If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you know how traumatic it can be. After the accident, you may not have even been conscious but if you were, those moments must have been absolutely horrifying. We understand that coming back from an accident like that can be hard. You may be in immense pain, suffering from anxiety related to the collision, and now you have these medical bills that you don’t know what you’re going to do about. That is when hiring an experienced New York City motorcycle accident lawyer is going to be of value to you. contact the Law Offices of Brian J. Elbaum.
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in New York City | Here to Help You
New York City auto accident lawyer Brian Elbaum has been handling these types of cases for years and knows how to build a successful case that will get you the compensation you deserve. If you feel at a loss right now and can’t imagine going through a lawsuit on your own, do not hesitate to reach out to our legal team.
Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident
Unlike other motor vehicle accidents in New York, you are not covered under “No-Fault” insurance for your injuries. This means that you are not entitled to have your medical bills or lost wages covered automatically regardless of fault. If you want compensation, you will have to bring a claim. This is a significant fact because it may make recovering financially harder. Do not panic. This is not the end of your line. Your attorney can help you deal with filing a claim so that you can see the compensation you deserve.
In order to file a claim, you have to prove negligence. This can be challenging but it’s not impossible. Hopefully, you took the proper steps following the accident that will help you when you go to file. Immediately after an accident, you should:
- Call 911 and get the police on the scene to make an accident report
- Seek medical assistance either immediately if you’re seriously hurt or later on
- Take photos and videos of the crash scene for evidence later on
- Get the contact information of any witnesses
- Swap insurance and contact information with the other driver involved in the crash
- Contact a New York City motorcycle accident lawyer
These are essential steps to ensure that your claim is successful. They are all important and necessary steps, but the two that you absolutely have to do in order to get compensation are seeking medical care and calling an attorney.
Why You Need to Go to a Hospital
If you don’t get your injuries checked out, even if it’s a visit to urgent care, there is no record that you were hurt. It will be very difficult then to prove that your injuries are related to the accident. You should not wait until you can’t turn your head or you can’t get out of bed to seek help. Injuries after an accident may take a day or even a week to turn up, but that does not mean it is wise to ignore them. Your recoverable damages come from determining the extent of your injuries and without a record of them, you may have a hard time getting compensation. Some common motorcycle injuries include:
- Traumatic head injury
- Broken bones
- Road burn
- Spinal cord injury
- Internal bleeding
Determining the Liable Party
While there are cases in which motorcyclists cause the accidents, more times than not, it is another motorist who caused the accident. Some common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Motorists failing to check their blind spots before merging
- Motorists running stop signs
- Motorists failing to yield to a motorcycle
- Motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic
Fighting against the stigma of motorcyclists being reckless drivers who cause their own accidents is something that you and your New York City motorcycle accident lawyer are going to have to deal with. If your case goes to trial, and it may, you have to convince a jury to ignore any bias they may have against motorcyclists. It’s really an unfair bias they have. People think that, just because you choose to ride a motorcycle, you are submitting to the risks of getting hurt because you’re not in the protective frame of a car, SUV, or van. That’s not the case. If you ride a motorcycle, you are no more to blame for your injuries than anyone else is.
Recovering Compensation
While it is not impossible to bring a claim and get some compensation on your own, it certainly is not advised. You are probably experiencing a lot of pain and stress following this accident and adding the pressure of handling your own motorcycle accident claim might be too much and you may never be able to get the compensation you deserve without the help of an attorney whose job it is to get that for you. You can recover damages for:
- Your medical bills
- Your lost income
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
The Law Offices of Brian J. Elbaum has fought on behalf of motorcycle accident victims throughout the five boroughs for decades, and we are prepared to fight for you as well. Contact us today to schedule your free initial consultation with our firm.
