Beaumont Motorcycle Accident Attorney
What are Causes of Motorcycle Accidents?
Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable not just because they lack the protection, but because they are smaller. This disadvantage makes motorcycles more difficult for other drivers to see while driving. It also means that motorcycles and their passengers are more likely to be thrown further in the event of a crash.
Motorcycles are also more vulnerable to an accident since other drivers do not always keep a close enough eye out for them. Only 8% of households own a motorcycle, which gives us a rough estimate of how common motorcycles are on US roads. Since motorcycles aren't as common as regular passenger cars, drivers may be less likely to watch out for them.
For instance, a motorcycle riding in a motorist's blind spot or crossing through an intersection at a 2-way stop might be less likely to be seen by a motorist that is only watching for other passenger cars.
Since motorcycles are harder to detect than other vehicles, motorcyclists have to always drive defensively. Bikers can never presume that other motorists can see them, especially the motorists of vehicles in front of them. Motorcycle crashes often happen when drivers:
What Are the Most Prevalent Motorcycle Injuries?
A motorcycle provides you little protection in a crash. This means your body ends up taking the full force of the impact with another vehicle.
Frequently, this results in severe and life-altering injuries to motorcycle accident victims. In fact, approximately 5,000 motorcyclists died in collisions in just one recent year.
While motorcycles only comprise 3 percent of registered vehicles, motorcycle accidents result in 15 percent of all vehicle crash deaths. Not every motorcycle crash will lead to death, but it shows the severity these kinds of collisions result in.
That's not to say that survivors can never resume a normal life, but it might take some time and effort, including physical therapy. A motorcycle crash lawyer can help you receive the compensation required to pay for those treatments.
Liability for Beaumont Motorcycle Accidents
As these facts suggest, motorcyclists hurt in collisions are commonly the victims of negligence. Every negligence claim is comprised of four major elements: a duty, a breach of that duty, an injury caused by the breach, and damages suffered by the plaintiff. Drivers of motor vehicles owe a duty of care to everybody else that uses public roads. That includes bicyclists, pedestrians, and various other motorists-- including motorcyclists.
When a driver breaches that duty by being careless, intoxicated, tired, or distracted, and ends up causing a crash which causes injury or even wrongful death to another individual, the motorist may be held civilly liable to the injured party. They can seek a negligence case with the assistance of a motorcycle accident lawyer in Beaumont.
A motorcyclist wounded in a collision might have a claim if he can demonstrate that another motorist was at fault. When a motorcycle driver has followed all of the traffic laws however is still involved in a crash, odds are that it has been caused by the driver of another vehicle. It could be not seeing the motorcyclist, speeding, being inebriated, or a mixture of the three.
What Should I Do After a Motorcycle Crash?
If You Have Been Involved in a Motorcycle Accident, immediately contact the police to file a report if they are involved in an accident. This is especially true if there is an injury or fatality.
If immediate medical help is necessary, provide what help you can, look for assistance, and call emergency medical help. If you are the one that is injured, you should seek immediate medical help. Even if your injury seems small and you do not need immediate help, it is a good idea to seek medical care, as some injuries are not immediately noticeable.
Additionally, at the scene you should collect the contact and insurance information for the other parties. And you also want contact info for independent witnesses, as investigating police officers don't always collect that information.
Call a motorcycle accident lawyer soon after the crash. We strongly advise that you do this before talking to any insurance company.
Contact Our Beaumont Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
After your accident, in addition to talking to the police and receiving any necessary medical attention, you should contact a qualified and knowledgeable personal injury attorney with experience handling motorcycle accidents. Serving victims throughout the Beaumont area, the motorcycle crash lawyers at Tim D. Wright can help you.
Too often, accident victims think that an insurance carrier-- either their own or the other driver's-- will adequately compensate them for any injuries they have sustained. However, plenty of insurance companies are unwilling to pay, even when liability and damages are obvious. This is particularly accurate when the injuries are substantial.
Even when an insurance company appears liable, be wary. Lots of insurance adjusters will attempt to settle claims quickly. They will urge you to sign an agreement that will allow them to close the case-- and thus limit their exposure.
Even if the deal appears sufficient or even generous, it is crucial to ensure your legal rights are protected. Contact a lawyer and be sure you comprehend the consequences of the agreement.
The reality is, not all injuries are immediately apparent. And for some major injuries, even if you expect full recovery, you can not be sure that the complete recovery you expect will happen.
In those instances, signing a release of claims too soon can limit your settlement to an amount that is substantially less than what you need or what you legally have a right to recuperate.
And, obviously, some motorcycle crashes are fatal. If someone you love has been killed in a motorcycle collision, speak to a lawyer to determine whether there's a wrongful death action to pursue against a negligent driver.
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