Your Motorcycle Accident Case

By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury A motorcycle accident can change your life. It can kill you or cause you a lifetime of pain and suffering. It is important to know what your legal options are if you or a loved one is involved in motorcycle accident. If you have been injured in […]

By: Heath C. Murphy + – Personal Injury

A motorcycle accident can change your life. It can kill you or cause you a lifetime of pain and suffering. It is important to know what your legal options are if you or a loved one is involved in motorcycle accident. If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash you will overwhelmed with a variety of concerns ranging from missing work and paying bills to physical injuries and pain and suffering.

What is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?

This is a loaded question. Each case is different. Your injuries will be unique to your accident. Also, it must be determined whether there is any degree of fault which could be attributable to you. For instance, were you speeding or driving recklessly when the driver of the car turned left into to your path? Another big issue which people fail to consider the amount of insurance that the at fault driver is carrying. You could have medical bills that many times greater than the amount of insurance coverage available to satisfy those bills. This is why it is so vital that motorcycle riders carry an uninsured motorist policy that will take effect when the at fault driver has little or no insurance. The motorcycle accident attorneys at The Law Offices of Bobby Jones will analyze all of these issues and evaluate your case on an individual basis.

Damages

After a motorcycle accident, you will be making a claim for damages. Damages are simply the way the court system will reduce your physical injuries to monetary amount. In Florida, two types of damage claims can be maintained for the injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover things like past and future medical bills, past and future lost earnings, property damage and other costs which have or will be incurred due to the accident. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional suffering, disability or disfigurement caused by the motorcycle accident.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are also known as compensatory damages. They are designed to compensate the injured biker for his or her out of pocket losses. These losses will be calculated for both past and future losses. Some common economic damages that would be expected after a motorcycle accident include:

1. Past Medical Expenses – These include past medical bills which have already been incurred by the injured biker. Past medical expenses are likely to include bills for care by emergency medical technicians, care in the emergency room, x-rays, CT-scans, MRIs, surgery, extended hospital care, rehabilitative care with doctors, chiropractors and other approved medical professionals.

2. Future Medical Expenses – Many times the injured motorcyclist will face a future of increased medical expenses due to the motorcycle accident. These expenses are recoverable.

3. Lost Wages – After a motorcycle accident the injured biker may not be able to return to work right away, if ever. These lost wages are recoverable.

4. Loss of Earning Capacity – This is a term which essentially means lost future wages. In the event that the injured motorcyclist cannot return to work or must be retrained to perform alternate work, he is entitled to recover those losses. To prove loss of earning capacity will usually require expert testimony.

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are damages that are designed to compensate the motorcycle accident victim for damages which do not involve actual financial losses. These damages are typically more difficult to quantify than economic losses. After all what is the value of pain and suffering endured due to road rash? Some common non-economic damages include:

1. Pain and Suffering – This is the big claim that everyone wants to know about. In Florida, to recover damages for pain and suffering you must have a permanent injury. The value of a person’s pain and suffering is hard to quantify and juries reach wildly different conclusions regarding very similar facts.

2. Loss of Consortium – Loss of consortium claims are designed to compensate the victim’s family. For instance, if a biker is paralyzed from the waist down, the wife may make a claim for damages relating to the change in the marital arrangement as it relates to sexual relations, companionship and affection.

3. Emotional Suffering – Many times after an accident, an injured motorcycle rider will be afraid to ride or suffer from extreme nervousness in certain situations. Such emotional suffering is compensable.

Contact an Experienced Motorcycle Lawyer at Jones Law Group

Have you or a loved one been injured in a motorcycle accident? Contact an experienced St. Petersburg motorcycle accident attorney at Jones Law Group today. When you contact our office we will immediately set an appointment where you will meet your attorney and be provided with his/her personal contact information. If you do not have transportation or you cannot drive, your attorney will travel to meet you and discuss your case with you.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligence of another, you should immediately call an experienced personal injury attorney in St. Petersburg at Jones Law Group at (727) 571-1333 during regular business hours or (727) 753-8657 on weekends or after regular business hours. We will evaluate your case for free and you will never pay us a dime unless we recover compensation for your injuries.

Jones Law Group
5622 Central Avenue
St. Pete, FL 33707

References: