Whether you’re a novice or veteran rider, getting into a motorcycle accident is always a frightening experience. After the crash, you then have to attend to your injuries and all the expenses associated with them.
If you find yourself in a bind after your motorcycle accident, contact an experienced Los Gatos motorcycle accident lawyer at Golden State Lawyers, APC for help getting the compensation you deserve.
Identifying Your Injuries
After a serious motorcycle accident, you’re likely to have obvious exterior wounds and complicated internal wounds that can leave you in pain for years to come. Understanding how your accident has hurt you and will change your life is crucial when building your claim.
Some injuries you may experience in a Los Gatos motorcycle crash include the following:
- Spine injuries
- Broken or fractured bones
- Concussions, contusions, and other brain injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Damage to the face or eyes
- Lost limbs
If a loved one died in the collision, you may have a wrongful death case on your hands. That’s also something your Los Gatos motorcycle accident attorney can help you with.
Quantifying Your Losses
To justify the amount of compensation you’re asking for in your motorcycle crash claim, you have to make the effects of your injuries clear.
With the help of your Los Gatos motorcycle crash lawyer, you may be able to seek compensation for the following damages:
- Medical expenses
- Inability to work
- Damage to your motorcycle
- Physical therapy and rehabilitation
- Emotional trauma
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Reduced quality of life
The Power of Stereotypes
For motorcycle accident victims, stereotypes can have serious implications when they seek compensation for their injuries. That’s because insurance companies and negligent drivers are quick to point to a false stereotype in an effort to shift the responsibility away from them.
This false stereotype suggests that motorcyclists often drive recklessly. The unfair assumption is that any wreck involving a motorcycle rider must have been the motorcyclist’s fault.
Of course, you know that’s not true, but if this bias is used successfully, the value of your claim might suffer.
Understanding Comparative Negligence
When blame for a motorcycle crash is assigned in California, it can be split between multiple parties—and you might get stuck with some of it. It’s part of a doctrine called comparative negligence.
Under comparative negligence, if you’re found to hold a portion of the blame for the motorcycle crash that injured you, the amount of compensation you receive will be reduced by that proportion.
For example, if you’re found to be 15 percent responsible for your motorcycle wreck and the other driver is assigned 85 percent of the blame, you would only receive 85 percent of the compensation awarded to you.
Fortunately, your Los Gatos motorcycle collision lawyer will have the skills and knowledge necessary to prove who was truly at fault for your injuries.
Contact a Los Gatos Motorcycle Crash Attorney
You don’t have to settle for years of physical pain and financial stress because another driver chose to behave negligently. You can fight back by filing a claim for compensation.
However, you’re probably going to want some help as you battle negative stereotypes about motorcyclists and negligent parties who are eager to shift the blame. The attorneys at Golden State Lawyers, APC are ready to give you the help you need.
Give us a call at 408-279-4222 or fill out the online form below to speak with a Los Gatos motorcycle accident lawyer.