When the weather starts warming up, and the interstates start to clear their seasonal ice and snow, motorcyclists across Indiana take to the road. Unfortunately, motorcycles are notably smaller than most other vehicles, which means motorcycle accidents are particularly dangerous for riders.
Those who experienced a motorcycle accident often suffer significant injuries that can require months or years of recovery. Some never fully recover, which can be especially heartbreaking when the accident happens through no fault of their own. It’s not uncommon for mental health issues to accompany such traumatic accidents, which cause a long list of other problems.
That doesn’t mean that you don’t have the means to act if you find yourself in an accident, though. You can hold negligent parties accountable for their misconduct in the wake of a recent collision. Vaughan & Vaughan’s Lafayette motorcycle accident lawyers can meet with you to discuss your right to civil action and, subsequently, damages. For dedicated legal assistance in motorcycle accident cases in Lafayette, rely on the expertise of a Lafayette Personal Injury Lawyer from Vaughan & Vaughan.
When to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim
It’s in your best interest to contact a motorcycle accident attorney as soon as you can after a roadway accident. Attorneys, after all, do more than help you take civil action. Our team, including an experienced Indiana Personal Injury Lawyer, knows how to protect you from the accusations of the other party involved in your accident. We can also help you navigate the process of filing an insurance claim with your provider.
That said, if you want to take legal action, contacting an attorney within days of your accident can serve you well. Indiana Code §34-11-2-4 dictates the amount of time you have to file your motorcycle accident claim, and you need to use that time to your advantage. Specifically, the state allows you to take up to two years to gather evidence of negligence and fault.
When you work with an experienced team of motorcycle accident attorneys, you can file your claim without having to take the full two years to investigate the role negligence played in your accident.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
How to Compose a Motorcycle Accident Claim
You know the timeline you need to file your complaint on, but what does your motorcycle accident claim need to address? You can work with a Lafayette motorcycle accident lawyer to ensure that your complaint addresses:
- The nature of the negligence that led to your collision
- The identity of the party you want to hold accountable for your losses
- The extent of your motorcycle accident losses and your desired compensation
There is no fee
unless you win
Who to Hold Responsible for Your Motorcycle Accident
When it comes time to identify the party responsible for your motorcycle collision, you need to consider what evidence of negligence you have available to you. You must specifically prove that a party owed you a duty of care and then violated that duty if you want to take said party before a civil judge.
It is in your best interest to work with an attorney to gather evidence of both a person’s role at the scene of your accident and their alleged negligence. You can do this with the help of video footage, photo footage, and bystander accounts of your losses. Expert witnesses can also contribute their opinions to your case.
That said, liability isn’t always as straightforward as pointing to someone at the scene of your accident and holding them responsible for your losses. The parties that can be responsible for your accident can include:
- A motorcycle manufacturer
- A motorcycle mechanic
- Government officials in charge of maintaining the road
- Commercial truck drivers
- Rideshare drivers
- Independent drivers
- Pedestrians and bicyclists
Our team can assess the specific circumstances under which you were injured to determine how these parties may have contributed to your accident.
Calculating Your Possible Motorcycle Accident Damages
You have the right to use a motorcycle accident complaint to request damages equivalent to or exceeding the cost of recovering from your collision. It’s not in your best interest to pick your desired compensation without first doing some math, though. You can work with a motorcycle accident lawyer in Lafayette to calculate the possible value of your case.
Specifically, our team can help you gather together your bills and establish the economic value of your losses. This process allows you to hold a liable party responsible for your:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property restoration/replacement
Our team also addresses your non-economic losses, including mental anguish, pain and suffering, and future stress, to determine the value of your case.
Most importantly, though, we take care to address each motorcycle accident brought to our firm on a case-by-case basis. You can trust Vaughan & Vaughan to individually assess the nature of your losses. This way, we can ensure that you can request the maximum possible compensation available to you in civil court.
Responding to Motorcycle Accident Settlement Offers
You have the right to act after a motorcycle accident, but so do the other parties involved in your collision. These parties can consult with their insurance providers and reach out to you with settlement offers long before you have the opportunity to connect with an attorney. At face value, these offers may seem like they’ll address all of your post-accident financial woes.
In reality, you need to ensure that any settlement offer you receive fairly addresses the full breadth of your losses. Fortunately, you don’t have to accept a motorcycle accident settlement offer without first consulting an attorney. You can bring an offer to our Lafayette office and have our motorcycle accident attorneys compare it against our own estimate of your losses.
If it appears that the settlement offer you received won’t cover your long-term expenses, we can negotiate for more comprehensive coverage on your behalf. At the same time, we can build up your motorcycle accident complaint. This way, we can take the liable party to civil court if they prove unwilling to provide you with a more substantial settlement.
Our Team Can Help You Recover from a Motorcycle Accident
It’s easy to conflate a motorcycle with the concept of freedom. When you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, though, your memories of these icons of the free spirit may not be so fond. As a motorcycle accident survivor, however, you have the right to hold the party responsible for your accident accountable for your losses in civil court.
You can meet with a motorcycle accident lawyer in Lafayette to discuss what means you can use to demand damages from a liable party. Vaughan & Vaughan can connect you with an experienced team of attorneys who can stand by you through settlement negotiations and/or a civil trial. Call our office or contact us online today for more information.
