There is no way to predict the exact amount of compensation that a party may receive after a motorcycle accident. That being said, the amount of potential compensation may rise with the severity of an injury because serious injuries may require extensive medical care.
Severe injuries also tend to be more painful. Parties seeking compensation can demand payments for lost quality of life due to pain, emotional trauma, and other reductions in their enjoyment of life. Finally, harsher injuries can keep people out of work for longer. Lost income is a final common source of payment after a motorcycle crash.
It may be possible to estimate a potential settlement for a motorcycle accident with an understanding of your specific damages. A motorcycle accident attorney could help you with this process.
An Accurate Measurement of One’s Losses Is the First Step in Predicting Compensation
The most reliable way to estimate potential compensation after a motorcycle accident is to measure a person’s losses. The law states that at-fault parties have an obligation to provide compensation for all damage that they cause.
Economic losses form the core of any case. These can include medical bills as well as lost wages and property damage. Because it is often easy to track the extent of these losses through bills or missing pay stubs, estimating compensation for economic losses is relatively straightforward. A lawyer could help injured individuals to collect this documentation.
What is less easy to predict is the available payment for non-economic losses. These damages include ways in which an incident has impacted a person’s quality of life. A person suffering from nightmares, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health concerns can demand compensation for this reduction in their quality of life.
Ohio law puts an upper limit on non-economic compensation available in personal injury cases. According to Ohio Revised Code § 2315.18, non-economic damages can never rise to more than $250,000, or three times the amount of economic losses.
The Severity of Injuries Following a Motorcycle Accident and Potential Case Value
It is no secret that motorcycle accidents can result in life-altering injuries. Even if people take every possible precaution and wear protective gear, a simple fall to the pavement can inflict harsh injuries. Even a situation that results in only a mild concussion or scrapes and cuts may justify a claim for compensation.
The value of a case can rise along with the severity of injuries and the amount of medical care required to treat them. A situation where a person endures a permanent injury may also bring in greater compensation than one where the person is able to make a full recovery.
The Actions of the Parties Involved in the Incident Could Also Affect a Case’s Value
It may only be possible to collect compensation after a motorcycle accident if an injured person can prove that another party’s actions led to the incident. An attorney could help to gather proof of this fault. However, the law also says that injured people must be able to justify their own actions if they wish to obtain maximum compensation.
According to Ohio Revised Code § 2315.33, juries in Ohio award compensation based on the percentage of fault they attribute to each party. If a jury believes that an injured rider was 25% to blame for an accident, that jury must reduce the rider’s compensation by 25%. As a result, predicting the average settlement for a motorcycle accident also involves determining the extent to which an injured person shared blame for the collision.
Speaking with a Law Firm Could Provide More Information About Your Case
There is no doubt that motorcycle accidents can have a profound impact on your life. It is also true that parties who are at fault for these incidents may have an obligation under the law to provide compensation. In the aftermath of an accident, victims may be wondering about the amount of compensation that could be available to them.
If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by someone else, the Fitch Law Firm LLC would like to help you. We represent motorcycle accident victims in Columbus and other parts of Ohio.
Reach out to our motorcycle accident team today at (614) 545-3930. We offer free case reviews and can discuss your damages and their potential value during this call. If you qualify, the Fitch Law Firm LLC can represent you on a contingency-fee basis.