Hampton Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcycle accidents can result in catastrophic injuries for both riders and passengers, especially when they occur on major roadways like I 64, Hampton Roads Center Parkway, or Aberdeen Rd. Often, these accidents happen when drivers in larger vehicles fail to see motorcyclists. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, you should talk to a Hampton motorcycle accident lawyer about your right to compensation.
Injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents may require long periods of rehabilitation to get you back on your feet or even can be permanently debilitating. Surgery on broken bones or scars from road rash are frequent when you are caused to fall to the pavement in a motorcycle crash. To be able to cope with the expenses that come from the necessary care for these injuries, you should consider working with a knowledgeable injury attorney at Cooper Hurley Injury Lawyers. Our attorneys could help you seek damages for the losses you suffered.
What Makes Motorcycles Wrecks So Dangerous
Even when riders are wearing helmets and other safety gear, they lack a vehicle frame to help shield them from harm. The lack of protection against larger vehicles and contact with the roadway makes motorcyclists particularly prone to severe injuries. Motorcycles also are very small vehicles as compared with tractor-trailers, SUVs, and even small passenger vehicles, which also puts riders at a greater risk when struck by a much heavier and larger vehicle.
Motorcycle riders also do not enjoy the same safety features as they do when they are enclosed in regular passenger vehicles. They have no seatbelts, airbags, or other safety measures to help protect them and keep them from hitting the pavement in an accident. As a result of these unique characteristics, riders often are thrown from or pinned under their bikes with little to protect them from the ground or nearby objects. This is what makes motorcycle collisions so serious.
Causes and Effects of Motorcycle Crashes in Hampton
Motorcycle accidents happen many different ways. Most often, other drivers may fail to check their blind spots when changing lanes or can simply fail to see the much smaller vehicles, causing them to pull out in front of motorcycles, sideswipe them, and otherwise fail to yield to them. Distractions, impairment by alcohol or drugs, following too closely, and misjudging speed also can lead to motorcycle accidents. Failure to yield turning left in front of you is a common traffic crash involving motorcycles.
The lack of protections in motorcycles can cause major injuries or even death to riders. Some of the more common injuries that may result from motorcycle crashes include the following:
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Internal organ injuries
- Amputations
- Torn knee or shoulder joints
- Road burn
When motorcycle accidents occur as a result of the wrongful actions of other drivers, those drivers and various insurance companies may be liable for the losses that occur. Consulting a motorcycle accident lawyer in Hampton can help you know your options.
Who is At Fault?
Most motorcycle accident injury cases are based on negligence, which occurs when someone fails to exercise the amount of care that others would have exercised in the same situation. Negligence is measured according to the standard of a reasonable person who takes adequate measures to safeguard others from harm.
All drivers have a duty to drive in a way that avoids harming others. This duty to follow the rules of the road includes observing traffic lights and driving at the speed limit or under. For example, a driver who stops at a stoplight is obeying the rules of the road. A driver who blows through a red light and causes an accident is not.
It is the breach of this duty of care by drivers that constitutes negligence. When drivers fail in their duty and cause an accident that results in injuries to others, they may be found negligent. To prove a driver is negligent, you are better off with an experienced professional. The insurance company and their lawyers will try to escape their responsibility if they can. One of our Hampton motorcycle accident lawyers can thoroughly review the facts surrounding the accident and work with experts to prove the at-fault driver should be held liable.
Ask The Car Crash Experts - How do I prove liability in a Motorcycle Accident?
Bill O'Mara, Personal Injury Lawyer
“To establish liability in such cases, you’ll want to preserve all evidence and conduct a thorough investigation. After ensuring your safety following an accident, the first step is to call the police. If physically able, take photographs and make note of any physical evidence at the scene. If there are any eyewitnesses present, in the spot you want to be sure to get their contact information because they could be an important witness that proving your case down the road.”
The Necessity of a Hampton Motorcycle Accident Attorney
The aftermath of a motorcycle accident can be devastating. You may need surgery, extensive hospitalization, and a long recovery period. During this time, you may be unable to work, perhaps indefinitely. In this situation, getting advice from a Hampton motorcycle accident lawyer early on is crucial.
A legal claim can let you hold negligent persons responsible for their actions. You may be entitled to compensation for your losses, including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Recently, attorneys Griffin O’Hanlon and John Baker secured a $7 million dollar settlement for a motorcycle accident victim who suffered a traumatic amputation of their foot.
Our lawyers can help you bring an effective insurance claim against those parties who may be responsible for your injuries. Most Hampton motorcycle wrecks with injuries settle without filing suit. But, you are better off with an injury lawyer to call the insurer’s bluff if a lawsuit is needed. Call today to learn more.
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