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For many, riding across I-90 on a motorcycle can be incredibly freeing. Enjoying the open range of Wyoming with the company of riding friends and making new ones using the ‘biker wave’, the joys of riding a motorcycle around Gillette make it a popular area for motorcyclists. Even with the beautiful scenery, riding a motorcycle requires a high amount of focus and skill.
On the road, riders need to have a heightened awareness of other vehicles around them, the road and weather conditions, and so much more.
Due to the simple fact that passenger vehicle drivers are looking for other vehicles, not motorcycles, it’s easier for drivers to not see bikers, and accidents involving motorcycles are, unfortunately, more common. Because motorcycle riders lack protective cages and frames, the injuries suffered in these collisions are often devastating.
According to the NHTSA, in 2019 motorcyclists were 29 times more likely to die in an accident, as well as 4 times more likely to be injured than those riding or driving other types of vehicles.
Even if protective gear is worn, injuries can be severe and have long-lasting effects. This is where our motorcycle accident lawyers in Gillette help. We’re riders and know the freedom only two wheels can bring and will fight to get that freedom back for you.
Hire a Gillette motorcycle accident attorney with Metier Law Firm today that has the resources, experience and knowledge to maximize your compensation.
Motorcycle crashes in Gillette or anywhere in Wyoming are terrifying - especially when there are severe injuries. Under these conditions, it can be difficult to think clearly, and mistakes after any sort of accident might prevent you from recovering as much as you could from the insurance company.
The best things you can do after an accident are to:
In Wyoming, you have four years from the date of the crash to submit a motorcycle accident injury claim and only two years if a death resulted from the crash. Most motorcycle accidents in Gillette result in serious injuries that require years of expensive care and treatment that may extend well beyond the four year threshold.
In these cases, it is important to contact a Gillette motorcycle accident attorney quickly to ensure your settlement amount is the highest it can be. If you hold off until the four year time limit is close, you may feel financial pressure to accept a lower settlement than you deserve to pay medical bills and expenses.
Waiting to seek legal counsel in Laramie County or attempting to handle your case alone can damage your case resulting in a reduced settlement offer. Medical treatments for serious injuries are expensive and waiting to hire an attorney or file a claim can benefit the insurance company.
If you only suffered mild injuries that required a short and limited time for care, gathering all of your receipts and documentation to file your injury claim should be easy.
You should address your needs as soon as possible instead of waiting for the time limit to approach.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is a government organization dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and reducing vehicle-related crashes.
This includes motorcycle crashes. According to the NHTSA, over 80 percent of all motorcycle accidents result either in the injury or the death of the motorcyclist.
Motorcycle collisions can range from mild to fatal. Some riders will have minor injuries that will heal in months, while others have chronic and life-altering injuries that will never fully heal. Because compensation for a motorcycle accident can vary greatly, predicting how much compensation you might obtain for your injuries is challenging.
You can expect all compensation to fall into two categories - Economic and non-economic losses
Economic damages, such as property damage, are easily quantifiable and difficult to argue against while non-economic losses can be argued against by insurance companies if the wrong information or calculation is used. Examples of both are:
Wyoming uses a method known as modified "comparative negligence" (Wyoming Statutes section 1-1-109). This implies that in some cases, a motorcycle collision victim will be entitled to obtain compensation even if they share some fault.
You can't be more than 50 percent responsible when compared with other parties in the case, in certain cases, the overall sum paid will be reduced based on the percentage of fault assigned to the rider by a jury is less than 50%.
If a motorcycle accident victim is 50% or more to blame for the collision or crash, but if you are, you can't receive any compensation in court.
For example, if a motorcyclist receives a $40,000 verdict but is determined to be 10% at fault by the jury, the total amount they can receive will be reduced by 10%. They will receive $36,000 instead of the entire $40,000.
Unfortunately, non-riders (even attorneys) are exceptionally quick to judge and leap to the incorrect conclusion that the rider is to blame because “motorcycles are dangerous.” This is primarily due to societal preconceptions about motorcycle riders.
However, as every motorcyclist knows, the majority of collisions are caused by drivers. This is one of the many reasons why a Gillette motorcycle accident attorney should be hired.
As motorcycle riders ourselves, we know the great measures we will take to prevent any form of a crash because even a low-speed collision can be deadly or result in major bodily injury.
Many people hold the mistaken assumption that if someone is as cautious as riders claim to be, they would never decide to ride a motorcycle. Insurance companies and defense attorneys will exploit these misconceptions in court to damage your case unless you have a Gillette motorcycle accident attorney on your side.
Potholes and loose rocks/gravel on the road are an easy example. They may not even be noticed by drivers and of those who do, many will drive over them without a second thought. Meanwhile motorcycle riders will not only notice them, but will take evasive action to avoid them because we understand some loose gravel can cause our back wheel to lose traction and send us into a low-side or high-side crash.
The dangers aside, people who have never ridden also don’t understand the joy and therapeutic benefits riding can bring a person. You deserve to have somebody fighting for you who shares your love of riding and can properly tell your story to a jury.
If these questions have crossed your mind, let us help. You may need a little direction or may not need an attorney at all, but you deserve to be confident knowing your options. Your confidential consultation with us is totally free.
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