When you get injured in a motorcycle accident, holding the at-fault party accountable can be critical for your recovery. In addition to securing compensation for your medical bills and repair costs (or the cost to replace your totaled motorcycle), you may be entitled to recover damages for your lost wages, pain and suffering, and other motorcycle accident losses.
7 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
To recover these losses, you will need an experienced lawyer on your side. If you were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, you do not want to try to handle the claim on your own. Here are seven reasons why you should hire a motorcycle accident lawyer for your accident case:
1. Investigating and Proving Liability for the Motorcycle Accident
To recover financial compensation for your motorcycle accident, you will need evidence from the scene of the crash. You may also need evidence from other sources (e.g.., the other driver’s phone records or traffic camera footage). Without this evidence, you won’t be able to prove liability and you won’t be able to recover the financial compensation you deserve.
A motorcycle accident lawyer can launch an investigation immediately to determine who is at fault for the crash. Your lawyer will collect evidence on your behalf and assess the available insurance coverage held by all liable parties.
2. Helping You Avoid Costly Mistakes
From ignoring your medical needs to saying the wrong things to the insurance companies to oversharing details of the accident in social media posts, there are a number of mistakes you need to avoid when you have a motorcycle accident case. Your lawyer will be able to walk you through everything you need to do and everything you need to avoid doing so that you do not jeopardize your financial recovery.
3. Preserving Evidence and Documenting Your Losses
The insurance companies will not simply accept liability sight unseen for your injuries and losses in a motorcycle accident. You need strong, compelling evidence of the damages you have sustained.
Your motorcycle accident lawyer will gather all of the necessary evidence and consult your doctors and other experts to prove that you are entitled to compensation. A qualified attorney will have a thorough understanding of the damages that can be recovered in a personal injury case, many of which are often overlooked by motorcyclists who suffer injury in accidents.
4. Dealing with Allegations of Comparative Fault
Insurance companies routinely defend against motorcycle accident claims by blaming riders for their own injuries. Under California’s comparative negligence law, being partially at fault for an accident limits the amount you are entitled to recover.
Your motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to deal with any allegations of comparative negligence on your behalf and use the available evidence to prove the total value of the compensation to which you are entitled.
5. Calculating the Long-Term Costs of Your Motorcycle Accident
In California, injured riders are entitled to compensation for their current and future accident-related losses. If you were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, your long-term costs could far exceed the costs you have incurred to date.
An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will be able to calculate these costs (including the value of your pain and suffering damages) and provide an accurate assessment of the total value of your accident case.
6. Making Sure You Don’t Settle for Too Little
If you have a motorcycle accident case, you cannot afford to settle for less than you deserve. You need to assert your legal rights effectively, and you need to make sure you take home the money you are owed.
When you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer to represent you, your attorney will negotiate a favorable settlement on your behalf. By hiring a lawyer, you will have the legal guidance you need to ensure that you do not unknowingly accept a lowball settlement offer.
7. Taking Your Motorcycle Accident Case to Court If Necessary
It is crucial to consult an attorney before you accept a settlement. If the insurance company refuses to make a fair settlement offer, a motorcycle accident lawyer can file a lawsuit and take your case to court as needed.
Most cases settle out of court, even after a lawsuit has been filed. However, in the event that no settlement is reached, you need an experienced trial attorney to represent you in the courtroom.
Contact Us About Your Bakersfield Motorcycle Accident Case 24/7
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident and have questions about hiring a lawyer to represent you, we strongly encourage you to contact the Law Offices of Mickey Fine for more information. For a free, no-obligation consultation with Bakersfield motorcycle accident lawyer Mickey Fine, call (661) 333-3333 today.