A motorcycle accident is a devastating event. The same open-air design that makes an exhilarating riding experience also exposes a rider to severe injuries in a crash. There are around 380,000 registered motorcycles in Texas, where moderate year-round weather makes a motorcycle a gas-friendly option for daily use as well as for weekend excursions on scenic routes. Unfortunately, when a motorcyclist shares the roadway with larger, heavier vehicles, they face an escalated risk of severe or catastrophic injuries.
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident in Austin, reach out to a motorcycle accident attorney in Texas for the legal representation your case deserves.
Why Select Road Justice for Your Austin Motorcycle Accident Claim?
Robert Greening is a dedicated legal advocate with over 40 years of experience advocating for injury victims harmed by another party’s careless, reckless, or wrongful actions. With Robert Greening, your Texas motorcycle accident case has the following advantages:
- An experienced motorcycle attorney in Austin advocating for your best interests throughout the process of your claim
- A dedication to professionalism, excellence, and results
- A personalized legal strategy to achieve the maximum compensation available to you by an attorney who takes the time to understand the full impact of the motorcycle accident on your life
Road Justice offers injury victims a free evaluation of their case and contingency-based payment, so clients pay nothing until after they receive compensation in their claim through a settlement or court award for damages.
How Do Most Motorcycle Accidents In Austin Occur?
Austin’s busy streets and highways place motorcyclists at risk of accidents when negligent drivers fail to take the reasonable measures necessary to avoid harming vulnerable motorcyclists. Even a careful rider can fall prey to driver negligence, such as the following:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Tailgating
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Improper merging
- Failure to signal a turn
- Unsafe lane changes
- Left-turn accidents
- Drowsy driving
- Impaired driving
- Car-dooring
- Improperly passing a motorcycle too closely
When a driver’s traffic violation or recklessness causes a motorcycle accident, the rider is 27 times more likely to suffer injuries than the motorist.
What If Other Parties Cause or Contribute to a Motorcycle Accident?
Negligent drivers are the most common cause of motorcycle accidents, but sometimes other entities cause or contribute to a motorcycle crash. For instance, if a negligent road maintenance agency fails to repair a dangerous pothole or a road contractor leaves hazardous obstacles or debris, they may be held liable for the damages to a motorcycle accident victim. Less commonly, a motorcycle accident claim becomes a product liability case against the manufacturer of a defective motorcycle part.
Under the modified comparative negligence law in Texas, all those who cause or contribute to an injury are liable for damages according to their proportion of fault. Even if a motorcycle rider is partly at fault for their accident, they can still recover compensation. In this case, the insurance company subtracts the victim’s percentage of fault from the amount the insurance policy pays out on the claim.
Proving Liability for a Motorcycle Accident In Austin
When a trusted motorcycle accident lawyer in Austin investigates the cause of the accident, they gather evidence to make a compelling claim. A crucial aspect of an injury claim is proving that the at-fault party’s actions meet the following legal elements of liability:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care to the motorcyclist and others on the road
- They violated their duty of reasonable care through careless, reckless, or wrongful actions (examples of legal negligence)
- The violation of duty caused the motorcycle accident and injuries
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
Damages in Texas motorcycle accident claims are often substantial due to the serious harm a rider faces from a collision. An esteemed Austin motorcycle accident lawyer carefully calculates the injury victim’s damages to maximize the amount they recover in their claim.
What Can I Get From a Motorcycle Accident Claim In Austin?
A motorcycle accident may cause far more harm than just damage to the motorcycle. Common damages recovered in Austin motorcycle accident claims include the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical expenses
- Compensation for lost wages
- Future income loss or diminished earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
Catastrophic injury victims may recover additional compensation for permanent injuries such as the loss of a limb or organ, hearing or vision loss, scarring, disfigurement, or diminished quality of life.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident In Austin
A motorcycle accident victim may suffer injuries so severe that they are unconscious or incapacitated at the scene of the accident, but when a motorcyclist can safely use their phone without causing further injury, or ask an uninjured person to use it for them, they can take purposeful steps at the scene to protect themselves physically and financially. After an accident, do the following:
- Call 911 to report the accident and apply any necessary emergency first aid
- While waiting for help, use a cell phone camera to take photos of the damaged motorcycle and the other vehicle if the accident was a collision
- Photograph the accident scene, including anything relevant, such as debris in the road, a pothole, or an intersection
- Add the contact information of the involved driver and any eyewitnesses to the accident
It’s always best to go straight to a hospital from the accident scene, even if you feel your injuries are minor. At the hospital, ask for a full medical evaluation as well as treatment for emergency injuries. This identifies potential injuries with delayed symptoms. Then, ask for a detailed medical report and carefully follow your doctor’s recommended treatment.
The medical report, your medical bills, and receipts for related expenses all become critical evidence of your damages in a motorcycle injury claim.
Reach out to the Austin Motorcycle Accident Lawyers at Road Justice
A motorcycle accident often has devastating physical and emotional consequences for the injury victim and their family. A compensation claim may not erase the physical and emotional trauma of the accident, but it addresses the related financial losses and brings an injury victim a sense of justice. Unfortunately, the insurance company is primarily concerned with making profits and may protect its bottom line at the expense of paying out fairly on a claim.
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, call Road Justice for a free consultation. Let us provide experienced representation throughout the process of your claim.