Man about to ride motorcycle

Your Top 10 Motorcycle Accident Questions Answered

By Greg Kohn
Partner

Motorcycle accidents are some of the most devastating incidents on New Jersey roads.  Often resulting in life-altering injuries or fatality, a motorcycle injury accident warrants thorough review and experienced legal counsel to pursue justice and compensation.  

If you or someone you love has suffered injury or wrongful death in a motorcycle accident, you need a skilled New Jersey motorcycle accident attorney to represent your interests. 

Prior to meeting with an attorney, here are your top 10 motorcycle accident questions answered:

Top 10 Motorcycle Accident Questions Answered

1. Why are motorcycle accidents so serious?

A motorcycle’s small size makes it difficult to be seen, as they fit into blindspots easily, and other drivers are accustomed to looking for cars and larger objects.

Further, the lack of a protective vehicular shell and relatively minimal protective gear makes riders susceptible to severe injuries and death upon impact with another vehicle, fixed object, or the road itself.  

2. Can I sue for a motorcycle accident injury and death case?

If you can prove property damage, physical injury, or wrongful death due to another’s negligence, you may have grounds for a lawsuit.  Determining who’s at fault is critical. 

3. Another motorist cut me off and left the scene of the accident. How can I get compensated?

You may have a right to compensation through your insurance policy.  

4. A vehicle turned left in front of me, and I hit him. Am I at fault?

Left-turning cars are responsible for yielding to oncoming traffic. Generally, the left-turning car would be at fault if they turned in front of a motorcyclist.

However, if the motorcyclist engaged was speeding, driving recklessly, or was under the influence, fault becomes less clear and requires a thorough investigation of the incident. 

5. Do I have grounds for a lawsuit?

A viable lawsuit depends on several circumstances, including but not limited to

  • the extent of injury and property damage from the accident
  • determining factors that resulted in the accident
  • the evidence available to support your claim
  • the at-fault party and their ability to pay damages

These factors, along with many others, will be assessed by your attorney, who will guide you regarding your case’s merits. 

6. How much money can I get in a lawsuit?

The value of your motorcycle injury lawsuit depends on your case.  Unfortunately, the greater the award, often the more suffering the motorcyclist would have endured to warrant compensation.  

Life-altering injuries, lifestyle adjustments, inability to work, or the wrongful death of a rider all impact the award’s value. 

7. How will I pay my medical bills?

Given the severity of most motorcycle injuries and the ongoing need for medical treatment, mounting medical bills are a cruel reality. Generally, the money to pay your medical bills will come from:

  • your insurance
  • the at-fault party’s insurance
  • awarded damages 

A qualified motorcycle accident attorney will be able to review your case, help you navigate insurance policies, and pursue compensation for your injuries. 

8. Do I accept the settlement offer from the other driver’s insurance company? 

Early payouts are often much less than victims deserve, and accepting the insurance settlement forever relinquishes a claimant’s right to future compensation. Speak with your injury attorney before accepting any insurance settlement offer.

9. What should I do if the insurance company contacts me?

Though insurance adjusters are often very friendly, they are trained to elicit information that can be used against you to reduce or deny your claim for compensation. Direct all inquiries by insurance adjusters to your personal injury attorney.

10. Do I need a motorcycle accident attorney?

Navigating the complexities of insurance claims and lawsuits is best left to experienced lawyers who understand the laws and time limits governing your right to compensation. The earlier in the process you engage legal counsel, the more evidence will be available to build a successful motorcycle injury accident case.  

Contact a New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today.

Details and memories fade over time. Documentation is critical. Witnesses are essential.

Each passing day between your motorcycle accident and retaining legal counsel compromises the integrity of the process to gain compensation for your injuries and loss.  

Reach out to a qualified New Jersey Motorcycle Accident Attorney today.

About the Author
Greg Kohn is a partner at Nagel Rice and specializes in complex civil litigation cases, including professional malpractice, personal injury, class actions, wrongful death, products liability, and commercial litigation.  He has extensive experience representing clients in both state and federal court. Greg has tried many jury trials to verdict and has recovered over $50 million in settlements and verdicts in all types of personal injury matters including automobile accidents, wrongful death cases, slip and falls, and other catastrophic injury cases. Greg also handles medical malpractice cases, involving misdiagnoses, wrongful birth, and delayed cancer diagnosis. If you have questions regarding this article, you can contact Greg here.