Motorcycles offer riders conveniences and freedom others in passenger vehicles do not experience. The trade-off, however, is that riders face some of the greatest risks for getting involved in a motorcycle crash. Motorcycle riders involved in crashes are also more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries, in comparison to motor vehicle drivers, which can forever change their lives and the lives of their loved ones.
If you or your loved one was injured in a motorcycle accident caused by someone else’s fault, contact a Milwaukee personal injury attorney at Cannon & Dunphy S.C. for a free consultation. We know the aftermath of a motorcycle accident can be stressful and chaotic when dealing with injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and insurance claims, and we can help.
A Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer at Cannon & Dunphy is experienced with Wisconsin insurance law and can handle the legal process with your insurance company following your motorcycle crash and help you seek compensation while you recover from your injuries.
Our motorcycle accident attorneys have the experience and skill to represent clients who have been injured or have lost loved ones in Wisconsin motorcycle accidents.
Our Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident Practice
- Our Milwaukee motorcycle accident attorneys have spent more than 30 years helping injured motorcyclists and their families recover compensation for their injuries and damages. When someone’s negligent or reckless conduct caused your accident, he or she should be held accountable, and we help you do that.
- A motorcycle accident lawyer in Milwaukee can provide expert legal help and pursue maximum compensation for you.
- We know that you may be experiencing significant financial struggles after your motorcycle accident due to medical expenses and lost wages. Our Milwaukee personal injury attorneys handle all their injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that you will not pay attorneys’ fees until we have helped you win your case.
Comparative Fault
If you ride motorcycles, you probably know that there is an unfair and unfounded bias against motorcyclists. Motorcycle riders have a reputation for speed, carelessness, and failing to follow the rules of the road. When motorcycle crashes occur, people often assume that the motorcyclist was at fault. Our motorcycle accident attorneys will help you set the record straight. Whether it is an error in the police report blaming you for the accident or a presumptuous insurance adjuster, we will vigorously defend any and all allegations of fault against you.
Even if you were partially responsible for the accident, as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault, you might be entitled to compensation for your injuries and damages. Wisconsin is a comparative fault state, which means that fault will be apportioned between you and other parties in the accident. Compensation for your injuries and damages will then be reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, suppose you suffered $50,000 in injuries and damages, and you were 10 percent at fault for the accident. Your damages would be reduced by 10 percent ($5,000), and you would receive $45,000 in personal injury compensation.
How Can A Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Help with Motorcycle Accident Claims?
When our law firm represents you, we handle all aspects of the legal process, including communication with your insurance company and defense attorneys. Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with because they work to minimize their claim payouts, which is contrary to your interests in securing full and fair compensation. Our motorcycle accident attorneys know how to work with insurance companies and will not cave to unreasonable and unfair settlement offers.
A Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer will begin the investigation process immediately to collect all evidence related to your motorcycle accident. We will speak with responding officers and medical personnel. We will also interview witnesses and look for photographs, videos, and other evidence that helps identify the events leading up to and the cause of the accident. If it helps your case, we will contact experts to help with accident reconstruction.
In some motorcycle accident cases, there is more than one party at fault for the accident. After gathering and reviewing all the evidence, we will determine fault and pursue compensation from all responsible parties. Our attorneys will negotiate with defendants and their insurance companies while continuing to prepare your case for trial. Your case will be trial-ready, so that there is no pressure to accept an unfair settlement offer.
Settlement Agreement or Trial
We know that many clients would prefer to settle their motorcycle accident cases to avoid going to trial, especially when cases are emotional, and injuries are severe. However, it is sometimes necessary to try cases in court to ensure that our injured clients get the maximum compensation that they deserve.
Settlement discussions are often ongoing as the case progresses, and cases can settle any time before, or even during, the trial. Many of our cases settle before they are litigated in court, but when settlement negotiations are unsuccessful, our attorneys are prepared to go to trial.
Motorcycle Accident InjuriesÂ
Even when you follow the rules of the road, practice defensive riding, and take motorcycle safety precautions, you cannot avoid every accident caused by negligent or reckless vehicle drivers. Motorcycle accidents often result in severe and sometimes catastrophic injuries. Medical expenses for injured motorcycle accident victims can quickly add up, especially if you require long-term care, future medical treatments and procedures, and rehabilitation. Sometimes lifetime medical care is necessary for permanent and serious injuries. Common types of motorcycle crash injuries include:
- Fractured bones in the legs, arms, pelvis, collar bone, shoulder, ribs, and other body parts. Motorcycle riders have very little protection, especially when they collide with a 4,000-pound vehicle.
- Road rash occurs when a biker slides on pavement and skin comes into contact with the pavement. When skin is scraped away by the road, dirt and debris can become lodged in the body. When the protective skin layer is lost, you are more susceptible to infections, and surgical repair and skin grafts may be necessary.
- Even when wearing a safety helmet and protective eyewear, motorcyclists frequently sustain head injuries after an accident. Head injuries can include skull fractures, eye injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and blood clots.
- Organ damage can be caused by bruising, punctures, blood pooling, tears, and inflammation. The liver, spleen, lungs, and other thoracic organs are frequently damaged in motorcycle accidents.
- Spinal cord injuries can be caused by severe impacts to the head or neck in an accident. The severity of a spinal cord injury varies, depending on the type of injury sustained. These injuries can cause partial or total paralysis, and they can be temporary or permanent.
How Much Is My Motorcycle Accident Worth?
Because of the severity of injuries often involved in motorcycle accidents and the resulting damages, securing full compensation is critical for your physical and financial well-being. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will thoroughly review the extent of your injuries, understand the long-term impacts they will have on your life, and how those injuries have caused you to suffer other losses and damages. It may be necessary to consult with experts, such as medical experts and financial experts, to value your motorcycle accident claim accurately.
Depending on the facts of your case, recoverable compensation in your motorcycle accident case may include the following:
- Healthcare expenses related to your motorcycle accident injuries, including costs of medications, medical bills, emergency treatment, medical supplies and devices, in-home care, physical therapy, and travel expenses for medical appointments.
- Lost income and benefits due to being unable to work during your accident recovery.
- Compensation for pain and suffering you experienced as a result of your accident, as well as emotional trauma and loss of enjoyment of life.
- If your injuries are long-term or permanent, you may also recover compensation for future healthcare and related expenses.
- You may also recover compensation for loss of earning capacity for long-term or permanent injuries that impact your ability to resume working in the same capacity that you did before the accident.
- Future pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other noneconomic losses may be available if you are not expected to fully recover from your injuries.
- In some cases, punitive damages may also be awarded if it is determined that the defendant acted maliciously or with intentional disregard of your rights.
Wrongful Death and Survival Actions in Milwaukee
When motorcycle accidents result in fatal injuries, surviving family members and the decedent’s estate might be entitled to compensation under two types of claims: a wrongful death claim and a survival action. These are two separate and distinct causes of action, but they may be consolidated into one trial in many cases.
Surviving family members bring wrongful death claims to compensate them for their losses due to losing their family member. If your loved one sustained fatal injuries in a motorcycle crash, you might have a wrongful death claim against the responsible party for the following losses:
- Loss of the decedent’s income and benefits
- Medical expenses
- Funeral and burial expenses
- Loss of society and companionship
Survival actions can be brought on behalf of an injury victim’s estate when he or she survived long enough after an accident to suffer damages before death. Recoverable compensation for survival actions includes the following:
- Pain and suffering experienced by the decedent before death
- Lost wages due to missed work
- Medical expenses incurred before death
Contact Our Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
At Cannon & Dunphy, S.C., our personal injury attorneys have recovered over $1 billion in judgments and paid settlements on behalf of injured victims across Wisconsin. As advocates for those harmed by negligence, we understand the devastating consequences of preventable auto accidents, as well as the tremendous needs victims incur. It is the reason why our Milwaukee personal injury attorneys are committed to holding at-fault parties accountable and securing the maximum compensation injured riders deserve.
Have questions about your rights following a motorcycle accident? Call our law office at (262) 782-2700 or contact us online for a free case evaluation of your motorcycle accident claim with our experienced Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyers.