Although motorcycles and passenger vehicles are used for the same purpose—getting from point A to point B—the experience is completely different. Motorcycles handle differently, accelerate differently, and brake differently than other vehicles.
The differences between motorcycles and cars can be even more pronounced after crashes. The only protection motorcyclists have is the equipment they wear, such as their helmets, their riding jackets and pants, their boots, and their gloves.
The lack of built-in protection on motorcycles means that riders often get seriously injured in crashes. And when they file injury claims to get compensation for their accident-related expenses, they experience even more differences than what people who were injured in car accidents experience.
Motorcycle Accident Claims Are Often Worth More Money
While getting more money may seem like a good thing, the reason that motorcycle claims are often more valuable than car accident claims is because motorcyclists usually suffer more severe injuries. Their crash-related damages, such as their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, are typically much higher than the damages of people injured while in cars, trucks, and SUVs.
It’s common for injured motorcyclists to need prolonged stays in the hospital during their recoveries and to miss significant time at work. They also may become permanently disabled or experience prolonged pain. Because their accident-related costs are greater, it’s important for injured motorcyclists to ensure that they get fair and full compensation after crashes.
Insurance Companies Are Often Biased Against Motorcyclists
Most motorcyclists are responsible and law-abiding. But a few daredevils on Oklahoma’s roads—not to mention decades of Hollywood portrayals of bikers—have given motorcyclists a bad image in the eyes of insurance companies and their adjusters. Getting compensation after an accident or injury is rarely easy, and it can be even more difficult when insurance companies already have their minds made up about who is at fault.
This bias means that injured riders face uphill battles from the moment they start the claim process. No matter how much evidence exists showing that they weren’t at fault, it can be difficult for them to convince the insurance companies that they’re innocent of wrongdoing and are victims of negligent drivers. Too often, injured riders get reduced settlements or find their claims denied altogether simply because of bias. Thankfully, hiring an experienced motorcycle injury lawyer can help.
Other Injury Lawyers Don’t Always Understand Motorcycle Accident Claims
One of the best things injured riders can do after crashes is to get legal representation. However, calling just any lawyer can be an exercise in frustration. That’s because motorcycle accident lawyers need experience specifically representing injured motorcycle riders and an aggressive approach to both proving innocence and demanding maximum compensation. They can’t just use the same strategies they would use in a collision between two cars and hope it still works out.
When lawyers are more interested in churning cases and getting quick paydays, it means that injured riders end up getting lowball settlements that may not even cover their initial expenses, let alone their lifetime costs. Determining how a motorcycle accident will affect a victim both now and years down the road takes more time, experience, and resources, but it’s well worth it and can make a big difference in settlement size.
Let Parrish DeVaughn Build and Win Your Motorcycle Accident Claim
At Parrish DeVaughn Injury Lawyers, we know the unique challenges that injured riders face after crashes. From the moment you or anyone dials 911 after your crash, you face an unfair fight against people and corporations that distrust you and think the worst of you. This isn’t right, and that’s why our Oklahoma motorcycle accident lawyers take injured riders’ claims so seriously.
Our lawyers know how serious the injuries, pain, and disability can be after a motorcycle accident. When we take on new motorcycle accident claims, we work hard to not just fully understand our clients’ expenses, but to ensure that the insurance companies do, too. Contact us today for a free case review of your motorcycle accident claim, and remember—you don’t owe us a penny unless we get money for you.
