Suffering from a motorcycle accident is not only scary, but it can have devastating effects both physically and financially. While motorcycle drivers often get the reputation of being fearless speed demons, this only describes a slim percentage of drivers. In reality, many motorcycle drivers ride safely and with caution.
Our injury lawyers in Rockford have seen firsthand the damage that motorcycle accidents can have. In order to determine the potential value you can get from a motorcycle accident case, it is important to consider both liability and damages.
Liability
Liability refers to determining who is at fault for the accident, and it plays an important role in how your potential settlement will play out. Without liability, meaning that you either cannot prove who was responsible for the accident or that the person who hit you was not negligent, your case will not be worth a lot of money. The bottom line: if the other person did not do anything wrong to directly cause the accident, there is no negligence and you will not receive a large payout.
Examples of negligence in regards to a motorcycle accident include:
- Getting cut off by another driver
- Opening a car door into an oncoming motorcycle rider
- A driver hitting a motorcycle head-on while they are passing another car
Damages
This refers to the amount and severity of injuries that you suffered from because of the accident. The more severe your injuries are, the higher the number of compensable injury damages. For example, if you were sitting at a red light and a car rear-ended you without causing damage or injury to you, you wouldn’t receive a large sum of money.
Generally speaking, damages are split into two types:
- Special damages: these are damages that are capable of exact calculations, including financial losses, medical bills, lost employment benefits, etc.
- Damages that are not capable of specific calculation such as pain or suffering
Contact Our Injury Lawyer in Rockford
If you or a loved one has been impacted by a motorcycle accident, you don’t have to suffer in silence. We have collected over $30 million for our clients to help them rebuild their lives after enduring an accident. Contact our injury lawyer in Rockford to take advantage of our free consultations, and we will be happy to help you build your case.
