Should I Get a Lawyer for a Motorcycle Accident?

Should I Get a Lawyer for a Motorcycle Accident?

When Should I Hire A Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

NOW! The first legal decision you face after a motorcycle accident is whether to hire an attorney. This question should have a definite answer to it - an experienced attorney is crucial to your case. Without one, you are vulnerable and exposed to games that the insurance company may play, resulting in less money. There is no risk to you in hiring a motorcycle accident attorney. In fact, not hiring an attorney is extremely risky.

Schedule a Free Consultation

Motorcyclists Can Suffer Severe Injuries in a Crash

There is a reason why motorcycle accident compensation tends to be higher than what you will receive in other personal injury cases. Motorcycle accident victims tend to suffer more severe injuries than people in car crashes. Motorcycle accident victims can be injured far worse than others because there is nothing to protect them from impact. As a result, they may suffer:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Internal injuries
• Severe fractures

If you or a loved one received injuries in an accident, you might not be in the physical and cognitive state necessary to handle your own case. You must begin the legal process shortly after your motorcycle accident because many things can happen in the initial days after the accident, whether you are ready to deal with them or not. This limited period can be when you are incapacitated or in the hospital.

9 Reasons why You Should Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Typically the hurdles with hiring a lawyer is "I can't afford an attorney" these 9 reasons might showcase how much you stand to gain from hiring an experienced lawyer. In most cases you can actually expect to get more compensation by hiring a lawyer.

1. A Lawyer Will Quickly Begin to Investigate Your Accident

One of the first essential functions of a lawyer is a quick and thorough investigation of your accident injuries. When you have suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, there is little that you can do at the scene to begin to gather the proof necessary to win your case. The chances are that you are not in the physical shape to take pictures of the scene of the accident or interview witnesses who saw the accident. More likely, you are waiting for medical help and then receiving emergency medical treatment, Still, much of the necessary evidence can be lost in the days after the accident if you do not try to retrieve and collect it. However, you are likely not in the condition to do this. If your family member or friend attempts to begin assembling proof, they may not even know what they are looking for to gather.

2. Attorneys Work for You When You Cannot Work on Things Yourself

Thus, the primary reason to hire a lawyer is for them to start working on your case at a critical time when you are unable. Without quickly hiring a lawyer, you may not even succeed in proving liability at all, meaning you will not receive any financial compensation. The insurance company already has a negative stigma against motorcyclists that it takes advantage of for its financial gain. You will lack the physical ability to handle your case, but the average person also does not know the legal process well enough to represent themselves effectively. When trying to get money for your motorcycle accident injuries, you often deal with an insurance company. Most likely, this is a large company that has built a deep infrastructure over decades, or even centuries, of doing business. 3. Negotiating With Insurance Companies The insurance company’s expertise begins with its adjuster, trained to look after the company’s financial interests and not yours. The adjuster works with actuaries and insurance defense firms that fight for the insurance company. The insurance company has formulas and models and every built-in advantage possible. If you try to face them yourself, you are up against a company with far more expertise than you. In all likelihood, you will not reach a positive result in your case. The insurance company may do one of several things:

• Deny your claim entirely because they blame you for the motorcycle accident
• Reduce the amount that you can recover because they are partially blaming you
• Make you a low settlement offer that does not even come close to fairly compensating you for your injuries

The average accident victim does not have a good track record when they try to handle their own claim. Many accept a quick settlement offer, grateful that the insurance company offers them a few crumbs. They may never even know that they settled their case for far too little because they never knew the value of their claim in the first place. This situation will not be a case of ignorance being bliss. Instead, a lack of knowledge will be costly.

4. Knowing the Value of Your Claim Is Crucial

A personal injury attorney has the experience and knowledge to put a dollar value on your claim. They will look closely at your damages and advise you what they think your case is worth. On your own, you may not even understand the concept of pain and suffering, let alone know how to value it. A lawyer knows the full extent of what can count toward your damages, and they will hold the insurance company accountable when they fail to offer you what you deserve. Many people do not even know that they have the legal ability to negotiate with an insurance company. It takes a particular skill and confidence to say no to a low settlement offer and explain to the insurance company why they are underpaying you and what they need to do. Attorneys can go back and forth with the insurance company through many offers and counteroffers to get you what you deserve.

5. An Attorney Gives You a Voice and Some Power

You are not powerless when dealing with the insurance company. After all, the legal rights in any motorcycle accident claim are yours. The insurance company is an intermediary. Their policyholder is legally responsible, and they have assumed an obligation to pay for the damages because of their contract with the responsible driver. While an insurance company is in the position of evaluating your claim and negotiating a settlement, they do not take the role of a jury. In any motorcycle accident claim, your power comes from your legal rights. Your lawyer knows your rights and how to protect them by standing up to the insurance company when they use their usual tactics. It is one thing to have legal rights. It is another thing to know when someone is trying to take them from you and stop them.

6. Let's You Focus On Your Recovery

The claims process can be difficult and stressful for anyone, even when they have help. Imagine how difficult everything can be when you are standing on your own without the support of someone who does this every day. It is difficult enough to deal with your health and the changes brought about by your accident without dealing with your legal process. When the insurance company tries to push you around, it can upset you. You have enough on your plate at this time without feeling powerless and put upon by an insurance company.

7. An Attorney Helps You Get and Stay Organized

An experienced attorney will handle all the details of your claim or lawsuit. Of course, they will keep you informed along the way and let you know what they are doing. The decisions are yours to make after you get advice from your lawyer. Without an attorney, you may not even know what decisions you need to make, let alone make the correct ones. Every personal injury case has strict legal deadlines. If your case is in court, you have a deadline to file the lawsuit in the first place, followed by deadlines for the various phases and filings for the case. These are hard to keep track of in the first place without even having to worry about submitting a quality legal product that can persuade the court.

9. Trying to Save Money in a Motorcycle Accident Case Is a Bad Idea

Some people think they can save money and keep more compensation when they do not hire an attorney. Law is not like other areas where you may not get away with a DIY approach. A house may sell itself in the real estate market, but you can price the home right and get more compensation if you hire an agent. In the legal field, there is even more need for an attorney. Otherwise, someone who has a motorcycle accident lawyer will have an advantage over you. When dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars or more (your motorcycle accident claim can be that large), $100,000 is far more than a rounding error. It represents money that you will need because you will have significant medical bills in the future and may not ever work again. Without a lawyer, you can get taken advantage of even worse than that. The difference between what you deserve and what you might get can reach hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Get in Touch With a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near You

In a sense, hiring an attorney can pay for itself. Studies show that claimants who hire attorneys do better for themselves than those who represent themselves, even after paying an attorney their share of the financial recovery. These studies do not even account for the lost cases by self-represented accident victims that an experienced attorney will win. Do not let fear of a large legal bill get in the way of getting the legal help that you critically need. A motorcycle accident lawyer works for you on a contingency basis. You do not need to fork over a large sum of money when you hire them. You do not need to give them anything - not a retainer or hourly fee. Hiring an attorney is not entirely free. After all, they need compensation for the time and effort in your case. However, they only get paid if you do. If you receive a settlement check or jury award, your attorney will receive a part of it. If you do not get a check for some reason, your attorney does not get one either. The issue is not about whether you can afford an attorney in a motorcycle accident case. The problem is more about whether you can afford to be without one. Not having a lawyer will jeopardize your entire case and financial future, and this is not something you want to risk. Once you decide that you need a lawyer for a motorcycle accident case, never wait to begin the process. Your insurance claim requires hours of preparation, and the sooner you seek the right legal help, the sooner you might receive a check for your losses. Like a doctor helps your physical injuries, your lawyer helps your legal and financial injuries, and this is something you want to happen sooner rather than later.

Schedule a Free Consultation