How to Find the Best Lawyer for a Motorcycle Accident
When you ride a motorcycle, you are completely open to danger. When you're in an accident, you're more likely to get hurt badly. In fact, motorcycle riders are 29 times more likely to die in an accident than car passengers.
If you get into a motorcycle accident, you need the right team of doctors and lawyers on your side. This is why you need the best lawyer for motorcycle accidents.
We've made a guide to help you find the best motorcycle accident lawyers in your area.
How to Find the Best Lawyers for Motorcycle Accidents
There are a lot of different kinds of personal injury attorneys in your town. There are a lot of ads, and the sheer number of choices can be confusing.
Here are some important things to think about when talking to accident lawyers so you can find the right one for your needs.
Get a Referral
Start with the people you know. If you ride, you probably know someone who has been hurt while riding. Find out who they used and if they would recommend that person or company.
This is a simple way to find someone you can trust because they helped a friend or family member in a similar situation.
Ask if they have ever been in a motorcycle accident
There are many different kinds of personal injury lawyers, so don't assume that an auto accident lawyer has the experience you need if you were hurt in a motorcycle accident.
Hire a person who handles motorcycle accidents every day. Ask them how many motorcycle cases they have worked on in the past year.
This makes sure that they understand all the different parts and details of a motorcycle accident. This information helps you get the best settlement possible for your case.
Check out their past
Find out how well the lawyer did in other motorcycle cases. You want to know how many cases were won, how many were lost, and how many were settled.
Obviously, you want someone who wins most of their cases with fair settlement amounts. Ask about their history, but also about how they have done in court.
Some lawyers focus on settling cases outside of court, but if yours doesn't, you'll need a good litigator to go to court.
Uses contingency fees
Most personal injury lawyers work on contingency, which means that they get paid based on how much money you win.
This means that you shouldn't have to pay to get a lawyer to work for you. In business, the average fee is between 33% and 40%, and if the case goes to court, it could be even higher.
As long as it's within this range, you can be sure that the person you're working with is doing things right. Your lawyer should give you a contract to sign and tell you how much you have to pay.
You should know that in addition to the contingency fee, you may have to pay other fees.
Has a plan for communicating
Cases about motorcycle accidents can be hard to settle or go to court over. Find out how often the lawyer will be in touch with you.
Every few weeks, you should hear from your lawyer about how your case is going. If you have questions, it should be easy to get in touch with the lawyer.
Check to see if their office is set up in a way that makes it easy to talk to people.
Why you need a lawyer for a motorcycle accident
If you don't have a lawyer, the insurance company will probably just offer to pay for your medical bills and fix your bike and be done with it.
But a case is about a lot more than just the bills. Your lawyer will make sure that lost wages and pain and suffering are taken into account in the settlement talks.
Lastly, if you hire a lawyer, you have someone on your side who will fight for the biggest award possible and has the legal knowledge to do so.
Talk to a few lawyers who handle motorcycle accidents
Talk to at least three motorcycle accident lawyers before making a final decision. This will help you decide who you like best.
Consultations should be free, so if you talk to more than one lawyer, you have nothing to lose. Find out about who they are.
You don't want to feel like you're just another number on their list of clients and not someone important to them.
FAQs About Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Is it worth it to hire a lawyer for a motorcycle accident?
If you have a motorcycle accident lawyer, you may get a bigger payout than if you didn't. It might not be worth it if your case is only worth a few thousand dollars, but you should think about hiring one if you were hurt badly.
Do most cases end in a deal?
No one wants to go to court because it costs money and takes a lot of time. To save money, insurance companies would rather settle. Because of this, most cases do end up in a settlement, even if it takes some back and forth to get the best deal.
Can I ask my lawyer about the value of my case?
An accident lawyer with a lot of experience should be able to give you a rough estimate of how much your case is worth in terms of a settlement. This helps set the tone for how the final award will be given.
But if you go to trial and lose, you might not get anything, and lawyers rarely give their opinions on trial cases.
How much should someone get for their pain and suffering?
The worse your injuries are, the more money you are likely to get for pain and suffering. A pain and suffering settlement is based on a lot of different things, and the amount you get will depend on the details of your case.
Depending on the case, the average settlement for pain and suffering after a motorcycle accident is between $5,000 and $25,000.
