Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers is a personal injury law firm that specializes in representing plaintiffs who have been involved in motorcycle accidents. These accidents can have far-reaching consequences, and a motorcycle accident lawyer in Reno can help reduce the damage and overall impact on your life. Advocacy can make all the difference in your case and what you can recover in a settlement.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle crash, call us today for a free consultation with a Reno personal injury lawyer. With over a century of combined experience, our team has the knowledge and skill to get you the compensation you deserve. Our diligent team will fight for you every step of the way, as evidenced by the more than 30,000 clients we have represented in our storied history.
Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Reno
Motorcycle accidents happen for many preventable reasons, often due to other drivers on the roadway not protecting riders as they should. Motorcyclists are incredibly vulnerable, and it doesn’t take much for an accident to occur and cause serious harm. Most of the time, accidents like these are avoidable. The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Reno include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Road hazards
- Poor weather conditions
- Failing to check blind spots
- Fatigue
Motorcycle accidents may be the fault of other drivers, cities that fail to maintain road conditions and proper lighting, and riders themselves. To help our clients pursue recovery of their damages, our legal team goes to work to build your case using all available evidence. We talk to witnesses, recreate the accident, and use experts to help determine who is at fault so we can hold them accountable.
Common Injuries Caused by Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle riders face the risk of serious injuries and fatalities because of their lack of protection. Our lawyers have decades of experience representing clients injured in these horrific crashes. We can advocate for you with our knowledge of some common motorcycle accident injuries. These may include:
- Road rash: Road rash is a type of abrasion that occurs when the skin rubs against the pavement. Road rash can be extremely painful and may require surgery to repair.
- Broken bones: Broken bones are one of the most common injuries in motorcycle accidents. They can occur when the body is thrown from the bike or when the bike falls on top of the rider.
- Head injuries: Head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries, are also common in motorcycle accidents. Wearing a helmet can help reduce the risk of a head injury.
- Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries can result in paralysis. They often occur when the body is thrown from the bike or when the bike falls on top of the rider.
- Internal injuries: Internal injuries can result when the body sustains a forceful impact, sudden change in speed, or has an object pierce the skin. These conditions can cause internal bleeding and organ damage.
- Burn injuries: Burn injuries can occur when an accident results in fire, when a driver comes into contact with hot motorcycle parts, or suffers severe road rash. These conditions can range from first to third degree burns.
If you suffered these injuries in a motorcycle accident, ensure you have a motorcycle accident attorney in Reno on your side. These cases are challenging because insurance companies will fight to reduce the compensation paid to you, even trying to prove you caused the accident. To help ensure a streamlined case and maximum results, be sure to keep detailed records of your medical care and bills as evidence.
How the Scope of Your Injuries Can Affect the Outcome of Your Case and Settlement
The extent and severity of your injuries can impact how to proceed after an accident. Severe injuries often require more extensive treatment than minor accidents, which also costs more. Once your doctor develops a treatment plan and identifies both your short and long-term needs, you can work with your lawyer to determine how much compensation you need to cover your current and ongoing expenses.
What to Do If You’ve Been Involved in a Motorcycle Accident
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, the first thing you should do is seek medical attention, even if you don’t think you’ve been injured. Some injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries or internal damage, may not be immediately apparent without medical tests. Additionally, adrenaline masks pain, and deep tissue injuries may also be delayed, so it can be difficult to initially assess your own injuries.
You may also need to seek out the police in the event of an incident. They can help document everything that occurred. A record of the incidents will also be created, as well as statements from all involved parties and witnesses. A police report ensures that you have an official record and form of evidence. Be sure to request a copy of the report for your records and to submit it to the insurance company.
You should also take photos of the accident for your claim, as well as exchange insurance information with the other driver. After these initial steps, you should call an experienced motorcycle accident attorney. The insurance company will likely try to lowball you on your settlement, but our personal injury firm can fight for the compensation you deserve, so be sure to review our resources to learn more.
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Injured Motorcyclists May Face Insurance Challenges When Resolving Their Claim
Insurance companies do everything they can to avoid paying injury victims in order to protect their own bottom line. Motorcycle accidents can be quite costly, and insurance companies will try to get you to accept a low offer or may try to get out of paying you altogether. They use many tactics and will take advantage of your vulnerability if you are handling a case on your own. Common tactics they use include:
- Blaming you for the accident for causing or contributing to the extent to reduce your compensation
- Intentionally delaying and drawing out your claim so you either give up on your claim or accept a low settlement to resolve your case
- Using technicalities as a reason to pay you less than you deserve or deny your claim outright
- Offering an intentionally low settlement in the hopes that you will accept and won’t negotiate
- Requesting that motorcyclists make an official statement and misrepresenting it as a case requirement
- Using leading questions or social media to find ways to use a victim’s words against them
It can be stressful dealing with insurance companies in a personal injury claim. However, insurance companies are less likely to use these tactics when you have a lawyer on your side. Your lawyer will communicate and negotiate for you, and will submit a demand letter to clearly state the value of your losses, who was at fault, and how much you’re seeking. They’re also ready to go to court if necessary.
The at-Fault Driver’s Liability Must Be Established in a Reno Motorcycle Accident Claim
When resolving a motorcycle accident claim, you will need to provide evidence to hold the at-fault party responsible for all of your injuries and ongoing losses. The evidence you gather can be used to establish the other driver’s liability, so they are required to compensate you. This process generally includes four steps to build a clear case against the other driver. This includes showing the following:
- Duty of care: Like all motorists, a driver is responsible for remaining alert and driving safely when they are on the road.
- Breach of duty: When a driver fails to use caution and acts carelessly or recklessly, they breach their duty to you and others on the road.
- Causation: When a driver’s actions result in an accident and injuries, they become the direct cause of harm.
- Damages: The driver who triggered the accident is held accountable for the accident and must pay for the damages you sustained as a result of the accident.
A lawyer will demonstrate each of these elements so there is no doubt about the other driver’s role in the accident and the losses you suffered. Opposing parties and insurance companies will likely try to avoid responsibility, but with sufficient evidence and a skilled lawyer, you can fulfill these requirements and move forward with resolving your claim and recovering compensation.
Know the Importance of Comparative Negligence in Nevada
Motorcycle accident victims may share some level of fault in a crash, and lawyers can help motorcyclists understand modified comparative fault in Nevada (NRS 41.141). Under these laws, compensation can be pursued as long as you aren’t more than 50% to blame in the case. If you’re partially at fault and below this threshold, your recoverable damages will be reduced in proportion to your fault percentage.
A Reno Motorcycle Accident Attorney Helps You Secure Compensation After a Motorcycle Accident
Victims of motorcycle accidents often face incredible loss, pain and suffering, and frustrating emotional trauma. You may be owed for all of those losses under the law. The goal of compensation is to help you return to a state of wholeness to the best extent possible after an accident. Our team will work with you to demonstrate your various losses and recover compensation that may cover the following:
- Medical bills from the accident, including emergency care and ongoing medical support
- Future medical costs if you have long-lasting injuries
- Lost wages when you cannot work for a period of time due to your injuries
- Loss of earning capacity if you can no longer do your job
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and pain
- Loss of quality of life
- PTSD symptoms, as well as anxiety and depression
- Loss of consortium
How much you can recover in a settlement will depend on the scope and severity of your injuries and other losses. Insurance limits and shared fault can also affect how much you can recover. We will work diligently to show the physical, emotional, and financial ways this accident impacted your life. We fight for maximum compensation in every case, so you aren’t left paying for any of your expenses on your own.
How Long You Have to File a Claim and What to Expect When Working with an Attorney
In Nevada, you have two years to file a personal injury claim, according to NRS 11.190. If you don’t file a claim within that time frame, you will be barred from recovery, which means that you would bear the financial responsibility of paying for your losses yourself. To avoid this possibility, you should take action as soon as possible so you have enough time to file a claim, establish fault, and negotiate a settlement.
This is just one of the many reasons why it’s important to hire a lawyer to handle your case. They can walk you through mistakes to avoid when filing a personal injury claim, as well as help ensure your case is resolved before the statute of limitations expires. Lawyers also handle logistics, streamline your case, and fiercely advocate for you. With their experience and knowledge, lawyers often get better case results.
When you call Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers, you can expect our attorneys to conduct a thorough investigation of your accident and gather evidence to support your claim. We handle the entire process, including interviewing witnesses, working with experts to reconstruct the accident, and handling all communication with the insurance company. We fight for maximum compensation.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Reno Motorcycle Accident Attorney from Shook & Stone Now
If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle wreck, call us today for a free consultation with a Reno motorcycle accident lawyer. We will fight for you every step of the way so you have an ally in this fight.
At Shook & Stone Injury Lawyers, we are passionate about helping victims get results and are committed to your health, safety, and ability to face the future with confidence and peace of mind.
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