Baltimore Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcyclists take risks every time they head out on the road. Even a well-trained motorcyclist who follows all safety rules cannot control the acts of drivers around them. Unexpectedly, a car can collide with a motorcyclist and forever damage a life. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident or someone in your family suffered serious injuries or died because of a motorcycle crash, our attorneys might be able to help.
Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyers represent victims of motorcycle accidents and their families in lawsuits against at-fault drivers.
We will fight so you and your family can have serious expenses covered, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. For a free legal consultation on your case, call our attorneys today at (410) 694-7291.
Should You Get a Baltimore Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
After a motorcycle accident, you have your first concern should be your health, but contacting a motorcycle accident lawyer Baltimore has trusted for over 30 years will make the process smoother and guarantee your rights are protected.
Hiring an attorney ensures you are not taken advantage of by the insurance company for the at-fault driver. Insurance adjusters will try to find any reason for placing blame on the motorcyclist. A lawyer will fight for you and hire investigators and a reconstructionist to prove you were not at fault for the accident.
In addition to proving fault, a lawyer will work to get you the most money for your injuries as well lost wages. Don’t be a victim twice after a motorcycle accident in Baltimore, speak with our lawyers today for a free case review.
What is the Average Payout for a Motorcycle Accident in Baltimore Md?
While each settlement or verdict for a motorcycle accident in Baltimore is different, we have found that motorcycle payouts are 20-30% higher than a non-liable driver or passenger in a car accident. To better illustrate this, below are some of our clients’ recent payouts for motorcycle accidents:
- $75,000 – A vehicle pulled out in front of the motorcyclist causing skin and soft tissue injuries
- $150,000 – the at-fault driver rear-ended the motorcycle causing the rider to be thrown from the bike.
- $276,000 – A truck ran a red light striking the motorcycle on the side and dragging the rider.
- $325,000 – A driver pulled out from a side street and took away the right-away for the motorcycle operator, causing broken bones, concussion, and brain injury.
These are just some examples, keep in mind each case is different, you should have our lawyers provide a free case review to determine the possible payout in your injury case.
What are Common Injuries from Motorcycle Crashes in Baltimore?
Common injuries suffered from a motorcycle accident include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones + fractures, and road rash.
Motorcycles do not have airbags, seat belts, or sometimes even lack windshields to protect riders. In the event of a crash, a motorcyclist is almost completely vulnerable to traumatic impact with another vehicle or the road.
Maryland requires all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear approved protective helmets. While helmets lessen the potential for serious head trauma and death, they do not entirely prevent brain injuries, and helmets do nothing to protect the rest of the body.
Even motorcyclists who wear all possible safety gear can still face life-altering injuries.
Many motorcyclists will struggle with permanent disabilities or disfigurement for the rest of their lives after an accident. You may be entitled to compensation and reimbursement for injuries.
Damages for Motorcycle Accidents in Baltimore
Motorcyclists can incur substantial losses from accidents, including medical expenses, the cost of future treatments, lost earnings, lost future opportunities, pain and suffering, and much more.
Damages can vary significantly from case to case, but one thing remains true: injured motorcyclists have the right to hold negligent drivers accountable for their losses.
Insurance companies are not always able to fully investigate and assess your accident, and they likely want to save as much money as possible. As such, the other driver’s insurance company may try to find a way to argue that you were at fault, and thus deny your claim.
It is vital to have someone on your side who can fight for you. Call our attorneys for help learning what your case might be worth and what damages you might be entitled to. Our attorneys can help you understand what your damages are worth instead of letting you rely on the at-fault driver or their insurance company to appraise your case.
Proving Fault in a Baltimore Motorcycle Crash
While motorcycles might not be as safe as cars, there is nothing about riding a motorcycle that automatically means you were at fault or that you contributed to your own injuries.
If you were involved in an accident where another driver was negligent or dangerous and caused the crash, the fact that you were riding a motorcycle should not be used against you to try to shift the blame.
Under Maryland law, a victim who was responsible for their own injuries is not able to sue. Using this rule, many defendants will seek to shift the blame to the motorcycle rider by claiming that a lack of a helmet, lack of safety pads, or other factors in the crash mean that the motorcyclist shared fault for their own injuries.
This kind of victim-blaming is often rude and uncalled for, and our attorneys will fight to prove that it was the other driver – not you – who caused the crash.
Many motorcycle accidents are clearly caused by the other driver. In some cases, however, the details and facts of the case must be presented in court to help a jury see what the other driver did wrong to cause the crash.
Many motorcycle injury cases rely on claims of negligence to prove that the other driver was at fault, which usually means pointing to some error in judgment or violation of duty committed by the at-fault driver, such as the following:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk or drugged driving
- Aggressive driving
- Speeding
- Following too closely
- Failing to check one’s blind spots
- Failing to yield
- Violating other traffic laws
Who Can You Sue in a Motorcycle Crash in Baltimore?
Many accidents are between two vehicles. In most cases, that means that your lawsuit would be filed against the other driver. However, if the driver who hit you was a commercial vehicle driver, their employer might be held responsible for the crash.
This is common in cases of taxi accidents, truck accidents, or crashes with a delivery driver. In those situations, the taxi company, the trucking company, or the delivery company who hired the driver might be responsible as the employer of someone who injured you while they were on-duty. Alternatively, they might be partly responsible in their own right for hiring a negligent or dangerous driver.
In most cases, you sue the driver directly, not their insurance company. Another driver’s insurance company is obligated under the terms of their insurance policy to cover certain damages their driver causes.
This means you will sue the driver who hit you directly, but their insurance company will often pay for the damages anyway. If you have first-party benefits on your insurance policy meant to cover your own injuries in the event of an accident, but your insurance company refuses to pay, our attorneys can file a lawsuit against them to help you get the damages you need.
Our Baltimore Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Can Help
An experienced lawyer can take the time to ask questions and investigate your case to get you the justice you deserve. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer at Rice, Murtha & Psoras can evaluate what happened in your motorcycle crash and determine whom to file your case against and how much you should claim for your injuries.
Our Baltimore motorcycle accident lawyers offer free legal consultations so you can learn more about filing your case and what our attorneys can do to help you and your family move on after a serious injury from a motorcycle accident. For your free legal consultation, call us today at (410) 694-7291.
