While many people spend a lifetime motorcycling without an injury, the aggressive behavior of car and truck drivers makes bikers very vulnerable. And insurance companies are quick to capitalize on inaccurate stereotypes, painting injured bikers as daredevils who caused their accident. You don’t have to tolerate this—and you don’t have to settle for a dollar less than you deserve.
We can help. Our law group works with some of the most respected motorcycle lawyers in the state – with a proven record of winning cases in and around Alpharetta. You get more than just our 20+ years of experience when we work for you. You also get a passionate team about bikers’ rights and care deeply about helping injured bikers and their families.
Let an Alpharetta motorcycle accident lawyer give you a free consultation. You never owe us anything if we don’t get you money. Call us or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today with our experienced law firm.
Accidents Due to Defective Motorcycle Parts
Even when it seems that the accident was your fault, there may be a possibility that defective motorcycle parts caused your wreck. When motorcycle parts undergo recall, you may not know that these parts need to be replaced.
In this case, a wreck may be the fault of an outside party. If you and your legal team can prove that the wreck was due to the defective motorcycle part, you may be cleared of personal fault for the accident. To prove that the motorcycle part was defective, you must prove:
- The product was not up to industry standards for safety
- The product was defective from the time it left the distributor-that this was not the fault of the motorcycle owner
This information is something that can be difficult to track down and substantiate. You will need an experienced legal team to assist you in proving this claim. Call a motorcycle accident lawyer in Alpharetta today to learn how you can recover compensation for your injuries.
Negligent Automobile Drivers
As technology becomes more and more widespread, drivers become distracted by their phones, tablets, and other electronic devices while driving. If distracted driving was fully or partially the cause of the wreck, you have the right to seek compensation for negligent driving.
This can also be difficult to prove in a personal injury claim. You will need to track police reports, eyewitness testimony, surveillance tape, and other pieces of information. Your legal team can also look into getting the phone records of the other party involved to prove that they were texting or on the phone at the time of the accident.
Type of Damages for Which You Can Seek Compensation
When you have been the victim of a motorcycle accident, you may find yourself overwhelmed by the medical bills, the physical pain of the recovery, and the frustration with the loss of income. Your legal team can help you seek compensation for many recovery areas. Some of the most common damages for which a lawyer can help you seek compensation are:
- Medical bills
- Psychological counseling
- Urgent care or ER treatment
- Loss of income
- Loss of future income
- Property damages
- Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages
Be sure to discuss all of these with your legal team. If they are unaware of your difficulties, they are less likely to find this information independently. Try to be as upfront about your struggles with your motorcycle accident attorney in Alpharetta as possible so that it is more likely to be included in your settlement agreement.
National Data for Motorcycle Accidents
In 2019, the National Highway Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that 5014 motorcyclists died from motorcycle accidents. Per miles traveled, motorcyclists were 29 times more likely to be killed and four times more likely to be injured than automobile drivers.
Distracted driving was a major area of difficulty in the US in 2019. Distracted driving accounted for 400,000 accidents at that time.
How Is Fault Determined in a Motorcycle Accident?
The rules for fault in Alpharetta and statewide are the same regardless of vehicle type. The driver who caused the accident, or was the most significant contributor to why it happened, will normally be liable. Their insurance has to pay for it. In some cases, fault can be shared between both parties.
In motorcycle cases, however, there are a few things you should know:
- Lack of knowledge: Accident investigators and insurance adjusters are much less familiar with motorcycle forensic evidence than cars and trucks. As a result, they often miss key clues and misinterpret what happened.
- Bias: Car drivers rarely understand what it’s like to be bikers or how much space they need to give you. Police can be more sympathetic, but insurance companies are not, so expect to be treated as if you were at fault, even if you weren’t.
- Insurance tricks: Motorcycle accidents are often more severe than other accidents and thus more costly. Insurers will look for excuses to deny your claim or put you at fault and often try to trick you so they can use your words against you.
What if I Was Lane Splitting/Between Lanes?
Lane splitting, or biking between lanes/traffic, is illegal in Georgia—with no exceptions. This knowledge surprises many bikers who come through from out of state and residents who moved here from elsewhere. Many otherwise law-abiding bikers in Georgia don’t even know it’s illegal.
Lane splitting can affect your claim, but it depends on what happened:
- If you were between lanes, you are likely to be at fault. Even though other factors may have caused the accident, whether you were splitting lanes or not, the argument will be that the other driver couldn’t have expected you to be where you were and, thus, couldn’t have done anything to avoid you.
- It IS okay to drive between lanes if you are trying to avoid an obstacle. If you were initially in your lane but moved to the side (between lanes) to prevent the collision, that should not be held against you.
As you can imagine, insurance companies will seize any excuse to blame you for the accident. We can help prove that you weren’t lane-splitting or did it defensively. And, even if you were splitting lanes, we may be able to help you recover money. You should speak with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney in Alpharetta as soon as possible after a crash.
Do Other Factors Matter, Like Wearing a Helmet?
Whether you were wearing a helmet will come up in your accident case. However, it should not affect fault in most cases, but there are exceptions.
The thing about a helmet is that it’s there to protect you. It doesn’t change how anyone drives or how much space you need. Whether you wore a helmet is irrelevant to who caused the crash.
However, many motorcycle accidents involve head injuries. If this applies to your case, get ready for the insurer to argue that your injuries would be less severe if you had a helmet on. They will use this to get out of paying at least part of your costs.
How Much Money Can I Recover for a Motorcycle Accident in Alpharetta?
There are various types of compensation available to motorcycle accident victims. This includes economic and non-economic damages. You can recover money for:
- Immediate medical costs
- Long-term costs like medication, additional procedures, or physical therapy.
- Missed work time
- Motorcycle repairs
- Money to offset the impact of severe pain, or losses such as a permanent injury
- Family members can recover money on behalf of loved ones in wrongful death cases. Since so many motorcycle accidents prove fatal, this is a necessary form of relief for bikers’ families.
Many motorcycle accident cases will end up paying out $100,000 or more. Many even pay over a million dollars. You deserve to be compensated after suffering an injury that was caused by another person. Just because you decide to enjoy riding a motorcycle does not mean that others shouldn’t operate their vehicles safely around you.
Speak with our experienced injury & accident attorneys today about your case. Recovering compensation is easier than you might think, but you cannot do it by yourself.
Talk to an Alpharetta Motorcycle Accident Attorney for Free
Put a team of respected, proven Alpharetta motorcycle accident attorneys to work for you—and make sure you get every dollar you deserve. Free consultation.
FREE legal opinion. No charge, ever, if we don’t get you money. Call us or fill out the form to the right to get your free consultation today.
