Recent motorcycle traffic safety stats show a steady increase in motorcycle fatalities and injuries throughout Georgia. This is partly because, even though motorcycle accidents account for only about two percent of total crashes, these vehicles provide virtually no protection to riders.
Motorcycle accidents are some of the most severe wrecks throughout the state. If you have been injured in a collision that was not your fault, your best option is to seek help from experienced motorcycle accident attorneys in Stonecrest. We can provide assistance at each step in your search for compensation.
How Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Help Your Case
Our attorneys can help you get the compensation you need in a variety of ways, from the start of your claim to the eventual settlement or jury award.
Once a Stonecrest motorcycle accident attorney meets with you to discuss the details of your accident and injury, they can start the process of determining at-fault parties, filing your claim, cataloging your damages, and negotiating with the opposing side.
Determining Who to Sue
The first step is often to figure out exactly who should be sued for compensation. Different types of accidents with different causes can lead to a plethora of people or organizations that are responsible. For example, you might be entitled to compensation from:
- The other driver
- Car or motorcycle manufacturers (if faulty parts played a role in the accident)
- Vehicle repair shops or mechanics (if the accident was caused by negligence)
- Stonecrest or Georgia government entities
As knowledgeable personal injury lawyers, we can get to the root causes of your crash and make sure to pursue compensation from all responsible parties.
Filing Your Claim on Time
There is a limited amount of time in which to file your claim for compensation before you lose the right to sue any at-fault parties. Called the statute of limitations, this deadline is set at two years (in most circumstances) by Georgia Code §9-3-33.
Stonecrest attorneys who have experience handling motorcycle accident claims are well aware of this deadline as well as others that might apply to your case. The best way to ensure that your claim is filed correctly and on time is to get help from motorcycle wreck attorneys.
Calculating Your Damages
The center of your claim for compensation in a Stonecrest motorcycle accident is the concept of your damages. However, placing a value on all the negative impacts of your injury is more difficult than it might seem. There are easy-to-quantify harms that come with values already attached, while there are also non-economic harms that are more subjective.
Examples of all the types of damages for which you can pursue compensation include:
- Medical bills related to your injury
- Ongoing rehabilitation costs
- Motorcycle repair or replacement costs
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium with your spouse
- Loss of enjoyment in life
There are formulas used to calculate the value of all these damages. Our lawyers can go over these for you and ensure that you are suing for the full extent of the harm you suffered.
Negotiating With the Opposition
Insurance companies for the other side are out to pay you as little as possible. That’s their business model, regardless of whether they serve the opposing driver, a trucking company, a car part manufacturer, or any other defendant.
Without an attorney on your side, the opposing party often senses both an opportunity to submit lowball offers and an unwillingness to take the case to court. As personal injury attorneys, we help send the message that your damages will be taken seriously, lowball offers will not be accepted, and we will take your case to court to get justice if necessary.
What If You Were Partially Responsible for Your Motorcycle Accident?
In some cases, you might have contributed to the events that led up to your wreck in Stonecrest. For example, Georgia’s statewide law is that motorcyclists must wear a helmet. But even if you were not wearing a helmet or were partially responsible for the collision, Georgia law still allows you to sue for compensation.
Georgia’s modified comparative negligence standard means that you can sue someone else for causing your injury as long as you are no more than 50% at-fault for the accident. However, any percentage of blame attributed to you will reduce your compensation package by an equal percentage.
For example, if you were 25% responsible for a crash that left you injured, your compensation would be reduced by 25% as well. Stonecrest motorcycle accident lawyers can help lower the amount of blame attributed to you by collecting evidence like:
- Eyewitness accounts
- Testimony from expert accident reconstructionists
- Video footage of the motorcycle collision
- Medical records
Get A FREE Consultation With Stonecrest Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you have suffered an injury or the death of a loved one in a motorcycle wreck in Stonecrest, you need the help of a skilled attorney who can protect your rights. To get started, simply fill out the form on this page or click over to our contact page and let us know about your case. We’ll schedule you for a FREE, no-obligation consultation as soon as possible.
