If a motorcycle accident injured you or someone you love in Modesto, consider speaking to the Modesto personal injury attorneys at OnderLaw. We know what it takes to get the compensation you deserve after a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, and we can show you how. Call today for a free consultation and let us review your case to see whether you’re eligible. Don’t let a motorcycle accident wreck your future. Call OnderLaw today.
Obtaining compensation after an accident caused by another driver’s negligence can be done through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. Your attorney will help you file a claim against the responsible party’s insurance company. This may seem simple enough, but it’s more complex than it sounds.
Motorcycle riders are at a disadvantage when seeking compensation for their injuries because of the inherent bias against them. Many people believe that motorcyclists deserve the injuries they receive because they know the risk they take on every time they ride. An experienced attorney can help you combat this harmful assumption.
When you file a personal injury claim, the insurance company will review it carefully to determine its merit. They will have a large legal team and resources at their disposal, and insurance companies make money by looking for any reason to deny payment on a claim. Without the help of an attorney to push back, you’re at a distinct disadvantage.
An attorney will take the lead on negotiating with the insurance companies to make sure they don’t take advantage of you. Hiring a lawyer before you’ve submitted a claim is vital so we can assist in building a claim that is supported by evidence and irrefutable. Your attorney will conduct a full investigation into your accident, speak to all necessary witnesses, and gather all needed documentation to support your recollection of events. An attorney will not only help to make the process smoother and easier for you and your family, but it will allow you the time you need to recover from your injuries without fretting about your claim.
If the insurance company decides that your claim isn’t valid, they have the option of denying payment entirely. Your only choice at that point is to file a lawsuit against the responsible party directly in civil court. Without an attorney to assist you in filing a suit, it’s very unlikely you’ll get a judge or jury to side with you.
We’re not ashamed to say that we have one of the most dedicated and qualified teams of legal professionals in the state, with skill sets ranging from medical malpractice to class-action suits and consumer protection law. We even have a former state senator on staff. This wide variety of knowledge and experience allows us to see every case and claim from several perspectives and gives us an edge over our competitors.
No injury is too large or too small for OnderLaw. We handle claims of all types, from multi-million dollar defective product lawsuits to whiplash claims and motorcycle accidents. The size of your claim isn’t important to us. What is important is getting you the fair and just compensation you deserve. We treat every client with dignity and compassion because we understand that behind every injury is an individual or family who needs help.
We also understand that not everyone can afford an attorney, which is why we work on contingency at OnderLaw. This means there are no fees due unless we get you a favorable outcome. If we are successful in getting you a settlement or award, we take a percentage as payment. If we aren’t successful, we don’t get paid.
Our passion for providing quality legal counsel is evident in our results. We may not win every case we take on, but we’ve successfully obtained over $3.5 billion in settlements and awards since 2002. We won’t guarantee a positive outcome, but the same team that yielded these results will also work on your case.
Anyone under the age of 21 is required to obtain either an M1 or M2 motorcycle license from the California DMV before riding any motorcycle, scooter, or motorized bicycle. Here are some other laws and regulations governing motorcycles in California:
Motorcycle accidents come in all shapes and sizes, and even low-speed accidents can cause severe injury. Some common motorcycle accident types include:
According to a study done by UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center, the most common cause of motorcycle accidents in California is driving at unsafe speeds, but there are many other common causes. Motorcycles are smaller and more difficult to see than passenger cars, especially at night. Motorcycles are more susceptible to road damage due to their low weight, and because motorcycles are allowed to split lanes, they are susceptible to dooring accidents and unsafe lane changes. Some other causes are:
Injuries from motorcycle accidents tend to be more severe than those from passenger car accidents because motorcycles have no injury protection for the rider or passenger. There is nothing to stop a rider from being ejected from the motorcycle and striking objects or the ground with great force. A helmet can help prevent damage to the head and face, but injuries are all but guaranteed in a high-speed motorcycle accident. Some common injuries include:
To obtain compensation for your injuries, we must prove that another party was responsible for the accident. We must show that the other driver was negligent, that they weren’t as careful as they should have been, and their lack of care caused an accident and your injuries. If we can show this with evidence, we should be able to obtain compensation.
The catch is that California follows a comparative negligence doctrine, which means that if you are injured in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver but still bear some responsibility for the accident, your compensation may be reduced. The amount of responsibility you bear would be expressed as a percentage, and any award you receive would be decreased by that percentage. For instance, if you’re hit by a drunk driver while riding at night in Modesto, but it’s later discovered that you were riding without insurance, a judge may decide that you bear 15 percent of the responsibility for the accident. Any settlement or award you receive would then be reduced by 15 percent.
Determining the amount of compensation due to any claimant is nearly impossible without a full review of your claim. Each accident claim is unique and has specific circumstances, and while previous case history can shed light on the amount you’re owed, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll receive that amount.
You can be compensated for almost any loss you sustain as a result of the accident, from medical bills to losses to your well-being. These losses are called damages.
Any losses with a definable monetary value are called economic damages. Some examples include:
Any losses without a definable monetary value are called noneconomic damages. These are losses relating to the experience of the accident and the injury and not the cost of treating it. They include:
Talk to your attorney to see which damages you may be eligible to claim.
Here are some statistics and information about motorcycle accidents in California:
Don’t wait any longer to contact the attorneys at OnderLaw to see if you’re eligible for compensation. California has a two-year statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits, so time is a factor. Call today for a free consultation. We don’t charge any fee unless we win, and the consultation is absolutely free, so you lose nothing by letting us review your case. Call OnderLaw today.
