Are Motorcycle Accident Cases Different From Car Accidents?
With over 82,000 accidents and more than 6,000 fatalities annually, motorcyclist safety is a never-ending concern in our country. Riding a motorcycle presents different issues from driving a passenger car, with motorcyclists being more susceptible to severe injury. Even though the vast majority of motorcyclists take preventive measures to avoid harm, other motorists’ actions are not always predictable.
Motorcycle accident cases present unique challenges, making it crucial that you obtain representation that has experience working on such matters. If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash, the Nashville motorcycle accident lawyers at Raybin & Weissman are happy to assist you with your claim.
Greater Risk of Severe Injury
Lacking the protection of an enclosed vehicle, motorcyclists account for 15.5% of all traffic deaths. For those who survive, many experience catastrophic injuries. Catastrophic injuries are life-altering injuries that often result in permanent disability. A catastrophic injury victim often loses their ability to perform daily tasks, requiring round-the-clock care to perform activities of daily living (ADL). These ADLs include the ability to eat, dress themselves, bathe, and go to the bathroom.
Greater Risk of Vehicle Damage
A motorcyclist remaining stable on their bike is not feasible when hit by a passenger vehicle. In general, it is not uncommon for the costs to repair a motorcycle to exceed the costs of repairing a car. Motorcycles often have specialized parts, with parts and labor potentially costing anywhere in the mid- or high-four figures. The value of these parts often results in motorcyclists paying higher insurance premiums, making motorcycle riding a costly enterprise.
Increased Risk of Emotional Trauma
There is no conveying the terror that accompanies being knocked off a motorcycle. Motorcyclists involved in a crash often experience pain and suffering damages. Pain and suffering damages describe intangible losses that impact a person’s quality of life.
One common type of pain and suffering damage that motorcyclists face is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
PTSD is a mental disorder that prevents a person from emotionally recovering following a traumatic event. PTSD sufferers may experience flashbacks of the incident, night terrors, ongoing fear, and irritability or anger. In filing a motorcycle accident claim, our team of legal professionals will total your economic damages and multiply that by a number that represents the severity of your injuries to calculate your total pain and suffering damages.
Higher Healthcare Costs and Increased Lost Wages
Given the higher risk of severe injury and bike damage, motorcycle accident cases are often worth substantially more than car accident cases. More severe injuries usually equal higher medical costs, which may include emergency room care, medical imaging, surgeries, physical therapy, and home modifications, to name a few. More severe injuries often result in a motorcyclist missing large amounts of time at work, resulting in thousands of dollars in lost wages.
Future Damages
Those who experience catastrophic injuries are typically entitled to future damages. Future damages are typically not determined until a motorcyclist reaches a point at which they will no longer make further physical advancements despite ongoing treatment (known as “maximum medical improvement”). Our legal team works with treating physicians to calculate projected future costs so that you are provided the financial resources you need to live comfortably.
Reach Out to Our Nashville Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Motorcyclists take extreme caution when sharing the road with others, but sadly, the same courtesy is not always reciprocated. If you or a family member has recently been injured while riding a motorcycle, our legal team would like to hear from you. At Raybin & Weissman, we understand the stress placed on accident victims. Those who survive have to handle exorbitant accident expenses, all while trying to regain mobility.
Motorcycle accident expenses can place you and your family in financial hardship, all while the wrongdoer walks away unscathed. Our Nashville motorcycle accident lawyers believe that justice is only served when the negligent party pays for the entirety of your losses, financial, physical, and emotional. If you are ready to discover the true worth of your accident case, contact us online or by phone at (615) 256-6666 at your earliest convenience.