Statistically, most injury claims settle out of court even when you have an attorney. There are also legal differences between motorcycle accidents and accidents involving only cars. You shouldn't discuss fault. Often, it's the driver of the other vehicle who is engaging in this dangerous behavior. The longer you're out of work, too, the greater the economic impact on your family.
Sometimes the negligence is so obvious that expert testimony isn't necessary. Here are some steps you should take during the days that follow a motorcycle accident. Even speculative economic damages are based on quantitative projections and calculations. According to New Jersey's Division of Highway Traffic Safety, many motorcycle fatalities in 2016 were caused by distracted driving, lack of attention, unsafe speed, and improper passing. Additionally, the helmet must: In theory, you should be able to tell a DOT-approved helmet from one that isn't approved by the presence of a DOT sticker. Otherwise, you risk your insurer denying the claim entirely. You should also make sure you work with an attorney who understands this bias and will fight against it. Motorcycle accidents affect bikers of all age groups, and they kill both men and women. If you're wondering how much you can get for a motorcycle accident, there's a lot to think about. Erica Domingo and her team was very nice and helped me tremendously throughout my case like more than one year and half. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer who regularly stands up in court for motorcycle riders. "Underinsured" coverage will provide compensation if the driver's insurance isn't enough to cover your expenses.
Bob & Christine are the absolute best! Navigate complicated court procedures and legal requirements. We'll provide you with the compassionate, personalized service you need to get through this whole ordeal and get your life back on track. Men were almost 17 times more likely to die in a motorcycle crash than women. But more motorcyclists on the road also leads to more motorcycle accidents. Your injuries may also take away your physical ability to live your life as usual — either temporarily, or permanently. Cars and trucks have blind spots that motorcycles can easily fit into. Lane splitting is illegal in some states, but it's not prohibited in New Jersey. Although formal training is not strictly required to obtain a motorcycle license or endorsement in New Jersey, 90 percent of motorcycle riders who are involved in a crash have no formal training in riding a motorcycle, according to the State of New Jersey Dep artment of Law and Public Safety. If you don't see a doctor, there's nothing to document the extent of your injuries for the benefit of your claim. You should also consult an experienced New Jersey personal injury attorney as soon as possible. If you have other questions about a potential motorcycle accident case, you should contact a lawyer right away.
New Jersey is a popular state for motorcycle riding, however, statistics indicate that nearly 600 motorcyclists are killed each year in New Jersey vehicle collisions. Your insurer will evaluate evidence including police reports, witness statements, drivers' accounts, and other forms of evidence to assign a percentage of fault to each involved party. 2015 saw the lowest number of motorcycle accident fatalities, 50. Ejection accidents and fatalities are common when it comes to accidents involving motorcycles, and those who survive are often overwhelmed by their medical needs and expenses. From day one of a five-year journey, Mr. Rich Grungo, Jr. made our family and our pain his own. Your lack of insurance may reduce the value of your claim and make getting the money you deserve a bigger challenge. Once we learned the details of his accident, including the severity of his injury and the extent of the other driver's negligence, we were confident that we could get him a lot more. You still need to move forward with a personal injury lawsuit, though, because the consequences of their criminal matter – jail time or fines paid to the government – won't directly help you get your life back on track. Sudden stopping||Any sudden stop can be dangerous to a motorcyclist, whether they're the vehicle that needs to stop and they're rear-ended by a car or if they're behind a car that stops abruptly. For example, New Jersey requires motorcyclists to wear helmets. Do you think your insurance company will take care of you? Moving forward with claims against a government entity requires early, formal written notice of an intent to file a claim, so you can't wait until the last minute.
I would recommend Bill and his firm to anybody I know. Motorcycles travel the same roads and highways as other vehicles and are subject to the same hazards. If you, or a loved one, have been hurt, or lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident you can trust the experienced legal team at the Todd J. Leonard Law Firm. His health insurer paid his medical expenses, and the plaintiff also later settled with the at-fault drivers and their insurance companies. But that only benefits them, and not you, as the client. A manufacturing defect refers to an error made during the manufacturing process. Other unexpected objections. However, our dedicated New Jersey motorcycle accident lawyers will fiercely pursue compensation for your motorcycle accident to help ease the financial burden. While it's true that some motorcycle riders take risks and drive irresponsibility, that's also true for drivers of any other type of vehicle.
In fact, we recommend increasing your coverage limits to $100, 000 per person and $300, 000 per accident, so that if you ever were to cause a collision, you wouldn't be personally at risk of being sued for damages above your coverage limit. However, that doesn't mean you can be less vigilant in good weather conditions. See Getting Compensation From an At-fault Party for more information about pursuing a lawsuit. Evidence in a motorcycle accident case may include: - Photos of the accident scene (by the parties involved, police, or witnesses). A motorcycle accident can change life as you know it. Texting under those circumstances could be considered a breach of their duty to take reasonable care not to injure others. Understanding No-Fault Coverage For Riders. Under state law, motorcycle crash attorneys in NJ charge 33⅓ percent of the first $750, 000 recovered, and the percentage of fees charged on amounts over that limit declines as your total compensation amount increases. Your motorcycle insurance policy likely requires you to notify your insurer of any accidents and cooperate with their investigation.
And your bills don't stop coming in just because you're injured. You may be able to bring a wrongful death action and pursue damages for funeral expenses, loss of companionship, and other losses. Under New Jersey helmet law P. L. 39:3-76. But we handle matters like yours every single day, and we know precisely what needs to happen for you to recover physically and financially.
A gold Nissan Maxima hit a motorcyclist in broad daylight in Camden, New Jersey, leaving the man for dead. If you do pursue a personal injury lawsuit, to win you have to prove four things, called the "elements" of your claim. Although it's recommended to have your lawyer maintain communication with the insurance company, you should make the initial report to your insurer immediately after the accident if you don't have a lawyer yet. And the reality is that some patients never make a complete recovery at all. By the time we closed his case, we'd gotten this client $340'000 – nearly 14 times the amount he had almost settled for. For someone without a legal background, this motorcyclist did a good job negotiating with the other driver's insurance company on his own. However, while this information can help you understand what to expect, it's not easy to successfully navigate the insurance and legal processes on your own. Pursuing a third-party claim or getting a payout under UM/UIM coverage can take time. The more qualified the expert, the more likely the judge or jury will believe them at trial. He kept us informed every step of the way. Having a motorcycle injury lawyer means more than just having someone to represent you in legal proceedings.
A police report will be submitted automatically to fulfill that requirement. While money can't truly compensate for the loss of a loved one, it can provide a sense of justice and help provide financial stability for those left behind. The trial court found the plaintiff 47% liable based on evidence that he overbraked. If your case goes to trial, the judge or jury will decide whether or not you've sufficiently proved that the defendants were responsible for your injuries, and, if so, the amount of damages. This was my first time ever having to have a lawyer for an automobile accident.
You have a relatively short time to file a lawsuit over a motorcycle crash. Getting compensation for your losses is an important part of being able to recover and rebuild your life. The other driver had tried to (illegally) make a left turn from a far-right lane and ended up directly in our client's path. There were nearly 12, 000 crashes involving motorcycles in New Jersey between 2012 and 2016.
Other types of road hazards can also cause accidents. 22% of people killed in New Jersey motorcycle crashes did not have the required motorcycle endorsement on their driver's license, which suggests that they were inexperienced riders. This is because you can only assign a value to your case if you can establish the costs of all past and any expected future treatment. Rating: ★★★★★ 5 / 5 stars. In fact, it's best to have your attorney handle all communications with any third parties, including insurers, on your behalf.
Medical experts will also testify about your injuries and the impact on your life. No matter where in New Jersey your motorcycle collision occurred, we're prepared to help you get your life back. Hit-and-runs are a serious offense. The helmet must be secure and correctly sized for each rider, including neck and chin straps. And according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ("NHTSA"), motorcyclists die about 27 times more frequently in accidents than those in passenger cars. The three types of road rash are: There are three degrees of road rash severity: Road rash is considered one of the most common injuries to suffer in a motorcycle crash, affecting as many as 90 percent of injured motorcyclists by some counts. Below are some of the more common mistakes people make after an accident. Insurance claims may also have other deadlines. But in many other cases, attorneys must work with experts to reconstruct the accident so that they can determine exactly what happened and how.