Echo Park Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Echo Park Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Motorcycles lack the same protections as passenger vehicles, so motorcyclists typically suffer significantly worse injuries and damages after a collision. These injuries can be long-lasting, disabling, and even fatal. When an accident is not your fault, you have the right to recover compensation for the cost of your losses, including medical treatment and the long-term care needed to support yourself. An Echo Park motorcycle accident lawyer can help you file a claim.

At the Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes, we protect the financial futures and legal rights of those who are victims of motorcycle accidents. The aftermath of a motorcycle accident can be incredibly difficult, whether you are dealing with severe pain and life-altering injuries or the loss of a loved one. Compensation does not make up for these significant losses. Instead, it can give you financial certainty as you recover while holding the responsible party accountable.

The attorneys at the Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes have more than 40 years of experience in personal injury law, including injuries resulting from motorcycle accidents. We investigate and build your case to get the most from your claim, negotiating with insurance providers for what you are owed. We can provide you with compassionate legal support as we fight for your justice.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Motorcycle Accident?

If you can prove that the other party is fully liable for the accident, then you can recover the entirety of your damages in compensation. This exact amount is entirely reliant on the specific damages you sustained. An insurance or civil claim will primarily recover compensatory damages, which include both economic and non-economic damages.

Economic Damages

Economic damages are financial losses that have exact documentable costs. These include:

• Medical Expenses: The more serious the injuries you sustained in an accident, the more significant your treatment is likely going to be. A claim can recover the costs of this treatment and other expenses associated with treating the injuries, such as ambulance travel, surgeries, doctor’s visits, prescription medications, medical devices, and mobility aids. A claim also recovers the future costs of your injury or its likely future complications.
• Lost Income: When your injury prevents you from working, your claim can recover the wages you would have earned until you are able to return.
• Lost Future Income: If your injuries permanently prevent you from working or mean that you can only work part-time or at a lower-paying position, then the claim can recover the wages you should have earned during your lifetime if you were not injured and disabled.
• Property Damages: A claim can recover the value needed to repair or replace your motorcycle or other property that you had on you.

Noneconomic Damages

Noneconomic damages are losses that are subjective and don’t have set monetary values. These include pain and suffering damages. These are the physical, emotional, and psychological suffering and pain from an injury. The value of these damages is generally relative to the severity of the injury and how long it is going to affect you. Damages could include:

• Physical pain
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of quality of life
• Loss of companionship or consortium

Punitive Damages

A claim, in rare cases, could recover punitive damages, which are different from compensatory damages. Instead of compensating you for a loss, punitive damages are awarded to punish the at-fault party for their behavior. These damages are awarded by a court if your claim goes to litigation.

The aid of an experienced motorcycle accident attorney is crucial, as they can accurately determine what damages can result in fair compensation. Many people do not realize the true extent of the damages available to them, particularly in long-term losses or noneconomic damages. This can lead them to take a low settlement, thus encountering serious financial difficulties in the future with no method of recourse. An attorney can help prevent that.

FAQs

What Is the Average Payout for a Motorcycle Accident in California?

There isn’t an average payout for a motorcycle accident in California, as every person’s settlement will be entirely unique to their damages and the other circumstances of their accident. The damages you suffered will affect your settlement the most, including the dollar value of medical bills, lost income, lost earning capacity, property damage, and non-financial damages, like pain and suffering.

Settlements will also vary based on other factors, like the evidence that can be gathered to support your claim and your attorney’s skill and experience in motorcycle accident claims.

What Should You Do If There Is a Motorcycle Accident?

If you are in a motorcycle accident in Echo Park, you should do the following to protect your health and future interests:

1. Move somewhere safe.
2. Call emergency services.
3. Report any injuries.
4. Receive medical care.
5. Report the accident to the officer on the scene.
6. Exchange contact and insurance information with the others involved in the accident.
7. Document the scene of the accident with pictures and videos.
8. Get the contact information of any witnesses.
9. Get additional medical treatment at a hospital.
10. Contact your insurance provider.
11. Contact an accident attorney.

In California, How Much Do Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Charge?

In California, motorcycle accident attorneys usually charge a contingency fee. By using a contingency fee, injured individuals do not have to worry about the costs of legal support, allowing them to secure much higher settlements than they would have without an attorney. If the attorney does not successfully recover you a settlement after a motorcycle accident, then you don’t owe any attorney’s fees. If an attorney does obtain a settlement, then they receive their fees from a percentage of the final settlement.

What Is the Motorcycle Accident Statute of Limitations in California?

A motorcycle accident in California that results in personal injury has a statute of limitations of two years from the date when the accident occurred. Most motorcycle claims are filed as insurance claims, which have a shorter window to file. While negotiating these insurance claims, it’s important to be aware of the two-year statute of limitations. If the insurance adjuster will not agree to a fair settlement, then you should file the claim before the deadline. If you don’t, you lose the ability to recover compensation.

Find a Skilled Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today

When you need compassionate and dedicated legal support to hold negligent parties liable for their actions, contact the Law Offices of Carl D. Barnes. We can help you get the justice you are owed.