Many risks come with riding a motorcycle in San Bernardino. These vehicles offer little physical protection when they collide with other cars on the road. That said, motorcycle crashes frequently result in devastating injuries.
When a motorcycle accident results in physical injuries, you may be entitled to a monetary award. However, the success of your case will depend on your ability to prove that negligence caused your accident. Fortunately, our skilled injury attorneys can help. A San Bernardino motorcycle accident lawyer will investigate your case and develop a strong argument on your behalf. If you are successful in your lawsuit, you could be eligible to collect financial compensation from the person responsible for causing the accident, which you could use to pay for your medical care and help ease your financial burdens.
What Types of Injuries Stem from Motorcycle Collisions?
Motorcycle accidents have the potential to cause life-altering harm. In many cases, motorcyclists will sustain injuries when they are struck by other vehicles and additional harm when they hit the ground. Common injuries resulting from motorbike accidents include:
- Sprains and strains
- Road rash, which results in lacerations, cuts, and open wounds from contact with and being dragged on the rough pavement of the road
- Broken bones
- Cuts, bruises, and lacerations
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
In addition to physical injuries, many survivors of motorcycle wrecks also experience debilitating emotional turmoil. Post-traumatic stress, anxiety, mental anguish, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment in life, and depression are all common occurrences. Emotional injuries from a motorbike crash can impede a person’s ability to live their life fully in the way they intended to.
The extent of these injuries will play a major role in determining what a personal injury case is worth. A seasoned attorney in San Bernardino can work to collect substantial evidence demonstrating a victim’s injuries after a motorcycle crash. By working closely with lifestyle experts, the injured party’s doctors, actuaries, and other medical experts, our team can help an injured person and their family put a number on the full cost of their injuries to help them seek a financial damages award or settlement that would help them resume their life.
Proving Negligence in a Motorcycle Accident Case
Only certain motorcycle accidents will result in successful personal injury cases. For example, to recover compensation following a motorcycle crash in San Bernardino, a plaintiff and their experienced lawyer must establish all four elements of negligence. The failure to prove even one of these elements could prevent injured plaintiffs from recovering compensation.
The Duty of Care
First, injured claimants must prove that a duty of care exists. While this can be difficult in certain motorbike accident cases, this element is often a formality since motorists owe everyone they share the road with—including motorcyclists—a duty to drive safely. The fact that the motorist was on the road with the injured person is usually sufficient to show that they owed the injured party a duty of care.
Breached Duty
Once a plaintiff shows they were owed a duty, the next step is establishing that the defendant breached that duty of care. There are countless ways that an at-fault driver could violate an obligation like this. For instance, motorists who speed, drive under the influence, fail to yield the right-of-way, text while driving, or crowd a motorcycle might breach their duty if their reckless behavior resulted in a collision.
Causation
Causation refers to the link between a negligent act and a motorcycle accident. This link is a necessary part of any personal injury case, as a defendant is only responsible for injuries resulting directly from their careless actions.
Damages
The final step requires proving an accident victim’s damages. Even if the other elements of negligence exist, a claim will not result in a monetary award unless a plaintiff can show they suffered losses. Examples of damages could include lost wages, pain and suffering, medical bills, and diminished future earning capacity.
By examining the physical evidence and interviewing bystanders who may have witnessed the crash or know something about the motorist’s behavior leading up to the accident, our lawyers will gain a clearer understanding of what went wrong and who is potentially legally at fault.
Common Insurance Tactics
Right after a crash, people are often overwhelmed. They might be facing a lengthy recovery, filled with costly medical bills. If they get a phone call from the at-fault driver’s insurance company offering them some money, they might be tempted to immediately accept it so they can have a means of paying those bills. However, people need to keep in mind that insurance companies are not looking out for how to help injured people. Their goals are to protect their company’s bottom line and pay as little as possible. If someone accepts an insurance company’s initial offer, they are often shortchanging themselves. If they wait and allow a seasoned legal professional to handle the negotiations with the insurer, they could potentially recover significantly more. Our experienced San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorneys understand how insurance companies work and know how to skillfully stand toe-to-toe with them in negotiations.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics
Unfortunately, anytime a motorcycle gets into an accident, serious injuries or fatalities can occur because motorcycles do not offer the same types of protection as closed vehicles. Even if motorcyclists wear helmets, their bodies are still at increased risk of life-altering or life-threatening injuries. In recent years, approximately 500 motorcycle riders or passengers have died each year on California’s roadways.
Seasoned legal professionals understand that motorcycles are not as safe as cars. However, that does not justify or make right the accidents that occur due to other people’s negligence or recklessness. If someone else did something that caused a motorcycle rider to suffer severe or even fatal injuries, they should be held responsible. Our dedicated attorneys respect the rights of San Bernardino motorcyclists and will fight aggressively to uphold those rights.
Call a Dedicated Motorcycle Accident Attorney in San Bernardino Right Away
When you sustain bodily harm in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver, pursuing a personal injury lawsuit is often in your best interest. A successful injury claim can provide you and your family with a significant financial award, but these cases can be challenging. We can help you understand your case’s true value and worth. With our assistance, you could potentially recover the full value of your losses.
Let a San Bernardino motorcycle accident lawyer help you pursue your injury case following a collision. Call our energetic and capable attorneys now for a confidential consultation. Our knowledgeable team will work tirelessly on your case, which will leave you the time to focus on your physical health and mental well-being.
