Smyrna, GA Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycles have many advantages over sedans, SUVs, and other traditional motor vehicles, including fuel efficiency and compactness. On top of that, people choose to ride motorcycles because they are just plain fun. Accordingly, many Americans use motorcycles either recreationally or as their main method of transportation. Unfortunately, one of the disadvantages of motorcycles is that motorcycle riders are much less protected than people in cars if they get in a crash. Indeed, motorcycle accident victims often suffer grievous injuries that require expensive medical care.

Fortunately, there are things you can do after a motorcycle crash. With the help of our lawyers, you can fight back and get the justice and financial compensation you are owed after a serious accident. We can track down evidence, talk to adverse parties, build your case, and handle legal issues so that you have the best chance possible of getting a good outcome for your case.

For a free, no-obligation review of your case from our team of motorcycle accident attorneys, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (470) 287-3070.

Motorcycle Stereotypes in Smyrna, GA Motorcycle Accident Cases

The vast majority of people who ride motorcycles are responsible and take safety very seriously. However, motorcyclists have a reputation as being reckless thrill-seekers who do not care about the consequences of their actions. While we know this is not true, a canny defense attorney may try to play into this stereotype to either win outright or try and get a slightly better outcome for their client.

Our motorcycle accident lawyers will ensure that you are portrayed fairly as the responsible motorcyclist we know you are. We can point to things like good driving habits, the use of safety gear, and other factors to ensure that the judge and jury see you in the best light possible in your case.

Damages in Motorcycle Accident Lawsuits in Smyrna, GA

The ultimate goal of any motorcycle accident lawsuit is to get awarded financial compensation in the form of damages. Damages are the way that courts attempt to get the victim back what they lost because of their injuries. Naturally, getting back lost time and potentially lost ability due to injuries is not always possible, so financial compensation is pretty much always used as a substitute.

Economic Damages

Economic damages refer to things that can have their value readily displayed. For example, your medical bills will fall under this category because you can point to an invoice that shows how much they cost. Also included in this category is “lost wages,” which can refer to a couple of different things. First, lost wages can mean missed pay when you have to take time off work to recover from your injuries. Second, if you have to switch careers and take a job that pays less because of your injuries, you can get damages based on that difference in pay. Finally, if you can no longer work because of the injuries you sustained, you can get damages based on what you are projected to earn for the rest of your career.

The cost of repairing damage to your motorcycle and other property damage can also factor into the calculus. A totaled motorcycle or a seriously damaged one can be expensive to replace or repair, so you can get economic damages to offset that cost.

Non-Economic Damages

By contrast, non-economic damages are based on things that cannot have their value so easily demonstrated. Items in this category include things like the physical pain from your injuries, the mental effects of those injuries, and any emotional distress you experienced because of the accident.

Things like “pain” or “emotional distress” are not going to have a receipt attached to them, so you and our lawyers will have to work to show their value to the court in your case.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are different from economic or non-economic damages. They are not meant to get you back to where you were before an accident. Instead, they are meant to punish defendants who have acted especially badly. Courts do not always award punitive damages, as there is a higher bar to show that you are entitled to them, so be sure to talk with our lawyers about whether seeking these damages is right for you and your situation.

Calculating Damages in Smyrna, GA Motorcycle Accident Cases

In addition to breaking down what things you are basing your damages on, you also have to denote how much exactly you are asking for. For economic damages, we can look to the paper trail to find their worth. Calculating non-economic damages can be a little more involved. To do that, you need to sit down with our attorneys and figure out what the injuries you sustained in your accident are worth. There is no set method for doing this, but there are a couple of methods commonly employed by legal professionals.

The Multiplier Method

The multiplier method simply takes your economic damages and multiplies them by a reasonable number to come up with your non-economic damages. For example, if you have $100,000 in economic damages, you can multiply it by 2 to get $200,000 in non-economic damages for a total of $300,000 in compensation. The multiplier method is often used when plaintiffs are not necessarily going to fully recover from their injuries, so the amount might be higher than you would expect.

The Per Diem Method

Second, there is the “per diem” method. This method calculates an amount that represents you dealing with your injuries for one day, and then adds up each day you are dealing with your injuries to come up with your total non-economic damages.

Contact Our Smyrna, GA Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Now

Call (470) 287-3070 and speak to Rice, Murtha & Psoras’s motorcycle accident lawyers about your claim today.