Motorcycle riders have a higher risk of injuries than car drivers because it’s difficult to spot motorcycles. In addition, bikes offer much less protection to riders than cars do. As a result, motorcyclists are typically involved in more catastrophic accidents than drivers of other vehicles.
If you were injured in a motorcycle crash, you could protect your legal rights by working with personal injury attorneys familiar with Louisiana state law. Our Lafayette motorcycle accident lawyers can explain your options during a free legal consultation.
Motorcycle Accident Claims Process
Motorcycle accidents can be devastating and life-altering events. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motorcycle crash, it is crucial to understand the claims process and how to protect your rights.
Filing a Claim
The first step in the claims process is to contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Lafayette. An attorney can help you file a claim and ensure your rights are protected throughout the process.
Investigating the Crash
Your lawyer will investigate the accident and determine who was at fault. They will also review your medical records to assess the extent of your injuries and losses.
Pursuing Compensation
Your attorney will then negotiate with the insurance company to ensure you receive a fair settlement for your damages.
If an agreement cannot be reached, your lawyer may file a lawsuit against the responsible party to recover the compensation you deserve.
Motorcycle accidents can be complex and difficult to navigate without the help of an experienced attorney. A motorcycle lawyer in Lafayette can help you understand your rights and ensure you receive the full compensation you are entitled to.
For a free legal consultation with a motorcycle accident lawyer serving Lafayette, call (337) 777-7777
Average Settlement Payout for a Motorcycle Accident
Motorcycle accidents can be devastating, leading to serious injuries and even death. You may be entitled to compensation for your losses if you’ve been injured in a motorcycle wreck. The average settlement payout for a motorcycle accident varies depending on the severity of the injury and other factors.
In general, the more severe the injury, the higher the settlement amount will be. For example, if you suffer a traumatic brain injury, you may be entitled to a much higher settlement than if you suffered a broken bone.
Lafayette motorcycle accident victims can recover compensation for their injuries and lost wages. The amount of money you receive will depend on the severity of your injuries, how much time you’ll be out of work, and the cost of your medical bills.
If you are injured in an accident caused by another driver’s negligence, you may also be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other non-economic losses.
A Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Lafayette Can Help
Our team has extensive experience negotiating settlements on behalf of clients throughout Louisiana. We understand the importance of getting the most money possible for your injuries. That is why we aggressively pursue every available source of compensation.
Lafayette Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me (337) 777-7777
Types of Damages You Can Recover After a Motorcycle Accident
As we stated above, the severity of your motorcycle accident injuries determines whether you can collect damages and how much compensation you will receive if you win your case. A Lafayette motorcycle accident attorney can help you file a personal injury claim to fight for damages.
Losses you can claim in a motorcycle accident differ depending on the severity and circumstances surrounding your accident. You may seek to recover:
- Past and future medical costs: These include any ongoing medical visits, physical therapy, occupational therapy, emergency room visits, and ambulance rides.
- Lost wages due to time missed at work: If you missed work while recovering from the accident, you could be entitled to compensation for lost wages. This damage also includes lost future earning capacity.
- Career change education or training: If you are permanently injured or disabled because of a motorcycle accident, you may be able to seek compensation for any vocational education or training required to establish a new career or line of work.
- Property damage: You can include motorcycle repair or replacement costs in your claim.
- Emotional distress: Many people may suffer from anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder after a motorcycle accident. You may be able to recover compensation for the mental stress the accident caused.
- Pain and suffering: Any ongoing physical or mental anguish due to injuries from the accident can be included in recoverable damages.
A motorcycle accident lawyer in Lafayette will review the details of your accident to see how much you could seek from the liable party or their insurance company. We will also investigate your accident to see if additional evidence can strengthen your case.
Such evidence may include medical bills, pay stubs, testimony from your doctor and other experts, witness testimony from the accident scene, and images and videos of the crash.
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Common Wrongful Death Damages After a Lafayette Motorcycle Crash
Unfortunately, some motorcycle accident victims do not survive. If you lost a loved one due to another person’s negligence, you have our sincere condolences. Our wrongful death lawyers may be able to help you pursue a wrongful death action against the liable party.
Common damages you could seek in a wrongful death case include:
- Final medical expenses for the decedent
- Funeral and burial costs
- Loss of income if the decedent contributed to the household
- The decedent’s pain and suffering before they died
- Loss of companionship, guidance, and affection
- Loss of consortium
How Lafayette Personal Injury Attorneys Calculate Wrongful Death Damages
Calculating a fair value for complete compensation can be complex, and personal injury lawyers often call upon medical experts or accountants for assistance.
The attorneys at our firm have relationships with local experts and are familiar with the evidence necessary to establish and prove the monetary value of your losses.
Your lawyer will look at all the documentation of your damages in your Lafayette motorcycle accident and uncover any hidden losses. This gives everyone a full picture of your case’s value and the compensation for accident expenses you can expect.
While we understand that money cannot bring back your loved one, financial compensation may help ease your financial load, allowing you to grieve and recover.
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What To Do After a Motorcycle Accident
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, it’s important to take the right steps to protect your rights and ensure that you get the compensation you deserve. Here are some tips on what to do after a motorcycle accident in Lafayette, LA:
- Seek medical attention: The most important thing to do after a motorcycle accident is to seek medical attention. Even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, it’s important to get checked out by a doctor.
- Document the accident: If possible, take pictures of the accident scene and any visible injuries. You should also get the contact information of witnesses who may have seen what happened.
- Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer: It’s important to contact a motorcycle accident lawyer immediately after the accident. An experienced attorney can help you understand your rights and ensure you get the compensation you are owed.
At our firm, we understand how difficult it can be to deal with the aftermath of a motorcycle accident. We are here to help you every step of the way and fight for the justice and compensation you need.
Potential Liable Parties in a Motorcycle Collision
Most motorcycle accident lawsuits are based on negligence. As our Lafayette lawyer builds your case, we must determine responsibility for your accident.
Multiple parties could be liable for your motorcycle accident injuries. The responsible party is not always the person who hit you. It could be:
- A distracted motorist who swerved into your lane, causing you to commit a driver error.
- The motorcycle’s manufacturer, whose product contains a defective part that caused the accident.
- A repair shop that failed to repair your motorcycle or the other driver’s vehicle properly.
- The driver’s employer, if the driver was working at the time of the crash.
- A municipality or town that failed to maintain roadways under its care.
- An establishment that over-served alcohol to a patron who drove under the influence, causing an accident.
The Elements of Negligence
In your case, we must establish that the opposing party acted negligently. We must show the following:
- The driver owed you a standard of care. Duty of care means a person must do their best to avoid causing harm to anyone.
- The negligent driver breached their duty to you. Their conduct failed to meet the applicable standard of care, increasing your risk of injury.
- The reckless driver’s breach caused your accident and injuries.
- The accident brought harm that allows you to seek compensatory damages.
In some situations, an accident will have multiple responsible parties. By working with a Lafayette motorcycle accident lawyer, you can determine all the at-fault parties so you can take appropriate legal action.
By pursuing all the at-fault parties, you may obtain a larger settlement while ensuring all the responsible parties are held accountable.
Why Knowing the Worth of Your Louisiana Motorcycle Injury Case Is Important
The value of your case is a critical aspect of your Lafayette motorcycle injury claim. Armed with this information, you will know if an insurance company’s potential settlement offer will adequately compensate for your losses.
Insurance companies typically offer less than a claim’s full value to reduce financial liability. However, our attorneys are familiar with these methods and will actively negotiate on your behalf.
We will advise you if an offer is too low, but the final decision to accept or reject the offer is always yours. If you are offered less than what you deserve, consider rejecting the settlement and going to trial. We are well-versed in insurance negotiation tactics and are ready for the courtroom.
Don’t Let an Insurance Company Take Advantage of You
If you or a loved one was injured in a motorcycle crash due to someone else’s actions, don’t settle for anything less than what you believe you deserve. Our attorneys will help you seek the maximum settlement for your losses.
While we cannot guarantee a specific outcome, we will use our knowledge and resources to fight for your right to fair compensation.
We Know How To Gather Strong Evidence To Support Your Lafayette Motorcycle Accident Claim
With more than 250 collective years of personal injury law experience, our attorneys know what it takes to help our clients recover from accidents.
We have helped clients across Louisiana recover millions of dollars in injury cases and will gladly take your case to court. Our verdicts and settlements speak for themselves.
Hiring a lawyer to represent you can save time and ensure someone is looking out for your interests. Your lawyer can investigate the case and do any of the following:
- Visit the motorcycle accident scene
- Review the responding police officer’s report
- Review your medical records related to your injury
- Talk to people who witnessed the crash
- Review photos and videos of your injuries and the accident scene
- Consult with accident reconstruction specialists to understand how your accident occurred
Other Resources We May Use
We will also consult with other experts, such as economists and experts in the medical and mental health fields, who can help us understand the extent of your losses.
Let our attorneys do the legwork necessary to build a solid case on your behalf. We will handle the legalities and negotiations so you can focus on your health.
We Will Communicate With the Insurers on Your Behalf
When you become our client, we will take the time to build a strong case for maximum compensation. We will handle all communications and negotiate with insurers and other parties on your behalf.
The more severe your injuries are, the higher the settlement you may be eligible for. For example, if you suffered a spinal cord injury, you’re likely to be able to recover more damages. An injury like road rash will not award you as high of a settlement, but you still may be able to recover losses.
We aren’t afraid to aggressively defend your right to compensation and will refuse a lowball settlement if we can obtain a higher payout. If we cannot settle, we’ll file a motorcycle accident injury lawsuit and seek a court award for you.
You Can Still Recover Compensation if You Are At Fault
Some motorcycle crash cases involve a careless driver who is solely responsible for causing the accident. In other cases, the accident victim can be partially responsible.
For example, if a motorcyclist was speeding when a motorist failed to yield and collided with them, the other driver may claim the victim was partially at fault.
Louisiana law states under CC § 2323 that an injured party who is partially responsible may recover compensation with a reduction in proportion to their share of fault. Your lawyer will help you determine whether comparative negligence applies in your case and help protect your right to financial compensation.
Not all cases involve comparative negligence, but it is best to be prepared for every possibility. A Lafayette motorcycle accident attorney can help you understand the legal arguments you might face during negotiations or a trial.
The Affordability of a Personal Injury Lawyer
When you hire legal representation, you may worry about affordability. This is a common concern. Many injured people see cost as a barrier to proceeding with their case and choose not to move forward.
We are aware of this obstacle, which is why we are a contingency law firm. If we take you on as our client, you do not have to pay us up front to start on your case. In addition, you do not have to pay us for costs and legal fees if we don’t win your case.
Instead, our payment will come from your settlement if we win. This arrangement allows us to go to work for you without financial barriers, and you do not have to worry about legal representation costs.
Our Team Advocates for You During a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit
After a motorcycle accident, we will cover all legal matters while you focus on recovery. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Lafayette will be there for you every step of the way during your case.
Although we cannot guarantee an outcome, we will work tirelessly to achieve the best possible results. When you work with us, you can expect the following:
- A free consultation where we’ll review your case and determine if we should move forward. We will inform you of the legal process and answer your questions.
- Someone in our office is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to answer your questions.
- We focus on helping people get fair compensation.
- Experienced lawyers with more than two-and-a-half centuries of combined personal injury experience.
- Our clients do not pay for our legal services until they receive a settlement or win their case in a trial.
Let our motorcycle accident attorneys assist you today to help you fight for full compensation in your motorcycle accident claim. We are here for you and will advocate for you during each case step.
The Short Time You Have To File a Claim
If a motorcycle accident occurred due to another driver’s negligence, you have a limited time to bring a personal injury lawsuit or file an insurance claim. Louisiana laws mandate that lawsuits for damages be filed within one year of the date the accident occurred, per CC § 3492.
The same one-year deadline applies to wrongful death actions. For wrongful death suits, the period starts when the accident victim passes away.
By contacting our attorneys as soon as possible, you ensure we have the time to gather evidence, negotiate with insurance companies, and file a lawsuit, all within the allowed timeframe.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Lafayette Today
We are ready to discuss your motorcycle accident during a free, no-obligation consultation. Contact us today to speak with a Laborde Earles team member.
Our motorcycle accident lawyer in Lafayette can review your accident details and answer your questions during your initial consultation. The sooner we hear from you, the sooner we can start working on your case.
Call or text (337) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form