Any victim of a motorcycle accident knows the toll that the incident takes. Physically, psychologically, and financially, victims of these accidents face significant challenges. Savannah motorcycle accident attorneys, though, can help them seek restitution for what they’ve suffered. If you or a family member has been injured in such an accident, you need to speak with an experienced Savannah motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.
An experienced team, like the one at Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, can make all the difference when seeking fair compensation. Our firm has proven experience handling a wide range of complex vehicle accident cases, including many motorcycle accident claims for clients in the Savannah area. We’re ready to apply this experience to your case, helping you maximize your recovery through all available channels of compensation.
A motorcycle accident claim is a type of personal injury claim that can be filed by riders who have suffered injuries because of the negligence of another party. These claims give the victims an opportunity to seek restitution for the injuries that they suffered because of what someone else has done. Hence, you can get in touch with our Savannah personal injury lawyer to know more about your case claim.
Winning these claims requires that the plaintiff be able to demonstrate negligence on the part of the defendant and that this negligence led directly to the injuries that the rider suffered. Before you will be able to recover any compensation for your damages, Georgia law dictates that you must prove fault for your accident, identifying the party responsible and providing evidence to show exactly how they caused the crash.
Your recovery process may begin with proving fault and then move to an insurance claim against the at-fault driver. However, there is no guarantee that the at-fault driver’s insurance will be able to fully compensate your losses, and they may not even have insurance at all. If you cannot fully recover with an auto insurance claim, you will need to file a personal injury suit to ensure full recovery of your damages.
If negligence has been proven, then the plaintiff will have the opportunity to collect restitution, known as “damages,” for their injuries. These injuries will need to be shown to be a direct result of the accident and the defendant’s negligence. This means proving causation. In other words, the claimant needs to prove that their claimed damages were the direct results of the defendant’s actions and that they did not occur from any other cause.
These damages cover a variety of costs, such as medical bills, past and future, related to the accident, and property damage, such as damage to the motorcycle. They also address lost wages if the accident caused you to miss work, and even future lost wages are covered as lost earning capacity. Psychological impacts, such as pain and suffering, are also addressed.
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While going to court and proving these elements is an option, most claims will never make it that far. For many, settling a claim out of court ends up being a better option. It’s often a much quicker process, and victims can receive their funds sooner rather than having to wait months or even years for compensation. However, settlement is only an option if the defendant accepts liability and both parties are willing to negotiate.
It also has the advantage of avoiding the risks of going to court, where there is a chance that a ruling could come down against your interests. Either way, settlements or litigation offer motorcycle accident victims the opportunity to seek the compensation that they deserve. When you choose the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm to handle your case, we will aim to settle it if possible, but we are fully prepared to represent you in litigation if necessary.
If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, there are some things that you will want to do to protect your opportunity to collect damages. The first steps you take immediately following the accident can profoundly affect your recovery efforts in various ways. The following tips may help you build a stronger foundation for the legal proceedings ahead of you and potentially help you minimize any amount of fault that could be assigned to you for the accident.
It is critical to get your injuries taken care of. You should always let any paramedics who have been called to the scene examine you, as they are trained to identify traumatic injuries that you, yourself, may not even recognize that you’re dealing with. Your health and safety should be your primary concern after any accident, so do not move if you believe you have been seriously injured and let the paramedics do their job.
After you leave the scene of the accident, it’s also helpful to get a full examination by your doctor in case there was anything that was missed. This ensures that there is a good record of your injuries tied to the accident. Additionally, you may have suffered internal injuries that have not yet caused noticeable symptoms. Getting checked out may be the only way to prevent such injuries from worsening to critical levels.
It can also be helpful to document the scene of the accident, so long as your injuries will allow you to do so. Photos of the vehicles involved, the damage, your injuries, and anything else you believe to be relevant could be helpful when making your case. It’s also useful to get the contact information of anyone else who was involved in the accident or any witnesses.
Good documentation is a practice that you should continue going forward as well. To receive compensation for the costs associated with the accident, you will need a good record of those costs. Be sure to keep any bills, receipts, doctors’ notes, or any other documentation that is related to your injuries.
It is important to be very careful when discussing the accident. The defendant’s lawyers will be looking to discover anything that sounds like you are taking any blame for the accident. In particular, you should be especially cautious if speaking to anyone from an insurance agency. If you can avoid giving them a statement and allow your lawyer to speak instead, that’s often the wiser choice.
If an insurance company reaches out to you to discuss a settlement, politely inform them that you must consult with your attorney before discussing any type of compensation. The sooner you connect with legal counsel, the sooner they can help you file your claim, and you will be less likely to encounter any unfair treatment from the insurer if they know that you have legal representation.
Finally, make sure you contact a lawyer, like one from Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, as soon as possible. We have experience handling all manner of car accidents, including motorcycle accidents, since 1973. We can help advise you as to whether you have a valid claim and can guide you through the next steps in the process.
You have a very limited window of time in which to pursue your recovery from your motorcycle accident. You may need to file an auto insurance claim as soon as possible and build a personal injury suit. These processes can take longer than you may initially expect, so connecting with a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident will help to ensure you meet all applicable deadlines for your case.
It’s our job to seek fair compensation for the injuries that were suffered in a motorcycle accident in Savannah, GA. We need to identify the properly liable parties and gather evidence that can be used to prove that liability. Once we have that thorough understanding of the situation, we can begin helping you seek compensation.
Normally, there will first be an attempt to settle the case. Our experience in negotiating these claims can often be helpful in ensuring that the other side takes the process seriously. Our presence also demonstrates a real possibility of going to court, which is an expense that they may hope to avoid.
If, though, a settlement can’t be reached and litigation becomes necessary, we can seek restitution that way. Our firm can represent you and demonstrate the defendant’s liability and why you are owed the compensation that you seek.
The costs of a motorcycle accident are steep. The medical bills are often significant, and losing wages because of missed work is not uncommon as well. There’s also a psychological toll that riders who’ve gotten in an accident often suffer. It’s common for motorcycle accident victims to initially undervalue their claims, not realizing the full scope of the damages available to them until they have legal counsel representing them.
It’s crucial that these victims receive proper compensation for what they’ve suffered as a result of the accident and their injuries. The law recognizes that those responsible have a duty to provide this compensation, usually through an insurance provider. Your Savannah motorcycle accident lawyer can help you accurately assess the full value of your claim and help you hold the at-fault driver accountable for the harm they have caused.
Savannah motorcycle accident attorneys help these victims stand up to the insurance companies and get what they’re owed. At Merritt & Merritt Law Firm, we work hard to see that our motorcycle injury clients are fairly compensated for the injuries that they’ve suffered.
A: You can prove fault for a motorcycle accident in Savannah by gathering various forms of physical and digital evidence to prove exactly how your accident happened and to determine who is responsible. Vehicle computer data, cell phone records, traffic camera footage, and photos of the scene of the crash could be invaluable to your case. Witness testimony can also prove useful if anyone saw your accident happen firsthand.
A: If you share the fault for your motorcycle accident in Savannah, Georgia’s modified comparative fault rule will apply to your case. You will have a fault percentage assigned to you that indicates your level of liability for causing the accident. This percentage will then be taken from your case award as a penalty. However, if you are found to be more at fault than the defendant, you lose the ability to claim compensation for your damages from them.
A: Yes, a lawyer can be very helpful when it comes to filing an auto insurance claim. Insurance companies will almost always fight back against claims for compensation, sometimes engaging in bad faith tactics in their efforts to avoid paying out fair settlements. However, they are less likely to attempt such actions when they see that a claimant has legal representation. Your attorney can ensure that you receive a fair settlement offer from the at-fault driver’s insurer.
A: The amount of compensation you could claim for a motorcycle accident will depend on the overall severity of your damages. You have the right to claim full repayment of any direct financial losses you suffered because of the defendant’s actions, and you also have the right to seek compensation for your anticipated future damages resulting from their actions. Additionally, you can claim whatever amount of pain and suffering compensation you believe to be reasonable.
A: The cost to hire a Savannah motorcycle accident lawyer may not be as much as you may think. When you choose the Merritt & Merritt Law Firm to represent you, we only take a percentage of the total compensation we recover on your behalf as our fee, and you keep the rest. Additionally, we only collect this fee if and when we win your case, and there are no upfront costs for our firm’s representation.
The Merritt & Merritt Law Firm is ready to do whatever it takes for you and your family to recover as fully as possible from your recent motorcycle accident. We’re confident in our ability to address your unique needs and concerns for your impending case. Whether by settlement or in court, we’re prepared to represent and advocate for you if you’ve been injured due to someone else’s negligence. Contact our team to discuss your options and how we can help.