Laredo Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

The Laredo motorcycle accident lawyers at The Patel Firm have supported countless people who were injured in motorcycle accidents due to the negligence of others. These zealous lawyers labor relentlessly to ensure these victims are accorded the compensation they rightfully deserve for their injuries.

From major highways such as Interstate 35 (I-35) and Interstate 69W (I-69W) or taking United States Route 83 (US 83) all the way to South Padre Island, Laredo is an ideal location for people to ride motorcycles. As much fun as it can be for people to ride motorcycles, there are an overwhelming number of safety concerns involved, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) notes that motorcyclist fatalities account for 5 percent of all traffic fatalities each year with more than 2,100 fatalities and 56,000 injuries despite only making up 2 percent of registered vehicles in the United States.

On top of that, the fatality rate per mile traveled for motorcyclists is 16 times the rate of car occupants, and the injury rate is roughly four times the rate of car occupants. Many motorcycle accidents will stem from the negligence of other drivers on the road, but an insurance company investigating one of these crashes is more than likely to try and blame as much of the accident on the motorcyclist as possible.

You do not have to deal with this unfair presumption, and The Patel Firm will fight to make sure that your rights are respected and you have a fair opportunity to recover all of the financial compensation you are entitled to. We will work tirelessly to ensure that you can get every last dollar available to you.

Table of Contents

• Motorcycle Accidents Are Among the Deadliest Traffic Accidents
• Types of Motorcycle Accidents
• Types of Injuries Suffered in Laredo Motorcycle Accidents
• Ways of Resolving Motorcycle Accident Cases
• What Compensation Could You Obtain?
• FAQs

Motorcycle Accidents Are Among the Deadliest Traffic Accidents

When you’re on your bike, you’re vulnerable to all the dangers of the road, and if you’re injured by another driver’s negligence, your physical, financial, and emotional losses are likely to be immense. An experienced Laredo motorcycle accident lawyer can help ensure that your rights and your rightful compensation are well protected.

When you head out to enjoy the call of the open road on your bike, there are plenty of beautiful spaces to enjoy in Laredo. If, however, you are injured by the negligence of another motorist, the path forward toward recovery can be exceptionally challenging. Working closely with an experienced Laredo motorcycle accident lawyer from the outset is in the best interest of your recovery and of your claim.

Types of Motorcycle Accidents

Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents come in far too many different varieties, including:

• Rear-End Accidents – Motorcycles require far shorter stopping distances, which leave them far more susceptible to being injured in rear-end accidents when other motorists fail to allow enough forward space.
• Intersection Accidents – When other motorists fail to pay adequate attention to motorcycles in their midst, they leave them especially vulnerable in intersections. When a motorist misjudges a motorcycle’s distance from his or her own vehicle or the biker’s speed, it can lead to deadly intersection accidents.
• Blind Spot Accidents – When other motorists don’t pay adequate attention to their blind spots when changing lanes, taking an exit, or taking a turn, motorcyclists can pay the ultimate price.

Types of Injuries Suffered in Laredo Motorcycle Accidents

The kinds of injuries you can suffer in a motorcycle accident tend to be extremely serious and can include all the following:

• Broken bones that are as painful as they are slow to heal and susceptible to serious complications
• Spinal cord injuries that are closely associated with serious losses in terms of range of motion
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that can affect your sense of self and place in the world
• Burns and cuts that are slow to heal, exceptionally painful, vulnerable to serious infections, and can be disfiguring
• Soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash

Ways of Resolving Motorcycle Accident Cases

To begin, you will file a motorcycle claim with the at-fault driver’s car insurance provider. From here, your motorcycle accident attorney will begin negotiating for a settlement that fairly addresses your complete range of losses, including all the following:

• Property damage to your bike
• Medical expenses
• Lost earnings on the job
• Physical and emotional pain and suffering

If the insurance company commits to negotiating fairly, the process will end with a settlement. If, however, the insurance company is more interested in keeping your settlement as low as possible, you can expect a lengthier negotiation process, and if the insurance company refuses to budge, your attorney will very likely advise you to file a lawsuit against it. From here, your attorney will continue building your strongest claim, including all the following:

• Gathering all available evidence, including eyewitness testimony
• Hiring expert witnesses in support of your claim’s primary elements
• Compiling a clear, concise list of your complete losses
• Preparing to take your claim to trial

What Compensation Could You Obtain?

If another driver’s negligence causes you to be injured in a motorcycle accident, you can seek compensation in three primary categories (in addition to property damage to your bike).

Medical Bills

It is very common for medical bills that are related to motorcycle accidents to be extensive and ongoing. All the following are common examples:

• Emergency care and transportation
• Surgery and hospital stays
• Ongoing care, treatments, tests, and procedures
• Treatment and care from doctors and other medical professionals
• Pain management
• Prescription drugs
• Physical and occupational therapy
• Rehabilitation

Understanding the full range of your injuries and potential related healthcare concerns is paramount to your ability to obtain adequate compensation.

Lost Income

While you focus on your physical recovery, you’re very likely to experience lost earnings that can be even more considerable if you face losses that are related to earning potential or an altered career trajectory.

Pain and Suffering

The physical and emotional pain and suffering associated with being injured in a dramatically violent motorcycle accident – as they nearly all are – can be difficult to overstate.

FAQs

The answers to some of the questions that other accident victims in your position frequently ask can also help you.

What causes motorcycle accidents?

Every motorcycle accident is unique to the circumstances involved, and they can have many different causes. Motorcycle accidents, however, are often caused by the negligence of other drivers, which can take all the following dangerous forms:

• Impairment – Impaired drivers are far more likely to fail to see motorcyclists in their midst and to, as a result, cause motorcycle accidents.
• Exhaustion – As drowsy driving becomes better understood, it becomes more and more clear that drowsy drivers can experience the same types of impairments that drunk drivers do.
• Excess Speed – When Motorists speed excessively, they set the stage for causing dangerous motorcycle accidents, and they greatly increase the risk that the accidents will be fatal.
• Distraction – Texting has been dubbed the most alarming distraction of all, and in the five seconds it takes a driver to send or read a text, he or she can travel the length of a football field when driving at highway speeds. That is far too considerable a distance to travel without giving any thought to motorcyclists.
• Aggression – Aggressive drivers don’t discriminate when it comes to putting others on the road in danger, but motorcyclists are even more vulnerable to this dangerous brand of negligence.

Negligent drivers are out there, and they put motorcyclists at great risk.

What should I do after a motorcycle accident?

If you have been injured by another driver’s negligence in a motorcycle accident, the first step is obviously seeking the medical care that you need. The sad truth is that very serious injuries can hide in plain sight until they develop into even more serious injuries that are even more difficult to effectively treat. If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, don’t wait to get checked out by a doctor. After this, there are several additional steps every victim of a motorcycle accident should take, including:

• Consult with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney as soon as you are able to do so.
• Take a pass when it comes to communicating with the insurance company. Your motorcycle accident attorney is better prepared to take on this important task.
• Allow your motorcycle accident attorney to negotiate with the insurance company in pursuit of a settlement that is equal to the task of covering your complete losses (or legal damages).
• Take a social media hiatus while your claim is pending. You don’t want to give the insurance company material to use against you in some capacity.
• Carefully follow your medical team’s advice and instructions. This is the right thing to do for your health and recovery, and it lets the insurance company know that you are taking the matter of your losses as seriously as it should.
• Don’t accept a settlement offer before you’ve carefully gone over the matter with your dedicated motorcycle accident attorney.

Do I still have rights in a motorcycle accident if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?

It is important to remember that wearing a helmet every time you ride is always in the best interest of your health and well-being. This does not, however, mean that your accident claim will be affected if you were not wearing a helmet at the time. In Texas, motorcycle helmets are optional for those who are at least 21 years old and to whom the following apply:

• Are covered by a satisfactory health insurance plan
• Have successfully completed a motorcycle operator training and safety course

In other words, as long as you are riding legally, whether or not you are wearing a helmet at the time of the motorcycle accident will not affect your ability to recover on your losses. You maintain your right to fair compensation regardless of your helmet choice.

Contact an Experienced Laredo Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured by another driver’s negligence in a motorcycle accident, the accomplished Laredo motorcycle accident attorneys at The Patel Firm take great pride in helping clients like you prevail with just compensation that covers their full range of losses. Learn more by contacting or calling us at 361-400-2036 today.

The Patel Firm Injury Accident Lawyers Laredo
8511 McPherson Rd Suite 216
Laredo, TX 78045
(956) 527-0321