ bad-faith tactics. An attorney will navigate the claims process efficiently because they’ve navigated it many times before.
- Their teams of legal professionals: Lawyers do not handle motorcycle accident lawsuits on their own. They typically have a skilled team around them. This team effort can produce more efficient outcomes.
- Their legal resources: In addition to their team, your attorney may have the latest legal technology and other resources on their side. These resources can allow your lawyer to prepare your case swiftly and may shrink the timeframe for resolving your case.
- Their expert networks: Experts can be a valuable resource for injured riders. You may gain access to experts by hiring a lawyer.
You should not just be concerned about the speed of your case. Quality is most important. Your motorcycle accident attorney will consider both efficiency and quality when pursuing fair compensation for you.
A Fair Financial Recovery Is, for Most, Worth the Wait
Rushing is one of the gravest mistakes you can make after a motorcycle accident. Understandably, you want to receive a fair financial recovery and move on, but lawsuits are not simple. A fair settlement or verdict is worth any necessary wait.
With this in mind, you should know that:
- Many law firms relieve their clients’ financial pressures: Your lawyer will not be ignorant of your struggle. The majority of injured riders who hire an attorney are facing some degree of financial hardship. Many law firms cover their clients’ medical bills and ensure their financial stability in other ways—ask law firms about any such assistance during your consultations.
- Most cases eventually settle: The majority of civil cases settle. Settling usually takes less time than going to trial. However, even a settlement can take time. Trust that your lawyer is fighting for a fair settlement, and remember that the wait for that fair settlement will be worthwhile.
- Having a long-term outlook is critical for injured riders: It’s common for accident victims to be overwhelmed by an influx of medical bills. The pressure of being unable to work—and without a regular paycheck—can be crushing. That said, your lawyer will be fighting for your long-term security. Trust in them.
- The consequences of accepting a lowball settlement can be devastating: As much pressure as you might feel to obtain compensation now, there is a far worse scenario. If you accept a lowball offer, you will eventually face the sobering realization: I don’t have the money to cover accident-related costs. Even worse, those liable for your accident won’t have any obligation to pay you more money.
Once you agree to a settlement, that’s it. Any insurance company or defendant who pays you the compensation will not be paying you again—unless you face some extraordinary circumstance. Allow your attorney to pursue all of the money you deserve, even if that requires some patience on your end.
Insurance Companies and Other Liable Parties May Prey on a Victim’s Impatience—Your Lawyer Will Protect You
Insurance providers are well aware that:
- Injured riders often face expensive medical bills
- Injured riders are often unable to work after their accidents
- Financial pressure can mount quickly after the collision
- If they manipulate the financial pressure, the insurance company can reduce their financial liability
The lowball settlement offer is insurers’ primary tool against injured riders. Knowing that an injured rider may need financial assistance, the insurance company may offer a settlement they know is less than the rider deserves. A desperate rider might accept such an offer, accepting immediate relief over long-term security.
Hiring a law firm will spare you from having to accept a lowball offer. Your firm will ensure you’re taken care of and at ease throughout your case.
Your Attorney Will Protect You from Lowball Offers and Other Bad-Faith Tactics
Lowball offers are just one of the many bad-faith tactics you might face as an injured rider. Some other unethical strategies your attorney will protect you from include:
- Denying your claim without good reason
- Deceiving you about what insurance policies say (or don’t say)
- Pressuring you to accept a lowball offer
- Delaying the claims process, which can increase pressure on the claimant
Insurance companies are legally required to act in good faith. Your motorcycle accident attorney will demand they do just that.
Your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Will Be Responsible for Your Case, Allowing You to Focus on Recovery
Riders are especially susceptible to accident-related injuries and trauma, which can include:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Road rash
- Internal injuries
- Amputation injuries
Someone hit by a motor vehicle or thrown from their bike is likely to have multiple injuries—one or more of which may be life-threatening. Let your lawyer take the load of your case off your shoulders, as they will immediately:
Become Your Representative with Insurance Companies
You may have interacted with insurance companies in the aftermath of the collision. Let your lawyer take over.
Your attorney can handle all claim-related responsibilities. They will also protect you from any questionable tactics used by insurers. If you need to give a statement or take any other action related to your claim, your attorney will reach out to you.
Establish the Cause of Your Accident
Some common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Pulling in front of an oncoming rider
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Running stop signs and red lights
- Dangerous passing
- Failing to yield the right of way to the rider
- Vehicle or motorcycle defects
- Dangerous driving conditions
A motorist’s state can increase the likelihood of an accident. Impaired, distracted, tired, or emotionally distraught drivers pose a clear and present hazard to motorcyclists.
Your lawyer will determine why the collision occurred. They will also use all available evidence to prove whose careless, reckless, or intentional actions caused the accident.
Document Damages You’ve Sustained Because of the Motorcycle Crash
No element of your case will be more important than your damages. Some ways your attorney may prove those damages include:
- Medical records detailing your injuries, symptoms, and care
- The results of an evaluation by a mental health professional (which may reveal your pain and suffering in great detail)
- Your own testimony about how the accident has caused you psychological distress, emotional anguish, physical pain, financial hardship, and other damages
- Expert testimony supporting your case
- Any financial statements proving financial harm from the collision
Your lawyer will go the extra mile in pursuit of such proof. They will expect liable parties to try and poke holes in your case, so your lawyer will work hard to make that case rock solid.
Determine How Much Compensation You Deserve
When negotiating, a lawyer must have a precise target. Your motorcycle collision attorney will calculate their settlement demands based on:
- Economic damages: These kinds of damages have a clear financial value, and that value may be difficult for liable parties to dispute. For instance, your lawyer may produce all accident-related medical bills, and this will show the cost of medical care resulting from the crash.
- Non-economic damages: These kinds of damages don’t have as clear a financial value. As an example, you may be experiencing severe PTSD after the accident. Your lawyer will determine a fair financial value reflecting the PTSD. Liable parties may challenge your attorney’s valuation of these damages, but your lawyer will present documentation and explain their calculation method.
In some cases, an attorney can wait for their client to reach maximum recovery from their injuries. In other cases, riders are permanently disabled. Your lawyer’s approach will be specific to you, your health problems, and your prognosis for recovery.
Create Their Settlement Demands
Your lawyer’s settlement demands will reflect the full extent of your economic and non-economic damages. The demand letter may contain an itemized list of your accident-related losses, with corresponding financial values for each.
Pursue the Settlement You Deserve
When your attorney presents their demand letter to liable parties, the two possible outcomes are:
- Liable parties agree to pay the sum your lawyer is demanding
- They refuse
If liable parties do not agree to pay the sum your lawyer is seeking, negotiations may ensue. If liable parties continue to refuse you fair payment after negotiating (or without negotiating), your attorney may discuss taking legal action with you.
Speak with You About Suing (a Conversation That May Occur at Any Point in Your Case)
You don’t necessarily have to go through the insurance claims process before suing. Your lawyer may discuss the possibility of filing a lawsuit at any time. Often, though, victims of motorcycle accident victims gauge whether they can receive fair compensation through insurance before weighing a lawsuit.
If your case leads to legal action, either directly or after the claims process, your lawyer will be ready to:
- Draft and file the lawsuit
- Ensure defendants are aware of the suit
- Complete any necessary pre-trial processes, including any necessary depositions, motions hearings, and status conferences
- Fight for you at trial if your case does not settle before trial begins
These are just a few of the many ways an attorney will serve you. As you can tell, they will handle a broad range of critically important responsibilities for you.
Recover, as you deserve to. Allow a motorcycle accident lawyer to pursue your full and fair financial recovery.
Injured Riders Can Often Receive Compensation For These Damages
As your attorney gets to know you, they will come to understand the cost of your accident. Some of the damages your lawyer will look for are:
- Healthcare expenses
- The cost of repairing your motorcycle
- The cost of repairing or replacing any other property damage during the accident
- Pain and suffering
- Any mental healthcare you seek after the collision
- Medical equipment
- Medications
If you are disabled or mourning a loved one’s loss, your lawyer will account for these tragic circumstances when presenting your case.
Contingency Fees Ensure You Can Hire a Motorcycle Collision Lawyer
Because motorcycle accident lawyers generally get paid based on the results of a case, don’t expect to pay your attorney upfront or out of your pocket. In other words, you can hire your lawyer today. Don’t wait to find them, as your case is more urgent than you may realize.
A Motorcycle Accident Attorney is Standing By
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident due to someone else's negligence, call a trusted personal injury attorney today.