While riding motorcycles can be thrilling, it’s also dangerous when other motorists don’t look out for you. By riding a smaller vehicle, you face the risk of severe injuries at the hands of negligent drivers. Understanding your claim involves creating a full estimate of your motorcycle accident injuries and securing fair compensation from the liable party.
Because your recovery could take weeks or even months, you don’t want to leave money on the table when you obtain a settlement. Getting full payment for your expenses requires guidance from a skilled motorcycle accident attorney in Texas.
Understanding Texas Auto Insurance for Motorcycle Accidents
Texas is an at-fault state, meaning each motorist must carry liability and bodily injury coverage that pays for injuries and property damage they cause in a crash. So, your first step after someone hurts you in a motorcycle accident is to file a claim against their insurance.
Minimum requirements within Texas are:
- $30,000 in bodily injury per person
- $60,000 in total bodily injury per accident
- $25,000 in property damage per accident
However, with the severe nature of a motorcycle accident, a victim is very likely to suffer extreme injuries requiring more than these amounts. If you exhaust the at fault party’s insurance policy limits, you could file against your own insurance. You also have the option of filing a personal injury lawsuit. A skilled motorcycle accident lawyer can help you negotiate with insurance providers for a fair settlement. If they don’t agree to your demands, your attorney can take them to court.
Pursuing a Personal Injury Lawsuit for a Motorcycle Accident
For either an insurance claim or a lawsuit, it will be critical that your lawyer establish negligence on the part of the other driver. This involves proving that they owed you a duty of care and they failed to meet that duty.
You must then present evidence showing that you have injuries and damages directly related to their negligence and proof of your expenses for those damages. Only then can you secure compensation through the courts.
Building a strong case involves a thorough investigation of the accident, collecting evidence, and making powerful arguments on your behalf. An experienced law firm can provide a full team of professionals dedicated to creating a robust case on behalf of their client. By gathering witness statements, expert testimony, photos, videos, medical records, and accident reconstruction reports, your lawyer will craft a compelling story showing how you were hurt and why you deserve compensation.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Motorcycle crashes are some of the most dangerous and deadly of all roadway collisions. Even when riders wear all their safety gear, they are vastly under-protected when compared to those riding in passenger vehicles. Bikers are at risk of the following injuries:
- Amputations
- Broken bones
- Coma
- Fractures
- Head injuries to the eyes, ears, mouth, and jaw
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
- Neck and back injuries
- Puncture wounds
- Road rash
- Traumatic brain injuries
Recovering from these injuries can take a substantial amount of time, meaning you’re unable to work and support yourself. Your professional career can be irreparably damaged, as well as your body. Creating a full estimate of your current and projected damages will be essential to securing fair compensation for how the other driver harmed you.
Damages You Can Seek in a Motorcycle Accident Claim
All of your economic expenses (such as medical bills) and non-economic losses (such as pain and suffering) must be compensated by the person who hurt you. Proving their negligence allows you to recoup your losses, such as:
- All medical expenses, including specialist treatment
- Amputation
- Anxiety, depression, and PTSD
- Emergency transport costs for an ambulance or helicopter
- Home services such as cooking, cleaning, and maintenance
- Hospital bills for ICU, ER, and surgery
- Loss of income and benefits
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Loss of personal and professional reputation
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Paralysis
- Permanent disability
In the event the motorcycle rider passes away from their injuries, the surviving family members can file a wrongful death lawsuit against those at fault. This allows them to recover the costs of medical bills and treatment, funeral expenses, burial costs, and loss of support from the deceased.
Other passenger vehicles are most frequently to blame for causing motorcycle injuries. Even when a motorcyclist contributes in some way to the crash, drivers are less likely to take note of motorcycles or to give them proper space on the road. When they cause you severe damage, they must be made to pay.
File Quickly Before Time Runs Out
In Texas, the statute of limitations is generally only two years from the date of the accident. In cases involving government vehicles, such as city buses, you could have even less time. It’s important to retain a competent and experienced personal injury attorney to investigate the crash and develop your case.
The longer you wait, the less time your lawyer will have to build your claim and secure your compensation. If you pass the deadline, you could lose your ability to seek financial relief through the courts.
Speak With a Skilled Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
When you or a loved one is suffering motorcycle injuries after a crash, you need to focus your energy on getting better. Let our team of skilled motorcycle accident lawyers at Farah Law put their talent to work managing your case to seek fair compensation. We are ready to take immediate action on your behalf, tackling the complex insurance details and the law.
We are dedicated to your full emotional, physical, and financial recovery. When you’ve done everything right as a motorcyclist, you shouldn’t have to pay for the consequences when a driver does something wrong. We will not rest until we have achieved the best possible outcome for your unique circumstances.
We recognize that you have bills to pay and may worry about how you can afford a lawyer’s fees on top of your medical expenses. We put those fears to rest by using a contingency fee structure. You do not pay us until we secure a settlement or verdict on your behalf. We also offer free initial consultations, so contact us to meet with our motorcycle accident lawyers today.
