Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Few injuries are as serious as the ones motorcycle accidents can cause. If the negligence of another driver has severely impacted your life and you aren’t sure how to move forward, speak with an Indianapolis motorcycle crash lawyer.

Without the protection of a surrounding vehicle, motorcyclists face a greater risk of injury than most other drivers. Too many motorcycle crashes end in fatalities due to the carelessness of others. When the negligence of someone else causes you serious injuries, you should never have to worry about how you’ll continue to survive as you struggle to physically recover.

Get help ensuring that the party responsible for changing your life covers your damages to the fullest extent possible by reaching out to an experienced Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyer at Kooi Law. We’ll work diligently to secure the compensation you need so your road to recovery is as easy as possible under these difficult circumstances.

Frequently Seen Indianapolis Motorcycle Injuries

The types of injuries bikers suffer in motorcycle crashes are some of the most critical injuries of all motor vehicle crashes. Motorcyclists have much fewer safety measures to shield them from road dangers. Although cars have airbags, seat belts, and metal frames to avoid crushing injuries, a motorcyclist has a helmet. Unfortunately, riders over 18 might not even have that.

If you are lucky enough to be alive following a serious Indianapolis motorcycle accident, you have more than likely suffered at least one of the following injuries:

Traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion
Spinal cord injury, including paralysis
Third-degree burns
Limb loss
Internal bleeding
Organ failure
Broken bones or fractures
Lacerations
Road rash

Each of the above injuries can come with a substantial recovery process, which could include years of physical and occupational therapy and other treatments that are going to be much more expensive than you’ve probably budgeted for, considering the astronomically high price of healthcare.

Fault in Indianapolis Motorcycle Crashes

More often than not, the driver of the vehicle that hit you will be found liable for your damages. They could have been speeding, traveling too closely, making an illegal turn, driving while fatigued, driving distracted, or even operating the vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Any of these poor driving decisions can result in license suspensions, fines, and even criminal charges. But, just because the other driver has likely played a part in the accident doesn’t mean that others aren’t equally as culpable for your damages.

Other parties that can hold blame for your Indianapolis motorcycle crash could be the vehicle parts manufacturer or bike technician—if either failed to report recalled parts or knowingly installed faulty parts.

Certain Indiana government agencies could also be at fault if they failed to maintain safe roadways or make necessary road repairs in a timely manner. Motorcycles are especially vulnerable to roadway damage, such as potholes.

Because a motorcycle is so much more difficult to balance, a patch of rough road could turn lethal. You and your lawyer need to hold those government agencies accountable for your pain so others aren’t injured in the same manner.

Notoriously Difficult Insurance Companies

Insurance companies like to use the stereotypical reckless biker image to their advantage when making decisions about motorcyclists’ claims for compensation. This highly frowned-upon practice of pretending that all bikers are reckless heathens of the roads is not only unethical, but simply dishonest. Unfortunately, those stereotypes can hurt your injury claim.

By using an unfair stigma, the insurer hopes to lower the amount it will be required to settle for in your case. By working with a qualified motorcycle accident lawyer in Indianapolis, you will be able to prevent this unwarranted blame from being applied to you. We have zero tolerance for insurance companies that prioritize their monetary needs above the needs of victims, and we know how to fight back.

If the insurance company offers you a low settlement, we’ll help you write a demand letter for the full amount you deserve for your damages. They might still try to refuse your claim to protect their own profits, at which point, we’ll help you bring your case before a judge. Filing a claim in court will be easier with an Indianapolis lawyer on your side.

Indiana Laws Can Hurt Your Claim

Insurance companies will try anything to avoid paying out settlements, which means you’ll need to know as much as possible to defend your claim. Your lawyer can help you navigate the Indiana laws that will affect your claim. If you’re not careful about these laws, you could find yourself with a diminished or eliminated settlement amount.

First, you’ll need to watch your time frames for filing. When you’ve had a wreck in Indiana, you’ll have two years to file your injury claim. Insurers may try to exploit this law by taking their time to make you desperate enough to accept a lowball settlement offer. If you don’t file your claim in time, your claim could be dismissed and you could be unable to seek further recompense.

You’ll also need to make sure you’re not found at fault for any part of the accident. Because Indiana recognizes modified comparative negligence, any fault on your part will reduce your claim.

For example, if the accident happened at night, they might say you were driving drowsy and couldn’t avoid the crash. In this case, you could be found 15 percent at fault for the wreck and receive only 85 percent of your compensation, which can translate into thousands of dollars you need for recovery.

If you are found 50 percent at fault for the accident, you could lose your compensation entirely. You’ll be left to recover from your accident on your own, which can be expensive. Partnering with a motorcycle accident lawyer can ensure you don’t fall victim to accusations of fault.

Recovering Compensation for Your Indianapolis Motorcycle Crash

When we are determining how much a reasonable compensation request is for your case, we make sure to consider each and every aspect of your life that could have been or may be affected. You can expect to recover your lost wages and earning potential, as well as the costs of any medical expenses that may be associated with your accident.

You should also be able to collect compensation for the areas of your life that are more of a challenge to place a monetary value on, such as emotional distress, loss of consortium, pain and suffering, disfigurement, or the loss of enjoyment of life. These damages, known as non-economic damages, are intangible but still have an impact on your life.

Although your economic damages are easier to calculate, you will likely need a lawyer to help you quantify your non-economic damages and their subsequent dollar value. Their worth is determined by their severity and relative impact on your life. For many victims, the non-economic damages are more impactful than their financial losses.

For example, if you suffered permanent brain trauma, you will likely suffer a loss of enjoyment of life, which might be more severe than a serious but temporary bone fracture.

It’s important that we include every way your life has been altered by the devastation of your motorcycle crash injuries. Otherwise, you could miss out on the full compensation you deserve.

Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident FAQ

It would be surprising if you didn’t have any questions after you decided to pursue compensation for your Indianapolis motorcycle wreck. You’ll find the answers to some common questions below, and you can direct any further questions to an Indianapolis motorcycle wreck attorney in our office.

Do I have a case if I was in a single-vehicle crash?

You may still have the right to file a claim if your motorcycle was the only vehicle involved in your crash. The motorcycle might have had faulty or recalled parts, which could place blame on the parts manufacturer. If road conditions were unsafe, a government agency responsible for road safety could hold liability.

A pothole caused my motorcycle wreck. Who is responsible?

If a pothole has caused your motorcycle to crash, we will look into whether the local government had received reports of the pothole. If it had, we’ll look at whether officials acted in a swift manner to fill that pothole to protect drivers from accidents, such as the one you’ve been involved in. Based on our findings, we will name the appropriate party as the defendant in your claim.

What if the driver who caused the crash was uninsured?

Being involved in a crash with an uninsured motorist can complicate your motorcycle accident claim. Fortunately, your insurance policy might cover a portion of your medical bills and property damage. Ultimately, we may have no other option but to sue the uninsured driver directly to make sure you’re fully compensated for every hardship they have caused in your life.

How expensive is an attorney?

Each case varies in terms of expense, depending on how many hours we will spend investigating and building your case. However, before we do any work, we will come to an agreement, usually involving an attorney contingency fee. This is the agreed percentage of your winnings we will accept as payment, and in exchange, you will not have to make any payments unless or until we win your case.

Should I give the insurer a statement?

It’s rarely wise to give the insurance adjuster a statement, however well-intentioned you may be in doing so. Insurers are often caught prioritizing the needs of the company’s profits over victims’ needs. They have a habit of making it seem as though you hold more liability than you do by using any statement you give against you. Your attorney can handle any interactions with the insurance company.

Get in Touch with an Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Being involved in a serious motorcycle crash can have devastating and potentially permanent effects on your life. If you are already looking at a long road to recovery, the last thing you should have to worry about is financial insecurity.

Our firm has years of experience winning personal injury claims for victims of motorcycle wrecks throughout Indianapolis. We’ll work diligently to examine your case, collect the necessary evidence and, if necessary, fight for your rightful funds in court.

Contact an Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyer with Kooi Law if you’re interested in letting an experienced legal team handle the details of your case and your pursuit of compensation. You can schedule a free, no-obligation claim evaluation by filling out the contact form at the bottom of the page or by giving us a call at 317-569-1335.