Motorcyclist
are not afforded the same safety protections as people riding in automobiles.
Because motorcyclist only have a helmet and protective clothing, the chances of
sustaining serious injuries or fatality are greatly increased. As an
experienced Atlanta Motorcycle Injury
Attorney, I pursue full compensation for clients who have been injured or
lost a loved one because of a motorcycle accident.
Although
motorcycle injuries can be caused by many factors, the most common factor is
the negligence of inattentive drivers not accustomed to motorcyclist. As an
experienced Atlanta Motorcycle Injury Lawyer,
I understands the importance of working quickly to secure the evidence
necessary to secure your claim. Evidence may include, but not be limited to
photographs, expert accident reconstruction, accident reports, and medical
records and bills.
The
severe, debilitating, catastrophic and permanent injuries that arise from
motorcycle accidents with trucks, tractor trailers, cars and public
transportation vehicles results in significant financial losses to the
individuals involved. Thankfully, the law provides an injured person with the
right to recover his or her damages from the responsible party.
Such
damages include, but may not be limited to, medical expenses, lost wages,
funeral expenses and other economic losses. Injured individuals are also
entitled to recover for the pain and suffering caused by the injuries and
treatment. The spouse of the injured person is often entitled to recover for
the loss of services of his or her spouse. Although a monetary recovery can
never repair the damage that is done, it can at least ease the financial
burdens created by the collision.
Why
Should you hire an Atlanta Motorcycle
Injury Lawyer?
The
insurance company for the driver whose fault caused the wreck will start an
investigation immediately. It is the insurance company's responsibility to try
to limit the compensation of the injured person to the lowest possible amount
in order to protect their profits. Insurance companies have established very
specific and elaborate policies on handling motorcycle accident claims,
especially in the early stages. Insurance company will take recorded statements
from the persons involved in the motorcycle accident, have the vehicles
examined, have photographs taken, obtain the police report and try to establish
the extent of the injuries suffered in the motorcycle collision. The insurance
company is usually completes these tasks within the first week after the motorcycle
collision and many of them within the first 24 to 48 hours after the collision.
Insurance
companies try to reach a quick settlement with an injured person. They often do this before the true extent of
you injuries are known. Their purpose is
to avoid responsibility for future medical expenses, lost wages and other damages
that are likely to develop. This is a situation that an experienced Atlanta Motorcycle Injury Attorney can
help you avoid. When a person is injured
in a motorcycle accident, it very often takes months or even years to
completely assess the person's injuries. At that point, the person may need
surgery, physical therapy or other extensive treatment. The injuries may even
leave the person permanently disabled. Therefore, the true value of a claim can
only be assessed after most of the medical treatment has been completed. The
State of Georgia provides in most, but not all, cases a two-year period of time
in which to file a lawsuit on a claim. Accordingly, there is no need to rush to
a settlement with an insurance company.
Other
areas where an experienced Georgia Motorcycle
Injury Lawyer can help you.
There
are other significant issues that develop for persons injured in a motorcycle
accident. For instance, if your health insurance company pays for your medical
bills they will very often seek reimbursement from your settlement with the
other driver's insurance company. There are several legal limitations on these
rights to reimbursement. An experienced Atlanta Motorcycle Injury Lawyer can
use the various laws in Georgia to maximize the amount of recovery that you,
the injured individual, gets to keep.
An
experienced Georgia Motorcycle Injury
Attorney can often find additional insurance coverage to help you be
completely compensated.
Georgia
law requires individuals to maintain liability insurance coverage for their
automobiles. The minimum requirements for bodily injury liability insurance
coverage in Georgia are $25,000.00 per person and $50,000.00 per accident.
Since these insurance limits may be insufficient to completely compensate you,
very often an experienced Atlanta
Motorcycle Injury Lawyer must explore what other insurance is available to
the responsible driver or the extent of the driver's personal assets. The
responsible driver may have the right to coverage from insurance policies of
family members, an employer, a rental car company or from an
"umbrella" policy.
In
addition, other unknown persons or entities may also have liability for the
auto collision. For instance, if the road or a light was defective, a
government agency may share responsibility for the collision. In addition, your
own insurance policy may provide you with coverage for your injuries.
An
experienced Atlanta Motorcycle Injury
Attorneycan also determine whether or not your “uninsured” or “underinsured
motorist” insurance coverage can be utilized to help completely compensate you.
Since
insurance companies have vast experience in evaluating motorcycle accidents,
they often will pay the lowest compensation possible. It is important to have an attorney on your
side with considerable experience dealing with these insurance companies. It is
always best to have an attorney who will not settle your case for anything less
than its full value. If the insurance
companies are not being reasonable in their valuation of your case, you need an
attorney who will fight for you, who will file a lawsuit, take your case to
trail and prove why you deserve to be compensated. My law firm will do that for you.