When a motorcycle accident happens, motorcyclists are at higher risk for injury than other drivers and may receive more blame for a motorcycle accident than they deserve. A comprehensive motorcycle accident case evaluation with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney will help you secure the compensation you deserve for your damages.
Motorcyclists have a right to share the roads with others safely and receive fair compensation if they are injured in a motorcycle crash because of someone’s negligence. The motorcycle accident attorneys at Lee Hoffoss Injury Lawyers care about your rights and can help you recover the costs of medical bills and other damages from the at-fault party. Insurance adjusters work for the insurance company, not for you. Bring in an experienced personal injury attorney to help negotiate a fair settlement. Schedule your free consultation and speak with a Lake Charles motorcycle accident lawyer to begin your recovery journey.
Lee Hoffoss Personal Injury Lawyers Fight for Motorcycle Accident Victims
If you were involved in a motorcycle accident, you may have incurred serious injuries and medical expenses. While you focus on recovering from your motorcycle accident, let a Lake Charles motorcycle accident attorney work on securing fair compensation from the at-fault driver. We have experience working with insurance companies and pursuing motorcycle accident cases in court.
Motorcyclists can be perceived as risk-takers and may be disproportionately blamed for accidents in which they are involved. Louisiana’s pure comparative negligence laws allow motorcyclists to seek damages even when they are partly at fault in the accident. We will make sure that the percentage of fault assigned to you is fair, protecting your motorcycle accident claim from reduced compensation.
Our motorcycle accident attorneys also have extensive experience negotiating with insurance companies. We will negotiate a comprehensive insurance settlement that includes current medical bills and possible future medical expenses. Your out-of-pocket costs add up quickly and should be compensated as well. These may consist of travel expenses associated with medical care, home services assistance, or the cost of annual deductibles for health insurance. Our Lake Charles motorcycle accident attorneys will also evaluate the costs of non-economic damages to you, such as pain and suffering, disfigurement, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. These losses have no definitive dollar value but are still costly.
Our firm has secured millions in settlements and judgments for past clients. We are ready to fight for you. We will develop a strong case by collecting evidence and documentation to support your claim and maximize your outcome. The results we have secured in Lake Charles personal injury cases reflect our dedication to each case’s success.
Types of Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Motorcyclists in Lake Charles face disproportionate odds of sustaining injuries in a motor vehicle accident compared to other motorists. According to the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission’s recent annual data, 91 motorcyclists were fatally injured, and 1,537 motorcyclists were involved in motorcycle crashes on Louisiana roadways. National data in this report suggests that a motorcycle rider is 22 times more likely to suffer fatal injuries than passenger car occupants. Our Lake Charles personal injury lawyers recognize the costs of these injuries to you.
Serious Injuries
Any injury in a motorcycle accident should receive medical treatment. Seeking medical care is critical to begin the documentation process in a Lake Charles motorcycle accident claim. Without medical care and a physician’s documentation, the insurance company may minimize your injuries, reducing your claim. Serious injuries motorcyclists may suffer include:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Torn muscles and ligaments
- Sprains and strains
- Road rash
Severe Injuries
Some injuries, even severe ones, can take days or weeks to show up. Getting medical treatment as soon as possible will help prevent further complications and document the connection between your injuries and the accident. The following severe injuries may occur in a motorcycle accident:
- Compound fractures requiring surgical intervention
- Concussion
- Internal bleeding
- Severe bruising
- Back injuries
Severe motorcycle injuries may affect your ability to work and can worsen over time. Often, severe injuries are subject to reinjury. When you work with our Lake Charles personal injury lawyers, we can connect you with specialists who have seen similar cases and served our own clients in the past.
Catastrophic Injuries
Unfortunately, some injuries from motorcycle accidents are serious enough to alter or end a person’s life. Catastrophic injuries resulting from a motorcycle accident can change the trajectory of an entire family. A Lake Charles motorcycle accident attorney will shoulder your legal recovery while you and your family focus on processing the pain and grief from the accident. Some of the most common catastrophic injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Amputation
- Severe scarring or disfigurement
- Wrongful death
Home and transportation modifications to accommodate severe or catastrophic injuries may be necessary for accessibility. Ease of movement may require the support of medical equipment, such as a hospital bed, wheelchair, or lift. Ongoing medical treatments, including physical and occupational therapies, may become necessary. Our skilled personal injury lawyers will strive to negotiate an inclusive settlement that acknowledges and supports these needs.
Wrongful death claims seek to compensate surviving family members for the loss of a loved one through a wrongful death action. Losing companionship, guidance, inheritance, and a loved one’s income can be devastating without fair compensation. Our firm will assist with filing a survival action when the prolonged death of a loved one causes pain and suffering, loss of income, property damage, and medical expenses. Lee Hoffoss Injury Lawyers will compassionately walk you through your legal options and advocate for financial recovery on behalf of a lost loved one.
What to Expect With a Motorcycle Accident Insurance Settlement
Seeking legal assistance from a Lake Charles motorcycle accident attorney does not guarantee you will go to court. In fact, a skilled attorney with our law firm will strive to negotiate a fair insurance claim settlement. Our understanding of the insurance company’s approach to claims may facilitate a more straightforward process for you, allowing you to focus on recovery from your accident. We work with the documentation you provide and gather evidence unavailable to you, such as a vehicle’s black box data or a driver’s cell phone records. We are familiar with this process and work with you to develop the strongest case possible.
Gather Evidence
Robust evidence is necessary to support your insurance claim. Invoices of medical costs, police reports, photos of the accident, and eyewitness testimony from the accident scene all help to tell the story of your motorcycle accident. Physician documents provide important medical evidence about your condition, your recovery, and possible future treatments. While the price of medical care can scare people away from seeing a doctor after an accident, it is important to have records from a medical provider that connect your injuries to the motorcycle accident. Insurance companies have been known to attribute injuries to pre-existing conditions in an effort to lower their settlement amount.
Negotiation or Mediation
After evidence is collected, your Lake Charles motorcycle accident attorney will begin the negotiation process to settle your insurance claim. This often involves making counter-offers to unfair insurance offers, and can involve enlisting a third neutral party to mediate discussions and recommend possible solutions. We are prepared to do the heavy lifting in negotiating with insurance companies, always taking the most beneficial action for you with your approval. We are with you throughout the process, whether you decide to settle or file a personal injury lawsuit.
File a Personal Injury Lawsuit
Severe and catastrophic injuries may reach or exceed the limits of the at-fault party’s insurance. A negligent driver may also be underinsured or uninsured. We can assist with filing an uninsured motorist coverage claim to recover any additional compensation if you have this coverage. We also have strong practice in insurance litigation when bad faith insurance practices prevent reasonable attempts to settle a claim.
A successful personal injury lawsuit may also require the at-fault driver to be personally responsible for damages beyond insurance policy limits. When a negligent party’s assets do not immediately cover your damages, we have experience seeking other methods to secure damages. We are familiar with the nuances of motorcycle accident cases and will put our expertise to work for you.
Louisiana places no caps on recovering damages in a motorcycle accident lawsuit, providing the potential for maximum compensation when a lawsuit is backed by sound evidence. If your injuries are the result of a negligent drunk driver, exemplary damages may be awarded. Though rare, exemplary damages serve to punish a defendant. We will seek every avenue of possible compensation when clear and convincing evidence exists that your safety or the safety of a loved one was disregarded.
Contact our Louisiana Motorcycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Case Evaluation
Lee Hoffoss Injury Lawyers strives to support the total recovery of motorcyclists who suffer damage due to someone’s negligence. A personal injury attorney with our law firm will tirelessly work to seek fair compensation for your personal injury claim. Our legal team is also ready to connect you with quality providers to ensure you get the necessary medical care. At the heart of every personal injury case is a client who deserves our invested commitment to their recovery.
When negotiations fail to produce fair compensation through settlement with the insurance company, we are prepared to litigate your case in court. We will build your case by collecting robust evidence that supports a favorable outcome. When insurance policy limits do not cover your medical care and damages, our legal team will work to explore all compensation options in your personal injury case.
Schedule a free consultation with our law firm to discuss your personal injury case. A personal injury attorney with our legal team will also provide services on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no fees unless we secure a settlement or judgment in your favor.