Motorcycle accidents are some of the most dangerous and life-changing events that can happen, often bringing with them significant injury and financial loss. As trusted Sandy Springs motorcycle accident lawyers, our dedicated team of professionals at Joel Thrift Law LLC works closely with clients looking for exceptional legal representation as they fight for the compensation they are owed. Our trusted Sandy Springs personal injury attorneys are available to help you navigate your financial and legal situation after a motorcycle accident.
Why Choose Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
With years of experience helping clients manage the challenges that come with motorcycle accidents, our legal team has a unique perspective and drive to provide outstanding legal guidance and transparent representation in the face of significant loss. We work closely with our clients to provide outstanding support and bring several benefits to you:
- Proven results: We have helped many people recover from devastating accidents by working to get them the compensation they need.
- Aggressive legal representation: Our team is always dedicated to our clients. That includes providing them with hands-on support and aggressive legal representation.
- Compassionate support: We understand the complexities of life after such a devastating accident. We continuously provide compassionate support on an ongoing basis.
As a trusted motorcycle accident attorney in Sandy Springs, GA, you can rely on Joel Thrift Law LLC to provide you with the guidance you need throughout this process. Request a free consultation. We are here to help you now.
Motorcycle Accidents in Georgia Create Deadly Outcomes
Any time a motorcycle accident occurs, the rider is faced with numerous potential risks of injury and even loss of life. Without any type of protective vehicle around them, their body is faced with the full force of the impact. This leads to numerous injuries, many of which are life-threatening, even in a slow-moving accident.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services notes that motorcycles in the state make up just 2% of all registered vehicles. However, in 2019, they made up 11% of all traffic-related fatalities and 21% of all driver-specific-related fatalities. The risks are severe for anyone who takes the road and finds themselves in an accident.
If your family member died as a result of an accident like this, we strongly encourage you to reach out to our Sandy Springs, GA, motorcycle injury attorney. Allow us to pursue financial compensation through a wrongful death claim and help you get the financial support you need right now.
Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents Requiring Long-Term Care
When you consider the risks of motorcycle accidents and work to understand your right to compensation, one factor to keep in mind is the impact of injuries. Some of the most common injuries are not easy to recover from, and many create long-lasting, negative outcomes that can be financially devastating to families. Below are some of the most common injuries that result in the need for long-term support:
- Traumatic brain injuries that can impact communication, physical abilities, and emotional well-being
- Spinal column injuries that lead to full or partial paralysis
- Broken bones that require surgical repair, plates, or other reconstruction
- Injuries that create deformities
- Burns and road rash, especially those that lead to infection, and reconstruction needs
- Internal organ injuries due to the force and impact
- Punctures that cause bleeding and damage to the lungs
- Back and neck injuries that lead to chronic pain development
While many people fully recover from motorcycle accidents, others do not. As your Sandy Springs, GA, motorcycle accident lawyers, we work very closely with you to ensure you are consistently able to get the legal guidance you need to fight for full compensation no matter how severe your injuries are.
Determining Fault: Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
One of the most important steps in filing a claim for your losses is understanding who is at fault. This determines who should pay for those losses. Many times, motorcycle riders are faced with unfair stigma that makes other drivers and even a jury believe they are at fault or were, in some way, engaging in reckless behavior. This is why it is critical to work with motorcycle accident lawyers in Sandy Springs, GA, who can prove you were not at fault.
Some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents caused by other drivers include:
- Distracted driving behind the wheel
- Speeding
- Failing to watch for motorcycles
- Failing to know how to treat motorcycles on roadways within the law
- Driving fatigued
- Reckless driving
- Construction zones that have uneven or unsafe terrain
- Hazardous environmental materials on roadways, including oil and grease or debris
- Mechanical issues with the motorcycle that cause unsafe conditions
- Aggressive driving
What happened in your situation is critical to fully understand before you try to file a claim for compensation. A component of this process will include determining what evidence is available to support your claims.
The burden of proof is on you, the victim. You must be able to show that this occurred through no fault of your own. That is complex to do, especially as a victim who may be struggling to understand what happened in the first place.
To obtain this evidence, our motorcycle injury lawyers in Sandy Springs, GA, will gather all evidence available to prove what occurred. While the local police officer responding to the scene will likely make a statement of fault in the case, this may not be the only information available. Our goal is to exhaust all details of what occurred so we can fight for full and fair compensation for you.
How Your Motorcycle Injury Attorneys in Sandy Springs, GA, Get Evidence
To prove fault or to determine what led up to the car accident while on your motorcycle, our attorneys work to gather as much evidence as possible from as many sources as possible. This information enables us to then be able to determine fault based on the facts, not just the opinions of the officer.
We obtain evidence from every resource available. As your attorney, we have a bit more ability to know where to look and what to gather. Some examples of information we may use include:
- Statements from you and the other driver
- Medical records for the other driver that may indicate intoxication
- Data from any onboard recorder or commercial vehicle log that indicates what the driver was doing prior to the accident
- Photos and video of the area from traffic cameras
- Statements from witnesses in the area
- Medical expert opinions on what occurred
- Data from accident recreation specialists
With this information, we can then work to gather more insight into what occurred, putting together a clear step-by-step sequence of the events. As a result, we are then able to use that to determine who caused this accident and why.
Multi-Vehicle Accidents Complicate Matters
It is not uncommon for motorcycle accidents to involve more than one other vehicle in Sandy Springs. In situations where there are numerous cars involved or other factors, like poor road conditions or construction crews present, that led to the incident, it is incredibly important that you have a motorcycle accident attorney with experience available to guide you. These complicated cases may require more attention and experience.
Pursuing Compensation from Your Motorcycle Accident in Georgia
Knowing who is at fault means you can begin to seek compensation for the losses you have. This is where our dedicated motorcycle accident attorneys will continue to work to support you, providing you with exceptional legal service to ensure you maximize the compensation owed to you.
To do that, we must consider a variety of factors. We do not quickly create a claim and send it off. Instead, we will provide you with a better understanding of all types of losses that relate to your case. We can then use that information to help you find the legal support you need.
Determining Your Economic Losses
The first step is to determine what economic losses you have. These are costs that come with bills, making them a bit simpler to track if you know what to look for to gather that information. Your economic losses may include many costs, including:
- Emergency medical care from the incident
- Surgical procedures
- Ongoing and secondary procedures and treatment
- Hospital stays
- Rehabilitative facility care
- Rehabilitation services at home
- Pain management services
- Lost time at work
- Loss of benefits from your employer
- Loss of property damage, including to your bike
These losses are often large and scary, especially if you are faced with long-term recovery needs, like learning to walk again or needing assistive devices.
Determining Your Non-Economic Losses
As a motorcycle accident attorney in Sandy Springs, GA, we cannot stress enough the importance of having a clear understanding of your non-economic losses as well. These are less specific and tend to be harder to calculate, but they are still viable losses you should be able to claim. Consider these examples:
- Emotional pain and trauma
- Physical impairment that impacts your ability to earn a living
- Loss of society and companionship
- Pain and suffering
- Development of depression and mental health challenges
- Loss of consortium
- Injury to your reputation
Our attorneys will uncover all of the ways this has impacted your life. This could include relationships, your career, your long-term ability to earn a living or build for retirement, and your overall quality of life. Because of how devastating such accidents can be, noneconomic damages can be quite high in many situations.
Considerations for Punitive Damages in Georgia
It is also important to consider the role punitive damages play in Georgia. In some situations, a judge may agree that your case was particularly devastating due to the driver’s behavior. Whether they were aggressive and intentionally caused the accident or they were intoxicated behind the wheel, this may lead to the award of punitive damages.
These damages allow you to potentially be awarded additional losses. When you meet with our motorcycle injury lawyers in Sandy Springs, GA, we’ll work to uncover what occurred and how these damages may or may not be a part of your claim.
Facing Obstacles with Insurance Companies with a Motorcycle Injury Attorney by Your Side
In many situations, it is critical for you to have a clear understanding of fault and losses before filing a claim. Yet, even with all of this information, insurance companies are not always willing to simply cut a check. They may push back against you and may make it hard for you to get the compensation you rightly deserve.
With the help of our legal team, we will not let you be bullied by the insurance companies into accepting an amount that is unfair or unjust. We also will consistently strive to ensure you maximize your compensation.
To do this, we provide several key tips to help you navigate insurance companies:
- Only provide the facts. When possible, simply only provide details you are confident in and no opinions of what occurred.
- Do not make statements that may seem like you are taking the blame. Do not apologize to them.
- Know your rights when it comes to sharing your medical information.
- Do not feel pressured to act within a specific date or timeline. You have the right to gather more information.
- Let your motorcycle accident attorneys handle the questions, the claim process, and the negotiation process for you.
There is no other factor that is going to help you minimize the complications that come from insurance companies other than working with a skilled attorney from Joel Thrift Law LLC. Even if we have to go to court, we will do so to fight for full and fair compensation for you.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Your Sandy Springs Motorcycle Accident Attorney Now
At Joel Thrift Law LLC, we provide our clients with exceptional support in these very difficult cases. When you meet with our Sandy Springs motorcycle accident lawyer, we will give you clear insight into what your rights are and what your case may be worth.
Set up a free consultation now to discuss your case with an attorney who understands what you are facing. Reach us now by calling our office.