Were you recently injured in a motorcycle accident in Atlanta, GA? Our experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers at Shiner Law Group are ready to help fight for your legal rights and get the compensation you deserve. Call us today at (800) 364-4444 to speak with an attorney for a 100% free consultation.
You may be entitled to seek compensation for medical bills, loss of income, pain, and suffering, and more. Contact our Atlanta, GA law offices to discuss the legal options that might be available to you following your motorcycle accident. The next steps are very important. Let Shiner Law Group help you with your motorcycle accident case today.
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Were You Involved in a Motorcycle Accident in Atlanta, Georgia?
Motorcycles definitely give us a fun and exciting way to get around. Especially when compared to cars, they’re fuel-efficient and easy to maneuver. And riding motorcycles can even have health benefits: It can improve core and muscle strength while lowering stress!
Tragically, though, motorcycle accidents are all too common throughout Georgia and everywhere else. When reckless or negligent drivers collide with these two-wheeled vehicles, their drivers often go to the hospital.
As a result, motorcyclists sometimes suffer catastrophic injuries, serious mental health issues, a major loss of income, and other problems.
Simply put, if you’ve been in a motorcycle accident recently, you deserve expert legal representation to help you through these difficult days.
After all, another motorist might be at fault for your crash, and you might not even realize it. But an excellent Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer could sift through the evidence and figure out how much compensation you’re entitled to.
Causes of Atlanta Motorcycle Accidents
To begin with, there are numerous ways the driver of a car or truck could cause a motorcycle accident. Here are a few examples:
- Speeding
- Not looking before changing lanes
- Backing up without first checking to see what’s behind the vehicle
- Not yielding when yielding is required
- Falling asleep at the wheel
- Driving while also doing something else, such as texting, eating, or putting on makeup
In fact, due to a 2017 Georgia law, motorists in the state are prohibited from emailing, texting, or using a phone — unless it’s a hands-free model — while they’re driving.
In any event, an outstanding Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney could investigate the crash and reconstruct what happened. From there, this lawyer could determine who is really at fault.
That way, your attorney could ease your anxiety and stress. You’d spend less time thinking about how you’ll pay your bills and more time thinking about getting better. You could really focus on your recovery and rehabilitation.
Atlanta Motorycle Accidents and Dealing With the Insurance Company
If another driver caused your motorcycle accident, you might have to deal with that person’s insurance company — and its lawyers. And that could be really tough and scary.
Ultimately, insurance companies make their profits, in large part, by paying out as little as possible.
Therefore, in many cases, insurance company lawyers will use any legal trick they can to claim their policyholders didn’t cause a crash. Don’t be surprised, then, if an insurance company tries to blame you for the accident — even if you know you were blameless.
Settling Motorcycle Accidents to Soon
One common tactic for insurance companies is the early settlement. It basically goes like this: An insurance company lawyer will contact you, offering a sum of money as a settlement. However, the insurance company won’t admit that its client was responsible in any way for the crash.
Quite often, people will accept that first settlement offer, believing that it’s the most money they could realistically get. And, understandably, most people would like to put their legal issues behind them. That way, they can avoid the stress of litigation and save precious time — time that could otherwise be used for recuperating.
However, if you find yourself in such a situation, do not accept that first settlement offer. Don’t even engage in any sort of conversation with the insurance company’s attorney. Don’t respond to any messages or calls you receive from that person.
Instead, enlist the services of an excellent motorcycle accident lawyer right away.
That’s because the initial settlement offer will almost surely be too low. It’ll probably be far less than you’re entitled to. Most likely, the only reason you’d be offered any money at all is because the insurance company knows its client bears responsibility. And it wants to keep the matter out of a courtroom.
On top of that, to accept the settlement, you’d have to sign a document forbidding you from ever suing the other motorist. Therefore, even if your medical bills go up dramatically — or if you later realize that the insurance company owes you far more money — you’d have no legal recourse to collect extra funds.
How an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
If we were to take on your case, we’d begin by investigating your accident. For one thing, we’d interview you and anyone else who was present onsite.
We’d also visit the place where the crash happened. And we’d scrutinize any photos or videos of the accident, including security camera footage, that may exist.
Furthermore, our specialists could analyze the vehicles, the tire marks, and other physical evidence that might explain how and why the collision occurred.
We’d even look into the other motorist’s legal records. In particular, does this person have a history of accidents, arrests, speeding tickets, or other driving violations?
Did this driver take any medications or controlled substances before going out on the road that day?
Perhaps the person who hit your motorcycle was driving a company vehicle and was on the job at the time. (It may have been a delivery person, for example.) In that case, it’s possible that the motorist’s employer could bear some responsibility.
Was the company vehicle in proper working order? Does the company tend to overwork its employees — forcing them to drive all night long, for instance — and make them sleepy behind the wheel?
We’d explore such questions to figure out if the employer is to blame and, if so, to what degree.
Damages REcoverable in an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident
If you were to hire our firm, one of our most important tasks would be to determine the correct amount of your damages. This complex process would include these steps:
- Studying your medical records to see how extensive and costly your injuries have been
- Calculating the cost of your medical bills, rehabilitation equipment, motorcycle repairs, and more
- Assessing your lost wages
It’s possible that, due to this accident, you’ve lost your job altogether. Even worse, maybe you’re no longer employable in your field due to your injuries. If either of these things were true, the amount of your lost income could be considerable.
Also, we’d arrive at a dollar amount for your pain and suffering. “Pain and suffering” is a legal term that encompasses all the physical and mental consequences emerging from an accident or other hardship.
The pain and suffering category includes anxiety, depression, humiliation, and other negative emotions that can lessen a person’s quality of life.
The pain and suffering dollar value typically equals 1.5 to five times the amount of all the other damages combined. And, roughly speaking, the more serious the accident, the higher that multiplier will be.
Reaching a Settlement For Your Atlanta Motorcycle Accident
Keep in mind that, as a motorcycle accident survivor, you wouldn’t necessarily go to court. To the contrary, it’s very possible that you could negotiate and receive an equitable settlement — so long as you have an outstanding attorney handling that negotiation.
Indeed, for everyone involved, there are good reasons to stay out of a courtroom. Trials can be expensive, time-consuming, and stressful.
Even so, the other party must understand that you’re willing to go to court if they won’t negotiate in good faith. It’s crucial for making sure you get what you deserve.
If we’re in charge of your settlement, we’ll hold firm on your behalf. We’d only accept an outcome that’s completely fair to you.
Plus, we know all of the tricks and strategies the other side might employ to delay settlement talks or lessen your compensation. And we won’t stand for any of them.
Instead, throughout the talks, the other driver, the insurance company, and the insurance company’s attorneys will realize two things: We have all the facts we need at our disposal. And, if need be, we’re ready and willing to argue those facts in front of a jury.
What if My Motorcycle Accident Goes To Court
If the negotiations did break down and a trial became necessary, we’d look out for your interests every step of the way. And that process would start with a careful jury selection.
As it turns out, many potential jurors have a bias — sometimes an unconscious bias — against motorcycle riders.
For one thing, they might have little or no personal experience with motorcycles, and they may believe that motorcyclists are prone to accidents or inclined toward risk-taking.
Alternatively, at some point in their lives, some potential jurors may have known someone who rode a motorcycle and disliked that person for some reason.
In any event, we’ll question all potential jurors thoroughly. We’ll ensure that we seat a jury that’s as fair, as open-minded, and as impartial as could be.
Then, once the trial is underway, we’ll marshal all of the important facts and data. We’ll explain to the jury — in clear, concise, and persuasive terms — what happened on the day of the accident, why the other motorist is at fault, and what you’ve suffered as a result.
We always prepare extensively and tirelessly for our courtroom appearances. Moreover, in every case, we’re ready for virtually any scenario that could possibly occur during a trial.
We have a powerful command of the law as well as a strong insight into human nature. And we really connect with jurors. We can build an unspoken rapport with them, one that leads naturally to trust and understanding.
Speak With an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me Today
In short, if you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, it’s imperative to find an Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney at once.
That way, your Atlanta injury lawyer could start the investigation immediately. Given how quickly people’s memories can fade, it’s vital to start questioning witnesses as soon as possible.
Once the investigation is finished — and as you continue to recover — your attorney could file all the requisite legal documents and do everything else necessary to fight for you.
That’s where Shiner Law Group comes in. With our knowledge, skills, training, and experience — not to mention our long track record of success — our attorneys would put you in the best position for a successful outcome.
If you’re interested in our services, please call us at 800-364-4444. Or you could fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation.
We at Shiner Law Group could give you the representation you need. As a result, you could pay your expenses, receive excellent medical care, reclaim your life, rebuild your career, and maybe even get back on that motorcycle again.