10 Important Facts for Injured Motorcycle Riders in Ohio

Suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident can have serious consequences. Not only can you face expensive medical bills and repair bills, but serious injuries can also impact nearly all aspects of your life. This makes it important to seek just compensation if you have a claim, and hiring an experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer is the first step in the process.

An experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer will be able to help you make informed decisions with your long-term best interests in mind. There is a lot you need to know, and relying on your lawyer’s advice and insights will be crucial. With this in mind, while the following are all important facts for you to know, you should talk to a lawyer promptly to get advice and insights that are custom-tailored to your individual circumstances.

What You Should Know After a Motorcycle Accident in Ohio

Were you seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Ohio? If so, here are 10 important facts you need to know:

1. It Is Up to You to Protect Your Claim for Just Compensation

The single most important fact you need to know in this scenario is that it is up to you to protect your claim for just compensation. If you do not protect your claim, no one else will protect it for you. The insurance companies are not on your side, and the at-fault party (or parties) will almost certainly put their interests first.

So, what do you need to do? After suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident, you should have three priorities:

• Getting the Medical Attention You Need – After a serious motorcycle accident, it’s important to get the medical attention you need to protect your health and legal rights. Your medical records will be key evidence linking your injuries to the accident, and they will be key evidence for proving the long-term effects of the accident as well.
• Preserving as Much Evidence and Information as Possible – To assist with proving your legal rights, you should preserve as much evidence and information as possible. You should keep any photos or videos you took at the scene of the accident, your copy of the police report, and any other documentation you may have. You should also take detailed notes while the accident is still fresh in your mind.
• Hiring a Law Firm to Investigate the Accident – As we discuss below, proof of liability is essential for asserting your legal rights after a motorcycle accident in Ohio. Once you hire a law firm to represent you, your law firm will be able to conduct a thorough investigation and preserve as much evidence as possible before it disappears.

Taking these three steps as soon as possible will help maximize your chances of recovering just compensation for your accident-related losses. The sooner you act to protect your claim, the greater your chances of recovering just compensation will be.

2. Multiple Parties Could Be Liable for Your Accident-Related Losses

Most motorcycle accidents result from driver negligence. Distracted driving, aggressive driving, and careless driving are all among the most common causes of motorcycle riders’ injuries.

But motorcycle accidents can result from various other causes as well—and this means that various other parties could be liable for your accident-related losses. For example, depending on the circumstances involved in your accident, you could have a claim against:

• The driver who was at fault in your motorcycle accident
• The at-fault driver’s employer or rideshare company
• A car, motorcycle, or riding gear manufacturer
• A maintenance shop, repair shop, or dealership
• The government agency that is responsible for the road where the accident occurred

There are other possibilities as well. For example, if you got hit by a drunk driver, a bar or restaurant that overserved the drunk driver could be liable for the accident. After investigating the accident, your law firm will be able to determine what claim (or claims) you need to file in order to seek the full compensation you deserve.

3. Your Accident-Related Losses Could Be Much Greater than You Think

This brings us to another key point: Your accident-related losses could be much greater than you think. Not only could your medical bills add up quickly, but they could also continue adding up for years—or even decades—if you suffered permanent trauma. If you are unable to work due to your motorcycle accident, this will add to your accident-related losses as well. Under Ohio law, injured riders are also entitled to just compensation for their pain, suffering, emotional trauma, and various other non-financial losses.

4. Filing a Motorcycle Accident Claim Requires Two Key Types of Proof

To seek the financial compensation you deserve for your motorcycle accident, you will need two key types of proof. These are:

• Proof of Liability – Proof of liability is used to prove who (or what company or companies) deserves to be held accountable for your motorcycle accident.
• Proof of Damages – Proof of damages is used to determine how much financial compensation you deserve to recover for the accident.

Gathering proof of liability involves conducting a thorough investigation and potentially engaging in discovery. Gathering proof of damages involves making sure you receive a comprehensive diagnosis and working with medical specialists and other experts to document the financial and non-financial costs of your injuries. Both of these require experienced legal representation.

5. You Need to Know How Much You Deserve Before You Settle

While you may be anxious to settle your motorcycle accident case and move on with your life, it is critical to ensure that you know how much you deserve before you settle. Once you settle, you can’t go back and ask for more. Settling too soon can leave you without the money you need to cover the costs of your injuries—and this is another critical reason why you should hire a team of experienced lawyers to represent you as soon as possible.

6. You Need to Be Prepared to Go to Court if Necessary

While securing a favorable settlement is the best-case outcome in this scenario—and most successful motorcycle accident claims do settle out of court—you need to be prepared to go to court if necessary. This is important for a couple of reasons.

First, while most successful claims settle out of court, there is no guarantee that the insurance companies will be willing to settle for just compensation in your case. Second, showing the insurance companies that you are prepared to go to court (by engaging an experienced law firm to represent you) can help facilitate good-faith settlement negotiations.

7. You Need to Be Careful When Dealing with the Insurance Companies

From the moment you get injured in a motorcycle accident, you need to be very careful when dealing with the insurance companies. As we said above, they are not on your side, and their goal will be to pay you as little as possible—if they pay you anything at all.

Being careful means making sure you do not say anything that the insurance companies might use against you (e.g., admitting you may have been partially at fault in your motorcycle accident). It also means making sure you do not sign any insurance forms or documents unless your lawyer says it is safe to do so.

8. You Also Need to Be Careful When Posting Online

In addition to being careful when dealing with the insurance companies, you also need to be careful when posting online. In fact, it is best to avoid posting on social media while your motorcycle accident claim is pending. There is a good chance that insurance companies will be monitoring your accounts and looking for anything they can use against you.

9. Hiring a Lawyer Costs Nothing Out-of-Pocket

For all of the reasons we discussed above, if you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Ohio, it will be important to have an experienced legal team on your side. Fortunately, hiring a lawyer costs nothing out of pocket in this scenario. As a motorcycle accident victim, you can hire a Columbus personal injury lawyer to represent you on a contingency-fee basis, which means that you will only have to pay legal fees if your case is successful.

10. Seeking the Full Compensation You Deserve Will Be Worth It in the End

While dealing with your situation can seem overwhelming, seeking the full compensation you deserve will be worth it in the end. Fighting for accountability is important, and you can rely on your lawyer to handle the process on your behalf. No matter what happens, if you stand up for your legal rights, you can feel confident knowing that you made the right decision for yourself, your family, and your future.

Contact Us for a Free Consultation with a Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you have suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident in Ohio, we strongly encourage you to contact us right away. To speak with an experienced Columbus personal injury lawyer as soon as possible, call 888-444-7440 or request a free consultation online now.