Motorcycle accidents can put you on the backfoot financially and physically. Because motorcycles tend to be less well-protected than other vehicles on the road, it may take you longer to recover from your losses than it would had you been in a car at the time of an accident.
Motorcycles’ vulnerabilities do not excuse other drivers’ poor behavior, however. Should negligence impact your motorcycle accident losses, 1Law can bring your claims to court. You can collaborate with a West Valley City, UT, motorcycle accident lawyer to bring home motorcycle accident compensation.
When you hit the road, it’s your responsibility to take steps to protect yourself from harm. When you’re riding a motorcycle, this means wearing a helmet and keeping an eye on traffic. That said, motorcycles are notably more fragile than other vehicles on the road. As such, other drivers owe you an elevated duty of care when driving next to you.
The term “duty of care,” when applied to motorcyclists, describes a motorist’s responsibility to acknowledge and protect a motorcyclist to the best of their ability. Drivers who engage in deliberately reckless behavior or who are negligent on the road violate their duty of care.
A motorcycle accident attorney in West Valley City can help hold these motorists accountable for accidents motorcyclists may find themselves in.
If you want to take legal action after a motorcycle accident, you need to work with a professional to assign liability for your accident. This means that you should determine who at the scene owed you a duty of care and in what way someone violated that responsibility.
While other motorists do tend to be the primary forces behind roadway accidents today, there are other parties that you can hold negligent for a motorcycle accident. These include:
It is always in your best interest to have evidence on hand to support your assertion of liability. When you have proof, from photos to bystander testimony, you can more readily convince a county clerk that your motorcycle accident claim has merit.
Evidence does more than help you establish liability in a motorcycle accident case. You can also use evidence found at the scene of your accident to establish to what compensation you may be entitled. After most motorcycle accidents, your request for compensation can include:
You can also reference state-approved multipliers to determine what the value of your non-economic losses may be. These losses can include pain and suffering as well as emotional distress. A West Valley City motorcycle accident lawyer can help you determine which of these factors to apply to your case.
If you want to bring your motorcycle accident claim to court, you need to move quickly. Utah Code Ann. §78B-2-307 allows parties injured in a motorcycle accident up to four years to submit their cases to a civil court. Anyone who isn’t able to bring their complaint forward within this deadline will waive their right to legal action – and motorcycle accident compensation.
After you’ve submitted a motorcycle accident complaint, you can discuss what you intend your next steps to look like. There are a few different ways that legal complaints allow you to address your losses. These include settlement negotiations and traditional trials.
You can alternate which approach you want to take depending on several factors. These include the cooperative nature of the defendant and the resources you have to dedicate to the legal proceedings. Our team can help you determine which of these paths – or some combination thereof – best suits your needs.
Motorcycle accident settlement negotiations allow you to discuss the economic extent of your losses with the party named liable for your losses. All interested parties can meet outside of the courtroom and according to their own schedules.
Our team of motorcycle accident lawyers in West Valley City still plays a vital role during the negotiations process. We can mediate these meetings for you. This way, the liable party won’t be able to intimidate you out of the compensation you deserve. We can also redirect the conversation back to our settlement estimate, highlighting proof of loss all the while.
You can begin a conversation about motorcycle accident losses with negotiations. Alternatively, you can move into negotiations while a court considers your case. So long as the judge and jury haven’t delivered a verdict on your losses, you can schedule time to meet with a defendant and discuss an alternative means to reconciliation.
If you’d rather let a judge and jury take control over your case, you can request that, upon approval, your complaint initiate a motorcycle accident trial. Trials allow you to present information relevant to your losses to a judge and jury with the intent of requesting that said parties deliberate your request for compensation.
Motorcycle accident trials consist of five stages. These include:
Our team walks you through each of these stages, ensuring that you have the right information on hand to meet the expectations of each. We also represent you throughout the trial process, ensuring that you have access to the database of legal knowledge needed to hold your position.
Riding a motorcycle lets you feel the wind in your hair after a long day at the office. You deserve the right to enjoy yourself – as well as to remain safe on the road. Should you get into a motorcycle accident, the team with 1Law can bring your losses before a judge and jury.
West Valley City motorcycle accident lawyers are prepared to help you fight for motorcycle accident compensation. You can meet with our representatives to learn more about what your legal options look like. We’re available to schedule case consultations over the phone or through our website. Contact us today.