If you love the feel of the open road or simply ride a motorcycle back and forth to work, you understand that often drivers simply don’t provide bikers with the courtesy and due care and attention they do to other vehicles. This leads to a greater risk of being in an accident in the Cherry Valley area or elsewhere on our roads and highways.
As any experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can tell you, these accidents are often much more significant than accidents with passenger vehicles. Riders are much more exposed, and there is a great risk of serious injury and death in the case of even what may otherwise be a minor accident in a car or truck.
For riders, it can be difficult to get fair treatment from an insurance company, particularly if there were serious injuries in the accident. It can seem like the assumption is that the biker was failing to drive safely, and this can reduce the chances of getting a fair settlement for the injuries and property damage caused by the accident.
Having an Attorney on Board
With this bias and the fact that motorcycle riders often have an unfair disadvantage in the assessment of an accident and of negligence, having a motorcycle accident lawyer involved immediately after the accident is an important first step.
The attorney will be able to work with the insurance company in the attempt to settle the case without the need to go to court. Not only will this speed up the process of getting compensation, but it also helps to reduce the cost of the attorney since litigation is not involved.
Damages
With serious injuries, a motorcycle accident lawyer will also be critical in helping you to understand if the settlement offer is fair. These injuries may require significant medical support and treatment including lost wages, pain and suffering, property damage and reasonable expectations for the need of ongoing treatment or therapy for months or years into the future.
The insurance company will always try to provide the lowest possible settlement. This often only covers economic damages or the medical bills and the cost of the repair or replacement of the bike. While this may initially look like a good offer, once you understand the future costs of treatment it suddenly becomes unacceptable. This is where a Cherry Valley motorcycle accident lawyer is able to not only provide you the information you need but also to take the case to court if the insurance companies don’t pay what is fair.