After crashing your motorcycle, you can face painful injuries, expensive medical bills, and lengthy recovery times. If someone else caused your accident, they should be liable to pay for your damages, not you. Filing a personal injury claim could be a crucial step in your recovery process.
Our Marietta personal injury lawyers can make that process easier and increase your chances of getting a fair settlement. John Foy & Associates will investigate your crash, negotiate with the insurance companies, and help secure you compensation for your damages.
Should I Get a Lawyer After a Motorcycle Accident?
After your crash, you may be hesitant to hire a lawyer. After all, you already have medical bills to pay for and recovery to deal with. Why should you bother paying to hire a lawyer and undergoing a stressful claims process?
Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Marietta will make sure you don’t have to worry about either of those. That’s because you don’t have to pay anything up front to have us handle your case. We work on a contingency-fee basis, which means our payment comes out of a portion of your compensation. You’ll never pay more than you get in your settlement.
That being said, there are some criteria that you should look for in your situation to tell whether you have a valid claim. At least one party has to be over 50% at fault. If you are more than 50% at fault, according to the Official Code of Georgia (OCGA) § 51-11-7, you could be liable to pay for the other party’s damages.
At John Foy & Associates, we represent the victims of motorcycle accidents and make sure they get compensated for at-fault parties’ negligence. If you’re not sure whether you need a lawyer or if you can get compensation, you can talk to a member of our firm for free. We can assess your case and tell you what the next steps could be for your claim.
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What Makes Motorcycle Accident Claims Different
There are obvious differences between motorcycles and cars: two wheels vs. four, little protection vs. being surrounded by protective measures—the list goes on. However, there are some differences between motorcycle crashes and car crashes, along with the way they are treated by insurance companies, that may affect your motorcycle accident claim:
Motorcycle Accidents Are More Severe
Because motorcycles are smaller, faster, and offer less protection, motorcyclists often face much more severe damages than other motorists. In fact, motorcycle fatalities are on the rise; the Georgia Department of Driver Services states that, between 2017 and 2019, the percentage of motorcyclists killed in accidents increased by 22%.
More severe accidents mean higher medical bills, more repairs, and longer periods of missed work. Motorcyclists in Marietta shouldn’t have to suffer such financial hardship when someone else is to blame.
Other Drivers don’t Treat Motorcycles the Same
The unfortunate truth is that motorcyclists face much different treatment on the road than other drivers. Some people see motorcyclists as reckless or dangerous, while some people don’t see motorcyclists at all–because motorcycles are smaller, they are less visible and drivers give them less space.
Insurance Companies and Judges Are Biased Against Motorcyclists
Just like drivers, some insurance adjusters and judges see motorcyclists as more reckless and more likely to cause an accident than other drivers. That means you could be facing less compensation than you deserve or even no compensation at all.
An attorney can negotiate with the insurance company and make sure you get every penny you’re owed for your accident. They may try to save money by saying that you had more fault than you actually did, and therefore deserve a smaller settlement. A lawyer can fight back and show exactly what happened and who was really responsible.
How Much Is a Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?
It’s important to determine who is at fault in a motorcycle accident, but it’s equally important to determine how much you are owed for your crash. Every case’s worth is based on specific damages that the negligent party caused, which is why it’s important to hire a lawyer who knows how to tally up every cent that you have had to pay.
It’s impossible to say how much your accident case is worth without knowing the specifics of your case. Compensation can range widely, totaling in the thousands of dollars or the hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions. The severity of your injuries and the scope of your expenses will affect your settlement.
Damages in a motorcycle accident case can include:
- Repair expenses
- Hospital bills
- The cost of ongoing treatment, physical therapy, and rehabilitation
- Wages that you lost because you had to miss work
- Physical pain that you have suffered
- The mental toll of your accident and the aftermath
- Wrongful death of a loved one killed in a motorcycle accident
At your free initial consultation, your Marietta motorcycle accident lawyer will listen to your story, look at your damages, and give you an estimate of how much you might receive from your settlement.
Talk to a Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Marietta Today
We understand just how painful and expensive a motorcycle crash can be. That’s why the Marietta motorcycle accident lawyers at John Foy & Associates are here to help victims recover compensation for the damages that someone else has caused. You have limited time to file your claim, so don’t wait too long to get in touch.
Call us or contact us online to get a FREE initial consultation with a personal injury lawyer. Our team is on call to talk to you any time of the day.
404-400-4000 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form