One of the most important things you can do after being involved in a motorcycle accident is to contact a personal injury attorney, mostly because he or she can help your case in a number of ways. Helping you to deal with a settlement offer and keeping you free of blame are just two of the many ways in which an attorney can assist you.
Dealing With A Settlement Offer
A settlement offer will often result if the insurance company that covers the person who causes the accident believes that you have a strong enough case to possibly win a lawsuit in court. However, you need to be extremely cautious when considering whether to accept the settlement offer because it is rarely going to be in the best interest of anyone but the insurance company making the offer.
In most cases, the insurance company will attempt to offer you just enough money to get you to drop your case, even if the amount of money offered is not enough to fairly compensate you for the medical and repair bills that you have as a result of the accident. This is a big problem if you were riding a motorcycle, as severe injuries and catastrophic damage to your bike are not uncommon in an auto accident. This is because of the smaller size and exposed nature of the motorcycle.
One way that your attorney can hep you with this is by helping you to decide if your case is strong enough to demand a higher settlement offer or to reject the offer and fight for more money in court. You may also want to consider accepting a settlement offer if it is at least enough to cover your medical expenses, mostly because winning a lawsuit in court is not going to be guaranteed.
Keeping You Free Of Blame
Another way that a personal injury attorney will help you is by making sure that you do not unfairly take the blame for the accident. Blaming the victim is one of the most common tactics that people use in court in order to avoid having to take responsibility and pay for the victim's medical and repair expenses. Sadly, this is especially common when the accident involves a motorcycle, mostly because there is a common misconception that motorcycle riders drive recklessly.
In order to keep you free of blame, your attorney will do a bit of research in order to definitively prove that you were not at fault. For example, your attorney will review eyewitness accounts and interview witnesses in an attempt to discover if anyone noticed that the person responsible for the accident was driving recklessly. An attorney will also often check phone records to see if the responsible party was distracted by his or her phone at the time of the accident.
Speak to a personal injury attorney today in order to discuss the merits of your case. A personal injury attorney can help you if you have been involved in a motorcycle accident by keeping you free of blame and helping you to determine if a settlement offer should be accepted. If you have questions about your case, you can contact a place like Master Weinstein Shatz Moyer, P.C.
