San Bernardino Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

People throughout California enjoy riding motorcycles. However, it’s vital for any rider to know the risks they face due to the inherent dangers of motorcycles, such as their small size and lack of physical protection in an accident. In addition, even the most experienced riders can not always predict the actions of other drivers, and motorcycle accidents tend to result in more severe damages than most other vehicle accidents.

If you recently suffered physical injuries and economic losses from a motorcycle accident someone else caused, you need legal counsel you can trust to help you recover your damages. The right attorney is an invaluable asset in this situation, and Easton & Easton has a team of seasoned San Bernardino personal injury attorneys ready to represent you through all the efforts you must pursue after a motorcycle accident.

The aftermath of any vehicle accident can be difficult to navigate, especially when you have suffered severe physical injuries. However, before you can secure any type of compensation, you must prove fault for the accident and identify the defendant or defendants responsible for causing your damages. Every driver is required to carry auto insurance, and filing an insurance claim is typically a driver’s first challenge in recovering from an accident. Unfortunately, their damages may exceed the scope of an at-fault driver’s coverage, and they will need to file a claim for your personal injuries after exhausting the recovery options available through insurance.

For auto insurance and personal injury claims, the injured claimant must prove fault for their damages. Your San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney can be invaluable in this aspect of your recovery, helping you gather evidence and witness testimony to support your case. A few commonly cited reasons for motorcycle accidents that generate contentious insurance claims and personal injury actions in the San Bernardino area include:

• Driving while distracted, which is the leading cause of accidents throughout the United States year after year. Any level of inattentive driving is extremely dangerous for the distracted driver and everyone else around them. Your San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney can potentially help you recover traffic camera footage and cell phone records along with other evidence to help you prove the at-fault driver was not paying attention when they caused your accident.
• Driving under the influence (DUI), which is a criminal offense carrying severe penalties. A driver convicted of DUI faces a fine, jail time, and a driver’s license suspension; these penalties automatically increase when they have caused serious bodily injury or death with their actions. In addition, if the defendant has a record of past DUI convictions, they could automatically qualify for a felony DUI charge.
• Speeding, which reduces reaction time to prevent a collision. Speeding is a major contributing factor to the number of fatal motorcycle accidents reported throughout the United States each year. Vehicle computer data can be used to show the speed of an at-fault driver’s vehicle in the moments leading up to the crash.
• Poor visibility. All drivers must use extra caution in periods of restricted visibility, such as driving at night or during inclement weather. Since motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles, this leaves them particularly vulnerable in periods of poor visibility.
• Lane splitting. While the state does not explicitly ban the practice of lane splitting, it is very dangerous for any motorcyclist to attempt. This term can apply to a motorcycle weaving between slower-moving lanes of traffic or motorcycles occupying space side-by-side in the same lane. This can streamline the flow of traffic in some areas but also startle nearby drivers and cause serious accidents.
• Vehicle malfunctions. In the event your motorcycle accident happened because of a defect in your bike or with a specific part, you may have grounds for a personal injury claim against the manufacturer under California’s product liability laws.

No matter how your accident happened, you may have suffered severe injuries and do not remember the exact details of how your accident unfolded. After receiving emergency medical attention, you should reach out to an experienced San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible once your condition is stable and you are ready to pursue compensation.

Once you have identified the driver responsible for your motorcycle accident, you have the right to file a claim against their auto insurance policy. Unfortunately, most insurance companies will look for any justifications to reduce a settlement offer or outright deny an injured driver’s claim. Some insurance company representatives go so far as to engage in unethical tactics, preying on the desperation of injured clients to bully them into accepting the lowest settlement offers possible.

When you have a San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney with the right experience representing you, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will be more inclined to process your claim in good faith as efficiently as possible. Your legal team can review the at-fault driver’s insurance policy and help you draft your claim, and if any disputes arise, they will advise you as to the best ways of resolving these issues and getting the compensation you deserve. After obtaining your auto insurance claim settlement, the attorneys at Easton & Easton can help you determine whether further legal action is necessary to ensure your complete recovery.

Even if you manage to secure a suitable auto insurance claim relatively quickly after your motorcycle accident, there is no guarantee that this will fully cover your damages. Motorcycle accidents have a very high chance of causing catastrophic physical injuries, many of which will demand extensive ongoing medical care and interfere with victims’ ability to work and manage everyday household tasks.

When your damages eclipse the defendant’s insurance coverage, your San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney will help build your personal injury claim against them. After proving they directly caused your accident, you must provide evidence showing the scope of the damages they caused. Under California’s personal injury laws, you have the right to claim:

• Medical expenses. Motorcycle accidents can easily cause catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain damage, injury to internal organs, broken bones, and more. Therefore, the defendant who caused your accident is legally responsible for all immediate and future medical expenses you face for reaching maximum medical improvement from your injuries.
• Lost wages. Your injuries could prevent you from working for weeks or months, and the defendant who caused your accident is liable for the income you are unable to earn.
• Lost earning power. Unfortunately, some motorcycle accident victims are left unable to go back to work because of the permanent disabilities they develop from their accidents. If this applies to your case, your San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney will help calculate the future income you are no longer able to earn and add this amount as economic damages in your civil suit.

You might be surprised to learn that you have grounds to seek far more compensation for your economic damages than you initially expected. However, the state’s personal injury laws also allow you to claim compensation for your pain and suffering without limit.

Calculating pain and suffering may seem daunting, but your attorney can provide invaluable guidance for determining a suitable amount to reflect the seriousness of your experience. When you anticipate making a full recovery from your injuries in the near future, your attorney may opt for a per diem arrangement that awards compensation every day until you reach maximum medical improvement. If you suffered catastrophic injuries resulting in permanent harm, they are likely to seek a lump sum in pain and suffering compensation. An attorney will typically multiply their client’s economic damages by a factor of one to five to reflect the severity of the client’s condition after the accident.

The attorneys at Easton & Easton have the professional experience you need on your side to reach the best possible outcome for your impending motorcycle accident claim. We develop individualized case strategies in every claim we represent, and we believe in client-focused personal injury counsel because we know that no two claims are exactly alike. Therefore, when you choose our attorneys to represent you after a motorcycle accident, you can rest assured that we will do everything we can to maximize every aspect of your recovery.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Motorcycle Crash?

A: When another driver has injured you in a motorcycle accident, California law allows you to seek full repayment of all the economic damages they caused, along with compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced. The best way to maximize the compensation you obtain is to hire legal counsel you can trust. Your San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney is the best resource for determining the scope of damages you can expect to claim from the defendant who caused your accident.

Q: How Long Does It Take to Settle a Motorcycle Accident Claim?

A: When a defendant is clearly to blame for an accident, it behooves them to settle the case as swiftly as possible. If you have a San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney with the right experience representing you, they can assist you in gathering all the evidence you need to prove fault for the accident and hold the defendant accountable for the scope of the damages they caused. A settlement should only take a few weeks when you have the right legal counsel assisting you, but if you must resolve your case through litigation for any reason, it could take several months or longer, depending on the complexity of your claim.

Q: Will Hiring a San Bernardino Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Cost a Lot?

A: It’s natural to worry about the potential cost of legal representation when you are already struggling with extensive financial losses from your accident. The attorneys at Easton & Easton do not charge any upfront or ongoing legal fees for representation when they accept personal injury clients. If we cannot secure a settlement or case award on your behalf for any reason, you pay nothing at all, and if we win your case, you only part with a portion of the total compensation you secure as your legal fee.

Q: What if the Plaintiff Is Partly Liable for a Motorcycle Accident?

A: If you are concerned that you bear partial liability for your recent motorcycle accident, this does not necessarily mean you lose the right to claim compensation from the defendant. The state upholds a pure comparative fault rule, meaning that the plaintiff can still claim compensation for their losses even if they bear partial liability for causing those losses. The plaintiff will have a portion of fault assigned by the judge in their case, and this portion is subtracted from their compensation to reflect their comparative fault.

Q: Will the Liable Driver Go to Prison for Causing My Motorcycle Accident?

A: If a driver causes a motorcycle accident through simple negligence, they are unlikely to face criminal charges and would only face civil liability for the damages they caused. However, if the defendant caused the accident through illegal misconduct, such as reckless driving or DUI, the state is likely to file a criminal case against them. If this applies to your motorcycle accident case, your San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney will advise you as to how the defendant’s illegal misconduct could influence your recovery efforts and final case award.

The attorneys at Easton & Easton have many years of experience in San Bernardino personal injury law, and we have helped many clients through some of the most challenging motor vehicle accident cases in the area. We have the resources and skills to manage the complex problems your case presents and guide you to the best possible outcome. If you are ready to learn how an experienced San Bernardino motorcycle accident attorney can empower your recovery efforts, contact Easton & Easton today to schedule a consultation with our team.