Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you experienced injuries and financial losses as the result of a motorcycle collision caused by someone else, a motorcycle accident lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you fight for compensation. Put our team to work fighting for you while you manage your physical recovery.

We provide our services on a contingency fee basis, where our clients do not pay us any attorney fees unless they win their case. We charge no up-front or hourly fees. Explore your compensation options and see how much compensation you might be eligible with the case review team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today.

Is it Worth Hiring a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

Hiring a motorcycle lawyer can bring certain benefits and advantages to your pursuit of compensation that might make it worth it to you. A lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can:

Establish the at-fault driver’s negligence
Document the monetary cost of your injuries
Comply with the relevant statute of limitations
Build a comprehensive evidence file
Negotiate for a favorable financial settlement

When our legal team builds the evidence file that proves liability and establishes the cost of your injuries, we can include the following items:

Your crash report with any available attachments, photos, and video footage
Your medical, therapy, and rehabilitation records, reports, and bills
Direct deposit receipts and paycheck stubs to prove your income losses
Motorcycle repair estimates or documents to establish its pre-accident value

Your lawyer can also help you comply with critical filing deadlines. To help you avoid a lengthy court case, we can help negotiate a favorable financial settlement with the at-fault driver or their insurance representative. Finally, when a personal injury lawyer from our firm leads your fight for your financial recovery, you have time to focus on recovering from the physical and emotional trauma of the accident.

Should I Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for a Minor Accident?

An accident that seems minor at first might have more serious repercussions than are immediately apparent. Even an accident that is minor can benefit from the assistance of a motorcycle accident lawyer. Even after a seemingly minor motorcycle accident, you may want to:

Exchange information with the at-fault driver
File a motorcycle accident report with the police
Seek medical attention for your injuries
Notify both insurance companies
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a free case review

A motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm can help you obtain a copy of your accident report and use information exchanged with the at-fault driver to start structuring your lawsuit. We can also help you make the necessary notification to the at-fault driver’s insurance company and obtain, complete, and submit any claim forms they require.

Your lawyer may also help you notify your own motorcycle insurance provider. This notification might be necessary if your policy contains uninsured (UM) or underinsured (UIM) motorist coverage that lets you get compensation even if the at-fault driver did not have sufficient insurance protection. During your free initiation phone consultation, a representative of Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can give you further details on your legal options and the services we can provide.

What Is the Average Settlement for a Motorcycle Accident?

It is difficult to define the average settlement for a motorcycle accident because the various factors that determine the value of a settlement can differ greatly from one injury victim to another. In general, the financial expenses and losses that make up the damages you are allowed to recover may include:

Medical bills, both current and future
Income loss, both current and future
Property damage
Pain and suffering
Physical impairment
Emotional distress

Before settlement negotiations even begin, your lawyer can prove the at-fault driver was aware of his responsibility to provide you with a reasonable duty of care. After establishing that fact, you must prove he violated your duty of care, caused your physical injuries, and is responsible for your financial damages.

Even if a financial settlement is your preferred method of resolution, your lawyer can ensure that your lawsuit is filed on time. This step preserves your ability to fight for compensation in court if needed. You may agree to a settlement at any point between the start of negotiation talks and the time a decision is made in your court case.

What Damages Can I Collect for a Motorcycle Accident?

Like all personal injury lawsuits, you may be entitled to financial compensation after a motorcycle accident. If you and your legal team prove the at-fault driver’s negligence, you can recover both economic and non-economic damages:

Economic Damages

Economic damages are ones that have clear and fixed costs. They generally require simple tabulation and might include:

Current and ongoing medical care and income loss.
In-home medical and domestic help
Property damages
Lost wages
Reduced earning capacity

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages might be more complicated and challenging to calculate than economic damages. Non-economic damages may include:

Physical pain and suffering
Lasting physical impairment
Mental and emotional angst

Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you figure out what economic and non-economic damages you may be able to claim and calculate their values when we represent you. We will also collect evidence of the value of your damages, such as:

Medical records, receipts, and bills
Wage statements or employment documentation
Testimony from medical experts

Recovery of both types of damages requires complying with the statute of limitations in your state. With sufficient notice of your intent to pursue compensation, we can also determine and ensure compliance with the appropriate filing deadline.

Can I Sue Someone Personally After a Motorcycle Accident?

Yes, you can sue someone personally after a motorcycle accident. You may consider this course of action if the driver who hit you did not have insurance at the time of the accident or did not have sufficient insurance coverage for all of your losses.

A personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you prepare a lawsuit against the at-fault driver or explore other avenues for financial recovery. Your available options may include pursuing compensation from your own insurance company. If you carry uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, they may help you avoid going to court:

Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays your accident-related expenses up to the maximum limits of your policy when the responsible driver has no insurance.
Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage pays the accident-related expenses that exceeded the maximum limits of the at-fault driver’s policy.

The client advocate team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can fight for your financial recovery so you can focus on your physical recovery. A motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm can help you recoup the financial expenses and losses of a motorcycle collision.

Will My Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Deal with the Insurance Companies for Me?

A motorcycle accident lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can bring a variety of benefits to your pursuit of compensation. One of those benefits is their ability to deal with the insurance companies on your behalf. When dealing with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, your lawyer can:

Read their policy to define their coverage limits and maximums
Obtain and complete required insurance forms and documents
Prove the at-fault driver’s negligence and financial liability

When dealing with your insurance company, your lawyer can take these same actions on your behalf. They can also:

Read and review your policy for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage
Read the insurance policies of other members of your household

Your lawyer can also negotiate for a favorable settlement with either or both insurance companies. The recoverable damages they can negotiate compensation for could include:

Required medical care
Forced income loss
Pain and suffering
Property

Wrongful Death

If a loved one was fatally injured, your lawyer could seek compensation for the costs of their final arrangements and other types of wrongful death damages. Your lawyer can also build your case file and ensure prompt filing of your motorcycle accident lawsuit.

How Long Does a Motorcycle Accident Claim Take to Settle?

So many variables can go into the process of settling a motorcycle accident claim that it is difficult to clearly define a general timeframe for these types of cases to be resolved. The time between the start of settlement talks, an agreement, and final payment might depend on the following factors:

How long it takes to prove fault and liability
How long it takes to compile your evidence file
How long it takes to establish the accident’s cost

A major factor in how long it may take your motorcycle accident claim to settle is the number of offers you receive and how long it takes to evaluate each offer. Since you, not your lawyer, will make the decision to accept a final financial offer, your role is also significant.

Once you do accept an offer, the insurance company may take additional time to render the final payment. Note that if the insurance company does not make you a fair offer, you have the right to file a lawsuit against them and take your case to trial. Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can explain the potential timeline of your motorcycle accident settlement during your free case review.

Do You Have to Go to Court for a Motorcycle Accident?

You do not have to go to court for a motorcycle accident, but you might do so under certain circumstances. If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident, you would likely file a personal injury lawsuit. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), relatively few personal injury lawsuits actually go to court.

By filing a personal injury lawsuit or negotiating a financial settlement, you might be able to recover the following financial damages:

Short and long-term medical bills
Short and long-term income loss
Physical pain and suffering
Inconvenience and impairment
Property damage or total loss

You might be able to recover these financial expenses and damages without going to court. The at-fault driver’s insurance representative and your lawyer might be able to reach a settlement agreement to resolve your lawsuit. However, if the insurance company doesn’t make you a fair offer, you can take your lawsuit to trial and allow a judge or jury to decide the outcome of your case.

Statute of Limitations

Do not wait too long to get started on your case. Louisiana’s statute of limitations, CC §3492, generally limits the amount of time you have to file your personal injury lawsuit to just two years.

What Happens if the At-Fault Party Doesn’t Have Insurance?

If the at-fault party in your motorcycle accident does not have insurance protection, you may have other ways to recover the costs of the accident. A personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you identify other avenues for having your accident-related expenses covered. If your motorcycle insurance policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, it may compensate you for your required medical treatments.

Other types of optional insurance coverage may pay for your lost wages or property damage after an accident caused by an uninsured driver. You might also have the option of suing an uninsured at-fault driver personally. Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can tell you if this is a feasible option in your case and manage your personal injury lawsuit on your behalf. Provide your lawyer with a full copy of your motorcycle insurance policy for review.

He may also ask for your medical records and bills, motorcycle accident report, repair bills, and personal financial records. Comply with any requests for information as soon as possible. If your injuries prevent you from participating in your lawsuit and obtaining any of the information requested of you, your legal team can acquire them on your behalf.

Who Can Be Sued in a Motorcycle Accident Case?

The circumstances of your motorcycle accident may dictate what party you can get monetary recovery from. When you hire a personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers to help you pursue financial compensation, we can determine the right at-fault party to pursue. Your option may include:

The at-fault driver whose negligence caused the collision
The motorcycle’s maker, if a design flaw caused the accident
A business or corporation, if a commercial vehicle was involved
A local municipality, if a government vehicle was involved

In addition to identifying the at-fault party, your lawyer can:

Compile your evidence
Present it to the at-fault driver’s insurance company
Assign a value to your lawsuit
Negotiate for a settlement on your behalf

Let our legal team help protect your rights after a motorcycle accident and fight for the financial compensation you may be entitled to due to negligence. Do not hesitate to contact the case review team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers to see how hard a motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm can fight for you.

What Should I Do in the Days Following a Motorcycle Accident?

The days after a motorcycle accident might be filled with hospital stays, follow-up care, and various forms of paperwork. You may want to:

Receive medical care if you have not done so already
Continue getting the medical care your injuries require and stick to your treatment plan
Avoid speaking to the at-fault driver or any legal or insurance representative
Track your accident expenses, including any bills you receive by mail
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a free case review

While you focus on your physical recovery, a lawyer from our firm can use this time to ensure compliance with the statute of limitations and to start building the evidence file that supports your lawsuit and your potential right to financial recovery. Your evidence file may contain:

Injury and vehicle photos
Medical records and bills
Witness statements
Employment records
Property damage estimates

The days right after the accident might be full of activities geared toward your physical recovery. Your lawyer may explain your options, the steps toward financial recovery you are required to take, and the potential value of your compensation lawsuit. Then, your lawyer can start building your case for you while you focus on healing.

What Should I Do at the Scene of a Motorcycle Accident?

In Louisiana, RS §32:398 makes it mandatory to call the police after an accident that causes injury, death, or over $500 in property damage. Doing so will generate an accident report that captures critical details and prevents distortion of the facts later. You should also follow these steps to protect your right to right to financial recovery:

Remove your vehicle from the flow of traffic
Accept emergency medical care
Take pictures of your vehicle from several angles
Exchange information with the at-fault driver
Make written notes about accident details
Avoid making any remarks about fault

If you do not leave the accident scene for emergency treatment, you should have your injuries evaluated and treated by a doctor as soon as possible. This visit can produce key evidence for your case that the motorcycle accident caused your injuries and not something else.

Taking these steps at the scene of the accident might go a long way toward securing your physical and potential financial recovery. It can also help your lawyer get the information he needs to fight for the financial compensation you may be entitled to due to negligence.

What Percentage Do Accident Lawyers Take?

According to the Legal Information Institute (LII), personal injury lawyers may take between 20% to 50% of the client’s settlement or court award when working on a contingency fee basis. The exact amount is usually clarified in the contract made between the lawyer and the client when they start working together.

Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers works on a contingency fee basis, and we can give you more information about what percentage a lawyer from our firm will charge to represent you during your initial consultation. We charge our clients no payments at the start of their case, and if we aren’t able to secure them compensation, they don’t need to pay us attorney fees. During representation, a lawyer from our firm can:

Assign a value to your lawsuit
Handle your insurance claim forms
Comply with the statute of limitations
Negotiate for a favorable settlement

When negotiating your financial settlement, your lawyer can calculate the financial expenses and losses that might be recoverable. These may include:

Medical expenses
Lost wages and income
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Physical disfigurement
Property damage

What Lawyer Deals with Motorcycle Accidents?

Typically, a personal injury lawyer deals with motorcycle accidents. The financial costs of the injuries and property damage you sustained in a motorcycle accident might be recoverable in an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. A lawyer from our firm can help you with both processes.

Your lawyer may use your recollection of events, the accident report, and witness statements to establish the at-fault driver’s negligence and prove your potential right to compensation. Due to their exposure, the injuries sustained by motorcycle riders are often more severe than the injuries sustained by passenger vehicle occupants. Because your injuries might be significant, their costs might also be extensive.

To help you fight for compensation, a personal injury lawyer from our firm can compile your medical records and bills from the:

Emergency room
Admitting hospital
Doctor’s office
Rehabilitations centers

Medical bills may also include required medications and assistive medical devices. These expenses, along with your income loss, pain and suffering, property damage, and mental and emotional anguish, may be calculated to arrive at the monetary value of your lawsuit.

What Can I Do to Protect My Rights After a Motorcycle Accident?

To protect your rights after a motorcycle accident, you might want to take these two actions:

Call the police to generate a motorcycle accident report
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with our motorcycle accident team

Calling local police to the scene of the accident:

Generates a police report with contact information and accident scene details that may help you prove the accident’s cause
Gets emergency personnel to the scene to treat anyone with injuries

When you are represented by a lawyer from our firm, they can use your accident report to contact the at-fault driver’s insurance company and anyone who witnessed the collision. They can also use it to prove factors that contributed to the accident and use its date to comply with the statute of limitations.

How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

If you or someone you love was injured in a motorcycle accident, you can hire a personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers at no up-front or out-of-pocket costs to you. Our firm works for a contingency fee.

In this payment structure, your lawyer receives a percentage of your final court award or settlement as their payment. The percentage amount will be agreed upon when you sign up for representation. If we are unable to help you recover compensation, you do not have to pay us attorney fees.

Recoverable Damages

Depending on your injuries and the way the accident has impacted your life, the potentially recoverable damages in your case may include:

Known and anticipated medical care
Known and anticipated income loss
Property repair or replacement values
Physical pain and suffering
Lasting disability or disfigurement
Mental and emotional anguish

To establish your right to recover damages caused by the at-fault driver’s negligence, your lawyer can:

Gather evidence
Organize documents
Calculate damages

Your lawyer can also negotiate with the at-fault driver to reach a favorable settlement that lets you avoid going to court. However, if it is necessary to take your case to trial, we will not hesitate to do so.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Motorcycle Accident?

The length of time you have to file a lawsuit after a motorcycle accident is called the statute of limitations. In Louisiana, the general statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits is two years from the date of the accident, per CC §3492. For a wrongful death lawsuit, CC §2315.2 sets the general statute of limitations at two years from the date of death.

Failing to comply with these deadlines might put your lawsuit in jeopardy. Your lawsuit may be dismissed if it is filed too late, and you may have no remaining options to recover compensation.

Two years can go by quickly when you are recovering from injuries or mourning the loss of a loved one. A personal injury lawyer from our firm can explain the exact amount of time you have to sue and file your case by the appropriate deadline. Your lawyer can also help you with:

Filing requirements
Understanding and complying with all other applicable laws
Interpreting legal documents and insurance policies

Can You Sue for a Rear-End Motorcycle Collision?

If your accident was caused by the at-fault driver’s negligence, carelessness, or recklessness, you can sue them no matter where the point of impact was on your motorcycle. This includes rear-end collisions.

A personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can prove your right to compensation with evidence of the at-fault driver’s negligence. In order to build your evidence file, your lawyer might need to obtain contact details for:

The at-fault driver
His insurance company
Accident witnesses

Evidence You Can Use

We can start the investigation into your accident, assign liability to the at-fault driver, and start the process of filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. The evidence in your case may include:

Accident report
Photos and videos
Witness statements
Personal recollections

In addition to using your accident report to establish negligence, your lawyer can also use it to ensure compliance with the statute of limitations. If we can prove that your rear-end collision was caused by another party’s negligence, you might be eligible for financial compensation for a variety of damages, such as:

Your current and future medical expenses
Your current and future lost wages
Property damage
Non-economic damages such as pain and suffering

When Should You Get a Lawyer for a Motorcycle Accident?

If you are considering hiring a lawyer for a motorcycle accident, you should do so right away. Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers encourages you to call us as soon as possible. We can start providing you with legal services as early as the day of the accident.

When you contact our firm to get started on your case, we can:

Comply with the statute of limitations. A failure to comply might prohibit you from legally compelling compensation from the at-fault party.
Locate and interview witnesses.
Investigate details and gather evidence, including residential and commercial video footage.
Read and review the at-fault driver’s insurance policy and your own, if needed.

A lawyer from our firm can also thoroughly and carefully evaluate the financial impact of the accident and assess your recoverable damages, which may include:

Health care costs
Forced income loss
Property restoration
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress

How Do I Find a Good Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

Because we live in a digital age, the internet may help you find a good motorcycle accident lawyer. Solid online reviews may help you identify a good lawyer who:

Has a track record of satisfied clients
Is responsive and updates you as your case progresses
Is familiar with the personal injury laws of your state

At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we invite all prospective clients to call our firm for a free case review with a member of our team. This call is a chance for you to learn more about our services and if a motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm would be a good fit for your needs.

Recoverable damages

A personal injury lawyer from our firm can help you catalog your injuries, value your expenses, and negotiate for a settlement that fosters your physical and financial recovery. Your recoverable damages may include:

Medical, medication, and recovery costs
Wage, income, and other financial losses
Physical and emotional distress and suffering

You do not have to fight for recovery on your own. A motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm will be familiar with the personal injury, insurance, and financial compensation laws of Louisiana and can guide you through the complex process of seeking monetary recovery for your damages.

What Does a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Do?

To help you fight for compensation, a motorcycle accident lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers will work to prove how the at-fault party’s negligence caused your injuries. To do that, your lawyer can:

Review your accident report
Interview accident witnesses
Build your evidence file
Assess your lawsuit’s value

Your lawyer can also investigate any tickets or traffic citations issued to the at-fault driver that support your version of the cause of the accident. He can read the at-fault driver’s insurance policy to understand its limits and maximums and negotiate a favorable settlement.

Your lawyer can also ensure the filing of your lawsuit complies with the statute of limitations in your state. This is a critical benefit of hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer because if the filing deadline expires, you might not be allowed to file your lawsuit at all, and if you do manage to file it, the court may dismiss it out of hand. A lawyer from our firm can help you avoid this consequence and safeguard your right to financial compensation.

Throughout the process of representation, your lawyer can speak with other parties on your behalf and handle all paperwork for you. Your lawyer will also be available to give you updates on your case and answer your legal questions so that you can concentrate on recovering from your injuries.

How Are Motorcycle Accidents Different than Car Accidents?

Motorcycle accidents vary from car accidents because of the different levels of physical harm the occupants of each type of vehicle may experience. Motorcycle accident victims are often at an increased risk of serious injury due to their vehicle’s lack of protective features.

Commonly reported motorcycle accident injuries include head and brain trauma — particularly among helmetless motorcycle occupants. These injuries may temporarily or permanently change your physical appearance and abilities. The medical costs of a motorcycle accident might be significant and may be recovered by the filing of a personal injury lawsuit.

The personal injury lawsuit that results from a motorcycle accident may not vary much from that of a car accident. In each case, your lawyer can help you:

Prove the at-fault driver’s fault and liability
Assign a financial value to your injuries
Comply with the statute of limitations
Negotiate for a favorable financial settlement

Can You Sue for Wrongful Death in a Motorcycle Accident Case?

If someone you love was fatally injured in a motorcycle accident, you might have the basis of a wrongful death lawsuit. While the loss of a loved one might affect many friends and loved ones, financial recovery is restricted to specific family members. In Louisiana, the following family members of the decedent might be entitled to financial recovery per CC §2315.2:

Spouse
Children
Parents
Siblings
Grandparents

A motorcycle accident lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help your family recover the following damages associated with the unexpected loss of someone you love:

The decedent’s medical care and expenses
Loss of their financial contributions to the family
Loss of their companionship
Loss of parental guidance

You may also be entitled to recoup the reasonable costs of your loved one’s funeral and burial expenses. A personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can explain the intricacies of filing a wrongful death lawsuit. By handling all of the legal work in your case, they can also ensure that you and your family have time to focus on your emotional recovery.

How Is Pain and Suffering Calculated in a Motorcycle Accident Case?

The injuries you sustain in a motorcycle accident might be extensive. They might also be life-changing and lead to significant physical pain and suffering. A personal injury lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can calculate your pain and suffering based on:

The severity of your injuries
The length of your recovery
The degree of your physical pain
How severely your injuries affect your lifestyle
Your health care treatment plan
Your anticipated prognosis

Pain and suffering is only one type of non-economic damage that you may be entitled to recover due to negligence. Other non-economic damages that may be available in your case could include:

Mental and emotional turmoil
Disfigurements or scarring
Loss of enjoyment of life
Disability

Your lawyer can help you assign a monetary value to these additional non-economic damages and ensure that you request financial compensation for your full range of damages. In addition to compensation for pain and suffering, you might also be entitled to recover several types of economic damages. That may include the costs of your:

Medical bills
Income losses
Property damage or destruction

How Is Negligence Established in a Motorcycle Accident?

Negligence in a motorcycle accident means the at-fault driver did something careless or reckless that led to the collision. Proving negligence means your legal team can work to prove the at-fault driver:

Owed you a reasonable duty of care
Breached their responsibility to provide it
Caused your injuries and property damage
Led to your financial expenses and losses

To prove these required facts and establish the at-fault party’s negligence, your lawyer can start by gleaning details from your police report. We can also use it to locate and interview witnesses and note any traffic violations that may have caused or contributed to the accident. Often, negligence is established in motorcycle accident cases with proof that another driver caused the accident by violating a traffic law.

Other forms of negligence, such as faulty vehicle maintenance, defective vehicle components, or unmaintained roads, can also be a factor in a motorcycle accident case. When our motorcycle accident team fights by your side, our goal is to help you get financial compensation from the party who caused the collision. Our team is committed to helping you prove the legally required elements of negligence by building a solid personal injury lawsuit.

Get a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer’s Help with Your Case Today

We can help you build a solid case, comply with your state’s statute of limitations, and negotiate for a favorable financial settlement. We investigate the accident, estimate your financial damages, and work to prove the at-fault driver’s responsibility.

Do not hesitate to contact us to learn more about fighting for financial recovery with the help of a motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm. Call (337) 777-7777 today for your free case review with a member of our team.

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