Motorcycle accidents can be devastating for riders. Injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash can be very severe because riders are not shielded within an enclosed vehicle. Motorcycles are also smaller than ordinary cars and more susceptible to damage. Unfortunately, other drivers on the roads tend to disregard motorcycle riders, putting riders at a greater risk for accidents. If you are hurt, the driver responsible should have to pay.
Injured motorcycle riders can pursue insurance claims in the hopes of getting their damages covered. However, if insurance is not viable, riders can sue negligent drivers in personal injury lawsuits. An attorney can help you gather and prepare the evidence you need to support your claims for damages. All your injuries, losses, and expenses should be considered when determining the extent of your damages.
Motorcycle riders deserve the same expectation of safety on the road as anyone else. If a negligent driver caused your crash, our Indiana motorcycle accident attorneys can help you hold them accountable. Our legal team at Wruck Paupore is ready to meet with you in a free legal consultation. Call our offices at (219) 322-1166.
The very first step you must take immediately after a motorcycle collision is to get help. Most people carry cell phones with them at all times, and you should use your phone to call 911. If you do not have a phone or are too injured to call yourself, the other driver or a passing motorist or pedestrian can help.
The 911 operator should dispatch emergency medical personnel to your accident scene. You need to be thoroughly checked out for injuries, even if you think you only have a few bumps and bruises. You might have injuries that are internal and not visible from the outside. Also, we need to start building a medical record related to your accident as soon as possible. It is difficult to claim damages for injuries or pain if a doctor does not confirm your injuries.
Generally, drivers and riders must remain at the accident scene until the police arrive unless someone needs emergency medical attention. Speaking to the police is important because it helps them create an official accident report. However, you should be careful about what you say and avoid saying anything that can be construed as an admission of wrongdoing.
Finally, you should hire an attorney as soon as possible. Your motorcycle accident is only the beginning of what could be a very complicated and drawn-out legal battle. Our Indiana motorcycle accident lawyers can help you navigate legal proceedings while fighting for your just compensation.
All drivers, including motorcycle riders, are required by law to carry insurance. After an accident, motorcycle or not, the first thing drivers and riders think about is insurance. Indiana is an at-fault insurance state, and you must file your claim with other driver’s insurance to get any coverage.
You must demonstrate the other driver was at fault for the accident. If the insurance company has reason to believe you share responsibility for the accident, they will reduce your compensation. If the insurance company believes you are solely responsible for the accident, they might deny your claim entirely.
Do not negotiate with insurance companies without an attorney. Even if you are not in the middle of a lawsuit, a lawyer can help. Insurance companies may take statements you believe are meaningless or innocuous and use them against you. For example, apologizing for the accident can be taken as an admission rather than mere politeness. Speak with our Indiana motorcycle accident attorneys for help dealing with insurance companies.
If settlement negotiations between you and the other driver’s insurance company break down, you can file a personal injury lawsuit. You may wish to sue if the insurance company denies your claims or offers a settlement that does not cover all your damages. Settlements from insurance are not mandatory. If you think you are being offered a bad deal, you can reject it and file a lawsuit.
Much like for insurance negotiations, we need evidence proving the other driver was at fault. However, numerous rules and procedures apply to the admissibility of evidence in a court of law but not negotiations with insurance. For example, where insurance companies give great weight to accident reports from the police, such reports are ordinarily deemed inadmissible hearsay in a civil proceeding.
You need an attorney who can help you gather the necessary and appropriate evidence to support your claims in a personal injury lawsuit. Our Indiana motorcycle accident lawyers are prepared to help you file your claims in the appropriate court and begin fighting for your fair compensation.
There are many kinds of evidence that can be presented in court. The definition of evidence is quite broad and encompasses almost anything that helps the court determine the truth. Available evidence varies from case to case. In cases where there is little admissible evidence, plaintiffs have a harder time getting compensation. Our Indiana motorcycle accident attorneys can help you prepare your evidence for a trial.
Physical evidence includes any tangible items that can be presented in court. Physical evidence from your accident may include your damaged bike. Tattered clothing or damaged helmets can also be used to prove the extent of your physical injuries and the severity of the collision.
Not all physical evidence can be moved from the crash site to a courtroom. Photos and videos may be necessary to show a court how the crash scene looked right after the accident. Tire marks on the road and the road conditions of the day may be evidenced in photos or videos.
Your medical records are crucial to establishing your injuries. It sometimes takes a long time to get from the accident to a courtroom. In many cases, plaintiffs are mostly healed up by the time their court date rolls around. We need your medical records to prove how serious your injuries were. We can even have your physician testify regarding your injuries and diagnoses.
If you were in a motorcycle collision, the driver who hit you can be held liable and made to cover your expenses. Our Indiana motorcycle accident attorneys can help you get compensation to fund your recovery. Contact our offices at Wruck Paupore to set up a free legal consultation. Call us today at (219) 322-1166.
Don is a founding partner and one of the nation’s top-ranked personal injury litigators. He is a member of the Multi-million Dollar Advocates Forum, which includes less than 1% of the nation’s trial lawyers, and awarded the highest ranking given by Martindale Hubbel and AVVO.
More importantly, Don understands representing personal injury victims is about more than recovering the best settlement: it’s about helping clients get back on their feet and supporting them in every aspect of their recovery.
In nearly all cases, our clients seek compensation from the wrongdoer’s insurance company. Before forming Wruck Paupore, Jason worked for a prominent law firm representing some of the world’s largest insurers. This experience gives Jason a deep understanding of the insurance industry and the strategies it uses to pay injury victims as little as possible.
Jason -- and our entire team -- put this inside knowledge to work to force insurance companies to pay what is actually owed. Often, we use the insurance company’s own tactics against them as we fight for the full compensation our client deserves.
For more than four decades, Keith has been fighting for injury victims. During that time, he’s watched the insurance industry change, with insurers now more interested in protecting their stock price than treating injury victims fairly.
Since the beginning, Keith has put people first. From his childhood in Gary, Indiana during the 1960’s and working his way through law school, Keith has risen to become one of the Midwest’s most respected trial lawyers. He has never forgotten that being a lawyer is about helping people -- and seeing injury victims through struggles in a way that could change their lives forever.
Over the decades, Keith, Don and Jason have fought relentlessly for clients, even when other lawyers have said the case was impossible to win.
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