In the United States, nearly 37,000 people die in road crashes each year and another 2.35 million come away from a crash with injuries or disabilities. Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable on the road because they are less visible and a bike is less stable than other vehicles. In fact, in 2016, more than 5,200 motorcyclists died in accidents across America.
Even if you are lucky enough to walk away from a motorcycle crash, your accident can still have a huge impact on your life. This is why it is extremely important to seek damages after your accident.
Putting together a strong case for your motorcycle accident is vital if you want to successfully recover any of these damages.
Want to know more about how to recover damages after a motorcycle crash? Then you are in the right place. Read on to find out exactly what you need to do!
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Wrap Your Head Around What Happened
Coming to terms with what has happened to you during a motorbike accident can be difficult. However, it’s extremely important to get this clear in your mind if you’re serious about recovering damages.
You will need to be able to look at what happened during the accident in order to identify who you should approach to recover your damages. This includes researching the events leading up to the crash and looking at what happened afterward. You may need help with this if you were involved in a motorcycle wreck.
Understanding what happened will help you to find out who holds responsibility for an accident. This is all about determining the motorcycle accident’s causes.
For example, if a driver hits a motorbike after running a stop sign then they are responsible for the accident. However, if the road sign was not properly maintained for the driver to see, then responsibility may fall on the highway maintenance team as well.
You should also look at what has happened since your accident, in order to assess the impact it has had on your life. For example, you may have had to take time off work in order to recover. An accident can have a huge impact on many things including:
- your long-term health
- your mental health
- your financial stability
- your future job prospects
- your personal relationships
Once you feel that you have got to grips with what happened in your crash you can start looking at what your options are for recovering damages.
Explore Your Options
There are several ways that you can seek financial compensation after a motorcycle accident.
Motorcycle accidents often lead to a lot of damage to anything and anyone involved. If your bike, clothes or personal belongings were damaged in the crash, you can seek compensation for these.
You should also be able to recover any medical costs incurred by the crash.
If you have to take any time off of work, then you should also be able to claim any money that you lost during your recovery.
You may also be able to seek compensation for the emotional damage caused by a crash.
It is important to keep all of these things in mind when creating your case so that you do not miss out on any damages that you are entitled to.
Back Your Motorcycle Crash Case Up with the Right Evidence
Recovering damages is not as simple as writing down how much you want and getting this. Someone somewhere has to foot the bill and this means they will want to know why you are entitled to certain damages. To back up your claim, you will need to provide hard evidence.
There are several different types of evidence you could produce to back up your claim. These include:
- Video footage or photos of the crash
- Eye witness accounts of the crash
- Medical reports of your injuries (including limitations that these could create for your ability to work)
- Medical bills
- Timeslips or correspondence with your employer detailing time taken off work
- A psychiatrist’s or therapist’s report outlining the emotional impact of the crash
Depending on what type of claim you want to make, you may need to provide multiple pieces of evidence. It is a good idea to have these ready in advance before you try to claim damages.
Get a Lawyer on Your Side
Having an experienced attorney on your side could make all the difference in your case. They will not just make sure your case is successful, they will also ensure that this happens quickly and without complications.
There are several ways that having a lawyer on your side will help your case.
They will be able to talk you through all of your options and help you to pick the right one for your case. They will also help you get together the right type of evidence for your case.
On top of this, they will handle any correspondence with responsible parties during a case so that you do not have to. This can be really helpful as it means you can focus on recovering and do not have to stress about the damages of the case at all.
If your case ends up in court, you will need a lawyer to help you argue your side.
When looking for a lawyer to support your damages case, it is a good idea to check out lawyers with experience in motorcycle accidents. They have the right legal knowledge and should not have any difficulty putting together an airtight case for you!
The Bottom Line
If you have been involved in a motorcycle crash, seeking damages could provide a lot of financial relief. This means that you can focus on recovering in peace.
For more advice on seeking damages for your motorcycle accident, get in touch with our experienced lawyers today. We are here to help!
