It can happen in an instant. You’re enjoying a ride on U.S. Route 80 when someone is paying more attention to their phone than the road. You get hit and thrown from your motorcycle. Riders getting hit due to inattention and negligence happen far too frequently, and the victims are left to suffer, sometimes with painful injuries.
If you were hit while riding your motorcycle, you have a right to compensation for your injuries. A Tuskegee personal injury attorney from our law firm can help you file a claim and pursue the maximum compensation possible for your medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and more.
Call the Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown today. Our law firm has secured over $100 million for injury victims like you. We can listen to your story and explain your legal options during a free case consultation with a member of our legal team. Learn how our Tuskegee motorcycle accident lawyer can help you recover.
Protect Yourself After Your Motorcycle Accident in Tuskegee
After an accident, you can start taking steps to protect yourself. If your injuries allow you to move without causing you further harm, you should do the following things while at the accident scene:
- Move to safety: You want to move to a safe location, preferably to the side of the road.
- Check for injuries: Next, you want to check yourself and others involved for injuries.
- Call 9-1-1: Let the operator know where you are, your status, and what has happened.
- Take notes: Take photographs, videos, and notes on the accident scene, your injuries, the vehicles, and what you remember.
- Collect information: Ask witnesses if they could give their names and phone numbers. Ask the other driver for the same information as well as their insurance.
- Limit what you say: When you speak to the police, the other driver, or any witnesses, limit what you say to what you know. Less is better. Don’t make accusations or take fault.
Afterward, you should see a doctor. Whether you go to the emergency room or schedule an appointment with your primary, you need to have a doctor diagnose your injuries and start you on a treatment program as soon as possible.
You also need to follow the treatment plan to completion. Do not skip sessions or appointments. If you are feeling better, let your doctor know so it can be recorded and your treatment can be adjusted.
Finally, contact our law office before you call or sign anything from the insurance company. Our motorcycle accident lawyer serving Tuskegee can speak to the insurance company on your behalf. He can review any settlement offers and guide you toward a resolution that addresses all your losses.
Types of Damages Our Tuskegee Motorcycle Wreck Lawyer Can Seek
Motorcycle accident victims often suffer severe to catastrophic injuries, and your injuries may require immediate medical attention at Baptist Medical Center South, a level two trauma center in Montgomery. Injuries in these accidents could include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Dislocations
- Road rash
- Burns
Victims can be left with severe disabilities and scarring following a motorcycle accident. And the healthcare required to treat the physical wounds and trauma can be exorbitant. However, you can demand compensation for your losses.
Economic Damages for Your Tuskegee Motorcycle Accident
Economic damages are losses you suffered that have a relatively fixed dollar value attached to them. They can include such losses as the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Property damage
Your settlement should include your current economic damages as well as any possible ones you may require in the future.
Non-Economic Damages for Your Tuskegee Motorcycle Accident
Non-economic damages are more subjective. They are the losses in your quality of life. Your non-economic damages may include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Disability and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
We have the resources to gather evidence of your damages and determine a fair settlement value for your losses.
How Our Tuskegee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Will Prove Negligence
Negligence is any action or inaction that creates an unsafe condition. Whether it is a legal obligation, professional standard, or social norm, one party chooses to behave in a way that is contrary to how others in a similar situation would behave. Typically, we see it demonstrated in four elements:
- Duty of Care: The at-fault driver’s obligation to follow traffic laws
- Breach of Duty: The at-fault driver’s decision to violate a traffic law
- Causation: The accident and injuries the at-fault driver’s actions created
- Damages: The victim’s financial, physical, and emotional hardships from the accident
Proving these four elements requires evidence.
Evidence Our Tuskegee Legal Team Collects
The evidence in your case could vary, but in most circumstances, it includes the following:
- Medical records
- Police report
- First responder reports
- Photographs from the accident scene
- Traffic camera and business surveillance video
- Statements from eyewitness
- Physical evidence
- Financial records
Our motorcycle accident lawyer and his team have the resources to collect this evidence while you recover from your injuries. We will also consult with our team of subject matter experts, such as medical professionals, financial advisors, and accident reconstruction specialists.
Legal Services Our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm Provides
In addition to investigating your accident and collecting evidence, we will also do the following for your motorcycle accident claim:
- Identify all liable parties
- File personal injury claims with the insurance companies
- Negotiate on your behalf for a fair settlement
- If a settlement cannot be reached, represent your interests in court
We believe in developing a strong personal relationship with our clients, which is why we limit the number of cases we handle at any one time. We will handle all communications between you, the insurers, the insurance adjusters, and the attorneys and keep you updated throughout the claim process. We want to know how your health is progressing and can even recommend doctors for second opinions.
Our goal is your recovery, financially, physically, and emotionally. We want to work with you as a team, doing what is best for you because “it’s not about the lawyer; it’s about the client.”
Laws That Will Affect Your Motorcycle Accident Case in Tuskegee
The first law you should be aware of is the statute of limitations. Under AL Code § 6-2-38, you typically have two years from the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit with the Macon County courthouse. Missing this deadline will affect your ability to pursue fair compensation. Though our goal is to settle your case out of court, and most cases do settle, the ability to sue is powerful leverage during settlement negotiations.
In addition to the statute of limitations, you should also be aware of the following statutes:
- Alabama follows a universal helmet law. Per AL Code § 32-5A-245, all riders must wear an approved helmet while operating a motorcycle. This law also applies to proper footwear.
- Although two riders can share a lane, lane filtering and lane splitting are illegal per AL Code § 32-5A-242.
- Alabama follows a very strict contributory negligence doctrine. If you are even 1% at fault in the accident, you could be barred from recovering compensation.
Insurance companies often use these laws to deny or devalue claims. We can protect you if they place any unwarranted degree of blame on you in the accident.
Contact a Tuskegee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
If you have suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligent actions of another, call the Law Office of Dwayne L. Brown. Attorney Dwayne Brown is recognized for his 30 years of success by multiple peer groups, such as Super Lawyers and National Trial Lawyers Top 100.
Find out how our Tuskegee motorcycle accident attorney can help you during a free case consultation.
