Motorcycle accidents are often serious — some lead to fatalities, while others can cause life-changing injuries. When you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident in Downey, CA, you may never be the same again due to your injuries.
When another driver is to blame for the crash, they will have a legal responsibility to pay for your damages. Their insurance company would be the one writing the check, and they will make it as hard as possible for you to be fully compensated.
The JLF Firm removes the barriers that insurance companies put in your way. Call our Downey motorcycle accident attorneys today to discuss your case and whether you can get a settlement.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Downey, CA
Drivers often do not know how to share the road with a motorcyclist. If they do, they are often not paying enough attention, or they are driving recklessly. Here are some common causes of motorcycle accidents:
- Not checking blindspots before changing lanes — as drivers make sudden lane changes without signaling that can cause a motorcyclist to lose control of their bikes or knock them to the ground
- Rear-ending the back of a motorcycle
- Tailgating too close behind a motorcyclist
- Not seeing the motorcyclist because of distracted driving
- Illegal left-hand turns that cut in front of a motorcyclist
- Failure to yield the right-of-way to a motorcyclist
Why Motorcycle Crashes Are Far More Dangerous Than Car Accidents
Any type of motor vehicle crash has the potential to cause serious injuries. Cars have safety features and more protection for drivers to mitigate at least some of the effects of an accident.
There are none of these protections for a motorcyclist. They can be struck directly by the car. They could be thrown to the pavement from the crash. No matter how much safety equipment the motorcyclist has, there is little to keep them unharmed in a crash.
The fatality rate is much higher in a motorcycle accident than in a car crash. A motorcyclist is 30 times more likely to die in an accident than a vehicle driver. Those who survive the crash may be left with serious and life-changing injuries. Roughly 80,000 motorcyclists are injured each year in accidents. This figure represents one out of every one hundred motorcycle owners.
Proving Fault in a Motorcycle Accident in California
Whatever the cause of the accident, you have the obligation to prove that the driver was negligent as a prerequisite to any financial compensation. In a motorcycle accident, negligence means that the driver did something that would be considered unreasonable under the circumstances.
You are the one who has the burden of proof in a motorcycle accident case. You have to prove your case by a preponderance of the evidence. This standard is less than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” burden that the prosecutor must meet.
You meet your burden of proof by collecting evidence that shows what happened in the accident. Of course, it is difficult for you to conduct your own motorcycle accident investigation. Not only do you not have the experience necessary to gather proof, but you are also dealing with physical injuries.
What to Do After Surviving a Motorcycle Accident
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, the first thing that you need to do is tend to your health. If you have been seriously hurt, you likely have been taken to a hospital and received extensive medical treatment. Make sure to follow up on all medical treatments. If you have not yet seen a doctor, make an appointment to be examined. It is rare to emerge from a motorcycle accident completely unscathed.
Then, you or a family member should reach out to an experienced injury lawyer in Downey. You need someone who can get to work right away. You have a limited amount of time to gather the evidence you need in your case. The legal process will not wait for you to be fully healed, or for you to recover as much as possible.
What you should not do is try to speak with the insurance company on your own. Absolutely no good can come of it. You can inadvertently compromise your own legal position and not realize it until it is too late.
You do not always know when the insurance company is trying to get you on the record. They may try to trick you into speaking with them by asking you innocent-sounding questions or taking advantage of any opportunity that they have to initiate a conversation.
Why Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
The insurance company is never your friend in any motorcycle case. Their interest is either paying you nothing or as little as possible. They do not care that you are hurt, and their policyholder was to blame for your crash. To the insurance company, your legal rights are something they can game. Thus, you need someone who can protect you and will advocate for your own interests.
Before you can even talk about money, you must prove that the driver was to blame for the crash. Your lawyer will investigate the accident to gather proof that can be used to show liability.
When it comes time to negotiate, a lawyer can take a hard-nosed approach to getting you every dollar that you deserve. They will hold the insurance company accountable when they are trying to treat you unfairly, putting pressure on them when it is necessary to achieve fair compensation.
Contact a Downey Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
When you have suffered a personal injury, your legal rights are at stake. If you do not successfully protect them, it will come back to haunt you by costing you money. The JLF Firm will stand up for you when you need it by holding the insurance company accountable. We do not let them mistreat or shortchange our clients. Call us today at 888-341-3071 or message us online for an initial consultation, where we will listen to the facts of your case and talk about your next steps.
