Motorcyclists are more vulnerable than those in passenger cars because other motorists can find it difficult to spot them. As a result, motorcycle riders are typically involved in more catastrophic accidents than other vehicles.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Louisiana, you should protect your legal rights by consulting with a qualified Lafayette motorcycle accident attorney who is familiar with state law. You can learn more about your legal options during a free consultation with our team.
You Could Recover Damages in Your Motorcycle Accident
Your injuries’ severity from your motorcycle accident can determine whether you can collect damages. This can also factor into how much compensation you will receive if you win your case. An injured motorcyclist may wish to have a motorcycle wreck lawyer in Iberia Parish or New Iberia file a lawsuit so that they may recover damages.
Typically, injured individuals may seek to recover:
- Past and future medical costs
- Lost wages due to time missed at work
- Loss of future earnings
- Property damage
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
Our lawyer who handles motorcycle accident cases can review your Lafayette-area accident to see how much you can seek from the liable party or their insurance company. We can also investigate your accident to see if additional evidence can boost your case.
Wrongful Death Damages
Unfortunately, some motorcycle accident victims die from their injuries. If you lost a loved one, you might be able to pursue a wrongful death action against the liable party. We can help you seek damages if you decide to move in this direction.
Common damages in a wrongful death case are:
- Final medical expenses for the decedent
- Loss of income if the decedent contributed to the household
- The decedent’s pain and suffering before they died
- Loss of companionship
Calculating a fair value for these damages can be a complex task, and personal injury attorneys often call upon medical experts or accountants for assistance. Our lawyer will look at all documentation of your damages in your Lafayette-area motorcycle accident and uncover any that you may have missed. This gives you and us a full picture of what your case is worth.
For a free legal consultation with a motorcycle accident lawyer serving Lafayette, call (337) 777-7777
Why is it Important to Know what Your Case is Worth?
Having this information puts you ahead because you will know if an insurance company’s settlement offer, should you receive one, does not adequately compensate you for your losses. We will advise you if we think an offer is too low, but the final decision is always yours.
Lafayette Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me (337) 777-7777
We Know how to Gather Strong Evidence
With more than a collective 100 years of personal injury law experience, our attorneys know what it takes to help our clients recover from accidents that harm them. We have helped clients recover millions of dollars in injury cases. In one case, we won a trial verdict of $1.2 million for one motorcycle victim. Hiring a lawyer to represent you can save you time and ensure you have someone looking out for your interests.
We know what evidence to look for to establish liability and negligence on the part of the person who caused your accident. Our lawyer can investigate the cause and do any of the following:
- Visit the motorcycle accident scene
- Review the responding police officer’s report
- Review your medical records about your injury
- Talk to people who witnessed your accident
- Review photos and videos of your injuries and/or the accident scene
- Consult with accident reconstruction specialists to understand how your accident occurred
We can 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.
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We will Communicate with the Insurers on Your Behalf
When you become our client, we take the time to build a strong case for your compensation. We will handle all communications for you and negotiate with all involved parties on your behalf, including insurers. If we cannot reach a settlement, we can file your injury lawsuit and seek a court award for you. We encourage you to reach out to us to learn more during a free consultation.
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We Can Help You Prove Liability
Most lawsuits stemming from motorcycle accidents are based on the legal concept of negligence. Under a theory of negligence, a person or company that causes an injury due to their failure to exercise reasonable care may be liable for the harm that they caused.
As our Lafayette lawyer builds your case, we must determine who to hold responsible for your motorcycle accident. Multiple parties could be held liable for injuries, and sometimes, that is not always the person who hit you. It could be:
- A driver who caused you to crash after making an error, such as swerving into your lane
- The motorcycle’s manufacturer, whose product contains a defective part
- 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
- The establishment that over-served alcohol to a patron who then drove under the influence, causing an accident
We also must establish that the opposed party in your case acted negligently. We must show:
- The driver owed you a duty of care.
- They breached their duty to you.
- The breach caused your accident and injuries.
- The accident brought harm that allows you to seek compensatory damages.
You Generally Have one Year to File an Injury Lawsuit in Louisiana
If a motorcycle accident occurred due to the fault of the other driver, it is important to pursue a legal case or insurance claim. In Louisiana, the law mandates that claims for damages should be filed within a year of the date the accident occurred, per CC §3492. The same one-year deadline applies to wrongful death actions as well. It starts on the date the person died.
A knowledgeable Lafayette motorcycle accident attorney can help victims recover the compensation they deserve. We can review these deadlines with you during a free case evaluation.
What Happens if a Motorcyclist is Partially at Fault?
Some motorcycle crash cases involve a careless driver who is solely responsible for causing the accident. In other cases, the accident victim is partially responsible for their own injuries.
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. In Louisiana, an injured party who was partially at fault may still be able to recover damages. Under CC §2323, an injured party who was partially responsible may still recover compensation with a reduction in proportion to their share of fault.
Not all cases involve comparative negligence, but it could be advantageous to be prepared for common arguments and defenses. A consultation with an Iberia Parish motorcycle accident attorney could help an injured individual understand the legal arguments that they might face during negotiations or trial.
Can You Afford a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Hiring legal representation often brings up the issue of cost and affordability. Many injured people see cost as a barrier to proceeding with their case and decide not to move forward.
We are aware of this concern, which is why we are a contingency law firm. For you, this means that if we take you on as our client, you do not have to pay us upfront for us to start on your case. You also do not have to pay us if we don’t win your case. If we do, our payment will come from your settlement. This arrangement allows us to go to work for you.
Talk to a Lafayette Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
We are ready to speak with you about your motorcycle accident during a free, no-obligation consultation. Call (337) 777-7777 today to speak with a team member. We can go over your accident and answer your questions. 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
