The injuries and losses from negligent motorcycle rider accidents are often more severe than those suffered in crashes involving other vehicles. If you were involved in an accident caused by a negligent motorcycle rider, you may be entitled to compensation. A lawyer who is familiar with these types of accidents can help to make sure the liable party is held responsible for their actions.
A Springfield negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer from the Fitch Law Firm LLC will strive to preserve your rights and pursue justice on your behalf so that you can collect the compensation to which you may be entitled. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation review of your case.
Forms of Negligent Behavior by Motorcycle Riders
Negligence is often the basis of filing claims and lawsuits against those who cause accidents. Motorcycle riders, like all other motorists, owe others on the road a duty of care—and when they breach this duty of care by acting negligently, they can cause accidents that injure and cause damage to others and themselves.
Clear forms of negligence often put other drivers and pedestrians at risk. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the annual cost of motorcycle injuries and fatalities in the United States is $12.8 billion.
Some of the most common forms of negligent motorcyclist behaviors that we’ve seen our clients suffer damages from include:
Speeding
Speeding reduces the amount of time a motorcycle driver has to respond to sudden obstacles, like stopped or slowing vehicles, pedestrians, potholes, and more.
Drunk or Impaired Driving
This may lead to any number of illegal actions on the roads, but in accidents with impaired motorcycle riders, the consequences of drunk driving may be even more serious. Impaired riders may violate a range of traffic laws that could contribute to an accident, such as aggressive lane changes, failure to signal, and recklessly passing other vehicles.
If you were in an accident with a motorcyclist who was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, your lawyer will examine the particular details of your case and use this information to further help your claim.
Lane Splitting
Lane splitting is when a motorcyclist navigates between two lanes of traffic to get ahead of slow or stopped vehicles. While this practice isn’t explicitly illegal in Ohio, lane splitting can make it more likely for vehicles that are obeying traffic laws to accidentally hit a motorcyclist, causing an accident. It can also put motorcyclists in traffic situations where they accidentally hit a vehicle or force a vehicle to avoid colliding with them and hit another vehicle or other obstacle.
Damages Can Address Your Injuries, Trauma, and Financial Concerns
You have multiple avenues to recover compensation after a negligent motorcycle rider causes an accident that injures you or damages your vehicle. Ohio requires all motorists, including motorcycle drivers, to carry insurance with the following minimums:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death per person per accident
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death per accident
- $25,000 for property damage
We can help you explore your legal options for recovering compensation. We can manage your case by filing claims with the at-fault motorist’s insurance company, negotiating a settlement that meets your needs, or filing a lawsuit against the at-fault motorist and their insurance company to recover the compensation that you deserve.
Your lawyer can calculate many types of economic and non-economic damages to determine how much compensation you deserve for your negligent motorcycle rider accident. These damages may include:
Medical Costs
Personal injuries caused by accidents with negligent motorcycle riders can take a costly toll in the form of medical bills. The injuries a person suffers in a collision with a motorcycle may require hospitalization. Some injuries caused by accidents of this type require ongoing medical intervention that may last for years after the incident. Your lawyer can add up your current and future medical costs to determine what fair compensation looks like for your case.
Pain and Suffering
Physical injuries may be the most obvious problem after an accident, but the emotional pain that accident victims experience is often life-changing as well. Similar to physical injuries, the bills for services such as therapy and counseling that may be needed to heal psychological trauma often add up fast. Your attorney will consider your psychological pain and suffering as they seek to pursue the compensation you may be owed.
Lost Income and Reduced Earning Ability
Your inability to return to work and lost wages will also be used to determine the amount of compensation to which you are entitled. If you are unable to go to work because of a personal injury caused by a negligent motorcycle rider, you may also be unable to pay for other expenses and provide for your family. You can file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party to recover damages like lost income, lost benefits, and reduced earning capacity.
Wrongful Death
If a loved one was killed during a negligent motorcycle rider accident, you may be able to recover wrongful death damages, including:
- Funeral expenses and burial costs
- Final medical costs from the accident that took your loved one’s life
- Lost household income and financial support
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of parental or spousal support and guidance
For a free legal consultation with a Springfield negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer
(614) 545-3930 
What to Do After a Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident
If you are involved in an accident with a negligent motorcycle rider, you should seek medical attention right away. Some injuries take time to manifest, so even if you think you are fine, a doctor’s evaluation is a crucial piece of evidence you may need to prove your injuries were the result of the accident. If you wait too long to see a doctor after your accident, the at-fault rider’s insurance company may claim that the crash did not cause your injuries.
Call 9-1-1 to get emergency medical services and the police to the scene. When they arrive, file an accident report to document the damage to your vehicle (if you were in one), the damage to the motorcycle, other property damage, physical injuries of all parties involved, and how and where the accident occurred.
Get the motorcycle driver’s contact and insurance information if possible. Gather the contact information for any witnesses to the accident, too. Look for traffic cameras that could have footage of the accident, and preserve any photographic or video evidence you have of the accident. It is also important that you request copies of your medical records. Make sure your lawyer knows a doctor saw you after your accident so your medical records can be added to your case file.
The Last Thing You Should Worry About Is How You’re Going To Pay For Your Medical Bills.
(614) 545-3930 You May Have a Limited Time to Recover Compensation
Remember that you have a limited amount of time to file a claim. This is known as the statute of limitations. According to Ohio Revised Code § 2305.10, your claim must be filed within two years after your accident. If you meet this deadline, you may be able to collect compensation for the losses you sustained as a result of your injuries.
Your lawyer will make sure that you meet all the deadlines and will handle all negotiations with any parties involved in the incident so that you can focus on your physical and mental recovery.
Get Help With Your Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident
Your lawyers from the Fitch Law Firm LLC will work to hold any liable parties accountable for the negligent actions that affected your personal life. Your legal team will perform investigations and collect evidence in order to establish liability. Then, our team will work with you to file insurance claims and settle out of court, or we can file a lawsuit and fight for you in court.
Navigating the complexities of the insurance claim process can take time and involve complications. A lawyer can take care of these steps for you and advise you the whole way through. A Springfield negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer from the Fitch Law Firm LLC can review the evidence and the conditions that led to your accident so we can get a full picture of the details. By doing so, we will seek justice on your behalf and go after any monetary compensation to which you may be entitled.
You can learn more today about how a Springfield negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer can help you seek compensation for your case.
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Contact the Fitch Law Firm LLC Today
If you were in an accident with a negligent motorcycle rider, you have every right to hold the negligent rider accountable for the injuries, pain, and suffering they caused. A Springfield negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer from the Fitch Law Firm LLC will work to relieve some of the pressure you are facing by putting up a legal defense on your behalf. We are committed to the pursuit of justice, and we will work to recover any compensation that you may be owed.
Contact us today for a free case review and to speak with a member of our team.