Randallstown, MD Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Riding a motorcycle is not inherently unsafe, despite what many people would have you believe. A misconception exists that motorcyclists are risk-takers and thrill-seekers who are not responsible and have no regard for personal safety. This could not be farther from the truth. Most motorcyclists care a great deal about both their own safety and operating their motorcycles responsibly. This can make it all the more frustrating for responsible motorcyclists when they get in a crash because someone else acted irresponsibly and negligently.

Our attorneys can assist you if you got injured in a crash involving a motorcycle. We have represented countless plaintiffs injured in motor vehicle accidents, so we have the experience to make sure you are effectively represented in court. We will ensure that you sue the right parties for the right reasons and will not give up until every possible legal avenue has been exhausted.

For a no-obligation analysis of your claim, call the motorcycle accident attorneys from Rice, Murtha & Psoras by dialing (410) 694-7291.

Why Do Motorcycle Accidents Happen in Randallstown, MD?

Each motorcycle crash will have happened for different reasons. The unique factors that affect each claim will ensure that no two accidents will occur for exactly the same reasons. Having our motorcycle accident lawyers figure out the specific cause or causes of your accident is critical to your case’s success because the only parties you can get damages from are those that are found to have caused your accident.

Driver Mistakes

Many motorcycle accidents happen because someone on the road was negligent. “Negligence,” in the legal sense, means that another driver acted carelessly and, consequently, injured someone else. There are many ways that a driver can be negligent. First, it is negligent to disregard traffic rules and laws, so speeding, running red lights, drunk driving, and other traffic infractions can be considered negligent acts.

Second, drivers are negligent when they drive in an unsafe way. The legal standard for this is whether a reasonable person would have acted in the same manner as the defendant. If the answer is “no,” then the defendant/driver was negligent. The “reasonable person” standard for negligence is ultimately a question for the jury, so our motorcycle accident lawyers will work hard to demonstrate that the defendant acted negligently and not how a reasonable person would have.

Defective Motor Vehicles

Some motorcycle crashes happen because there is something wrong with the car, the motorcycle, or both. Indeed, defective products cause accidents every day despite all drivers acting responsibly.

Products – like cars or motorcycles – are considered “defective” when they will hurt the end-user if used in the way they are intended to be used. Here, motorcycles and cars are intended to be driven, so if a malfunction happens when either vehicle is operated normally, that vehicle is considered defective. The two primary types of defects the law deals with are manufacturing defects and design defects.

Manufacturing defects arise when someone makes a mistake at some point during the construction, repair, or maintenance of the vehicle. The party to blame could be a mechanic, the factory where the bike was built, or an auto repair shop. Examples of manufacturing defects include faulty electrical wiring, improperly installed airbags, and malfunctioning engines.

Design defects, by contrast, are there from the start. They are “baked in” to the motorcycle or car. So, even a vehicle made to specifications will still have dangerous problems. Examples of design defects in motorcycles would be ultralight frames that will not stand up to a collision or a fuel tank in a position that makes it likely to be impacted, igniting the fuel inside.

Bad Road Conditions

Sometimes, motorcycle crashes happen because of bad road conditions. Things like defective guardrails, potholes, and debris that have not been cleared yet can cause responsible motorists to crash. Generally, state or municipal governments have the responsibility of keeping Maryland’s roads in good order, so they may be targets of your lawsuit. There are some different rules for bringing claims against these entities, so you need to discuss the prospect of suing them early on when you talk to our lawyers.

Calculating Damages in Randallstown, MD Motorcycle Crash Claims

When you file a claim, you state what damages you are seeking and what you are basing them on. In order to determine the amount you ask for in damages, you and our attorneys will have to figure out the total value somehow. There is no set-in-stone way to determine the amount you ask for in damages, but two commonly employed methods are the multiplier method and the “per diem” method.

Multiplier Method

The multiplier method takes your economic damages – things like medical expenses and damage to property – and multiplies them by a given factor to determine the value of the other things in your case, such as physical pain and mental anguish. For example, if you have $100,000 in medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages, our lawyers may determine that multiplying that by a factor of 2 is correct in your case, so you would have a $100,000 in economic damages and $200,000 in non-economic damages for a total of $300,000 in damages. This method is most frequently employed when a plaintiff is not expected to ever fully get rid of the effects of their injuries.

Per Diem Method

By contrast, the “per diem” method figures out a value for each day you are going to deal with the effects of your injuries. That value is then added up for each day you are expected to deal with the effects of the crash to figure out your damages. This method is used when the plaintiff is expected to make a full recovery at some point in the future.

Talk to One of Our Randallstown, MD Motorcycle Accident Attorneys About Your Case

The motorcycle accident lawyers with Rice, Murtha & Psoras offer free case reviews at (410) 694-7291.