VIRGINIA BEACH MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEYS
BY YOUR SIDE AFTER THE RIDE
While motorcycle deaths have decreased over the years, they’re still 28 times more frequent than other fatal crashes, according to a 2018 report from the Governors Highway Safety Association. Because motorcyclists aren’t traveling in a covered vehicle, their accidents can often be serious and sometimes result in death. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident at the hands of a negligent or careless party, we want to help you seek compensation. No one should have to be injured, especially as a consequence of someone else’s mistake. Our Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorneys at Huffman & Huffman Brothers-in-Law, P.L.L.C. can be trusted to help you when you’re down.
Call our law firm for a consultation today at (757) 599-6050, or contact us online. We speak English and Spanish for your convenience.
WHAT CAUSES MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS?
There are a variety of factors that contribute to motorcycle-related accidents, resulting in injuries and deaths on the road.
Causes of accidents include:
- Alcohol impairment, whether the motorcyclist or other driver is impaired (25% of motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes in 2016 had a BAC over the legal limit)
- Distraction, which includes texting and eating/drinking while driving/riding
- Drug impairment, which can slow response times
- Weather conditions, which can impair sight and create road obstacles
While there’s nothing to be done about causes once accidents happen, our attorneys do their best to help clients heal quickly and get back to their normal lives. Being injured can result in not just pain and suffering, but unanticipated expenses and more, not to mention all the time you have to commit to filing an injury claim. We can handle your injury case so you can focus on yourself.
INJURIES CAUSED BY MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS
Motorcycle accidents, like most motor vehicle accidents, can result in a variety of injuries depending on the circumstances. Even with a protective helmet and padded clothing, motorcyclists are at a high risk of suffering a catastrophic injury.
We’ve helped countless clients who have suffered from the following injuries:
- Head/brain trauma
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Sprains and fractures
- Broken bones
- Amputations
- Cuts, bruises, and abrasions
- Road rash
- Eye damage
- Emotional trauma
HIGH COSTS INCURRED AFTER A CRASH
When injuries prove to be serious, you need to sink money into medical treatment, which can add up and be expensive to pay back. We understand that this is already a challenging time for you, and the last thing you need is to be worrying about how you’re going to make up for the costs. This is why we seek justice for our clients – you deserve to be properly compensated for all that you’ve gone through.
We’ve recovered millions in damages over the years including:
- Medical bills, such as hospital stays and physical therapy
- Lost wages from missing work
- Property damage, including to vehicles
- Pain and suffering
To make matters worse, insurance companies are nearly guaranteed to deny motorcycle accident claims as soon as they are filed. An insurer knows that the money owed to the claimant could be significant and easily reach six figures. It uses the dishonest tactic of denying a claim outright to see if the claimant will give up entirely.
As a family-owned firm, we value mutual respect and understanding. We offer consultations so we can hear your story and offer our support. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. With our Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorneys on your side, you have years of experience fighting insurance companies and negative police reports to back you up. No matter how complicated or difficult the case may be, nothing can stand in the way of our firm’s commitment to protecting the injured.
SEEKING COMPENSATION AFTER A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
When your motorcycle accident is caused by an insured motorist, your best option to seek compensation will most likely be to file an injury claim against their insurance policy. Virginia requires motorists to carry at least $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per injured person, $50,000 in bodily injury per accident, and $20,000 in property damage per accident. With the assistance and guidance of your Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorneys, we can help you negotiate with the opposing insurance company for every penny you deserve, up to the insurance cap.
Other sources of compensation can include:
- Uninsured motorist policies: If you were hurt by a party without insurance, then your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) policy can provide any missing damages until the policy’s limits. UM policies are filed against your own insurance provider but that does not mean they will be more willing to provide the damages you need.
- Homeowners’ insurance policies: Our personal injury team knows how to seek additional compensation in places that other law firms might not look, like homeowners’ insurance policies. Depending on the details of your accident and the person who caused it, we might be able to use other insurance policies they hold to pay for any damages not covered through their auto insurance.
DETERMINING FAULT IN A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT
Virginia uses contributory negligence rules when determining fault in a motorcycle accident. As such, liability for a crash must be placed entirely on the defendant or else the claimant will lose their right to seek a recovery. Under this strict set of liability rules, you must be 0% liable for your motorcycle accident claim to remain legitimate under the eyes of the law.
With Virginia’s contributory negligence rules, it becomes crucial to accurately determine fault, or else your case could be stopped in its tracks. To determine fault, our motorcycle accident attorneys will want to get as much tangible evidence as possible, including but not limited to police reports, eyewitness statements, photographs of the crash scene, and medical records. Tell our team about any evidence you have so we can see how to use it the best. If we need more evidence, then we can consider talking to outside experts like accident reconstruction professionals.
DRIVER NEGLIGENCE & MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS
Insurance companies like to pin the blame for motorcycle accidents on riders because most people wrongly assume someone must be naturally reckless to ride a motorcycle in the first place. Reality is quite opposite, though. Most motorcycle accidents involving two or more vehicles can be linked back to a mistake on part of the driver, not the rider.
Common mistakes drivers make that contribute to motorcycle accidents are:
- Failing to check mirrors for smaller vehicles
- Turning left in front of an approaching motorcyclist
- Trying to share a lane with a motorcyclist
- Tailgating a motorcyclist
- Attempting to pass a motorcycle without giving enough room
- Opening a car door into a passing motorcycle
HIRE OUR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS TODAY
Virginia’s pure contributory negligence rules make pursuing damages difficult, more so than most other states. If you are found just 1% liable for your motorcycle accident, then you can be barred from receiving any compensation from the other liable parties. Due to the strictness of this rule and the general complications of liability laws, we highly advise you to seek the assistance of a lawyer at the beginning of your case. We can guide you through the whole process or give you an honest assessment upfront if your case should not be pursued due to your liability.
As a family-owned firm, we value mutual respect and understanding. We offer consultations so we can hear your story and offer our support. You shouldn’t have to go through this alone. With our Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorneys on your side, you will have years of experience fighting insurance companies to back you up. No matter how complicated the case may be, nothing can stand in the way of our firm’s commitment to protecting the injured.
If you’re ready to seek compensation for your injuries, call our law firm for excellent service today at (757) 599-6050.
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