How Much is My Motorcycle Accident Injury Claim Worth?
Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorney
Injuries from motorcycle accidents are often severe and can be devastating to the injured person and their family. If you or a loved one were hurt in a motorcycle crash, you should talk to the experienced motorcycle accident injury attorneys at Raynes & Lawn, who are dedicated to ensuring that motorcycle accident victims receive everything that the law provides.
How Much Will I Get for My Motorcycle Accident Claim?
The amount of financial compensation you will receive for a motorcycle accident claim or lawsuit will depend on how severely you were injured, how the injury affects your life, what your medical expenses are, how much income you will lose, and whether you settle your case or go to trial. The Raynes & Lawn motorcycle accident legal team would be glad to talk to you and give you a free case evaluation that will provide more information about the value of your case.
Motorcycle Accident Compensation Settlements and Trial Awards
The vast majority of lawsuits for motorcycle accident injuries settle before going to trial. Most settlements provide a lower amount of compensation than jury trial awards, but when you get a settlement, that’s a sure thing. Going before a jury is more of a gamble because you could lose your case and not get anything. Trials also take longer, so if you reach a settlement, you will be able to get your money sooner.
In some situations, however, it’s better to go to trial. The experienced trial attorneys at Raynes & Lawn will give you the advice you need to make the best decisions about whether to accept a settlement or go before a jury. If you do go to trial, the lawyers at Raynes & Lawn have the skills and experience to mount a compelling case before a jury.
Damages You Can Calculate in a Motorcycle Accident Injury Claim
In a motorcycle accident injury case, you may be entitled to receive two kinds of compensation. One is for damages that you can calculate (called “special damages” or “economic damages”). The other is for damages that don’t have a fixed dollar value (called “general damages” or “non-economic damages”).
Examples of special damages — the kind you can calculate — include medical treatment and lost income. These amounts are calculated for the costs of treatment and the lost income that you have already experienced since the accident, the treatment costs and income losses in the present time, and also the expected costs of treatment and loss of income in the future.
Many motorcycle accident injuries are severe, and medical care may be required for years or even for the rest of the injured person’s life. The effect of the injury on income can also last a long time. In these cases, the amount of compensation, including past, present, and future expenses and losses, will be substantial.
There are many costs, beyond doctors’ visits, that you may incur if you have a serious injury. Expenses that may be eligible for compensation include the costs for medications, hospitalizations, surgeries, physical and emotional therapy, vocational rehabilitation, home health care aides, assistive devices, and medical equipment. You might even be eligible to get compensation for home remodeling costs if they are necessary to accommodate special equipment, or modifications to a vehicle if your injury was disabling.
Future income is calculated based on statistics showing how long someone who is your age with similar characteristics would be expected to work if they had not been injured. Future medical costs are based, in part, on life expectancy. A motorcycle accident injury attorney at Raynes & Lawn has the experience needed to find and present the evidence that will support these calculations and convince an insurance company attorney or a jury that you need and deserve substantial compensation.
General Damages in a Motorcycle Accident Injury Case
While you can show your medical expenses by adding up your bills (and estimating future bills), there are other effects of an injury accident that do not have a specific economic value. A serious injury can cause a great deal of pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, impairment, anxiety, and emotional distress. The monetary value of these damages cannot be found by looking them up in a chart, but you deserve fair compensation for your suffering.
These non-specific damages are called “general damages” or “non-economic damages.” If your case goes to trial, the judge will instruct the members of the jury to use their experience and common sense to assign a dollar value to each of the non-economic damages that apply in your case. Usually, the more severe your injury, the more compensation you will be awarded for non-economic damages. Because these damages are more abstract than medical bills and lost income, you need an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney to make a compelling argument showing why you deserve substantial compensation.
Fault in a Motorcycle Injury Accident Claim
The amount of financial compensation you will receive in a motorcycle accident injury claim may depend on who was at fault in causing the accident. Different states have different rules about how fault affects accident claims. Pennsylvania is a hybrid state that has features of both fault and no-fault states. What is important to know is that even if you have a no-fault (or “limited tort”) insurance policy, you may be able to sue the other driver outside of the no-fault system if your injury was serious. You should never assume that you don’t have the right to sue without talking to an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney.
Where Can I Find a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Near Me?
At Raynes & Lawn, we work hard to recover fair and substantial compensation for our motorcycle accident injury clients. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorney. Call us toll-free at (800) 535-1797, or fill out the simple contact form on our website. We will be glad to provide a free case evaluation that will help you understand your rights and options.
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