Arizona Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you are aware of just how stressful the aftermath can be. You may have serious injuries due to the size difference between a passenger vehicle and your motorcycle, along with the lack of protection you are afforded. Traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries are common among motorcyclists that have been hit by a car. These injuries will require a lifetime of medical treatments, and the cyclist may be unable to work and make a living. Most insurance companies “cap” the amount they will pay for your injuries at a certain amount and a TBI or spinal cord injury often exceed that limit.
A motorcyclist who was wearing a helmet at the time of his or her accident is less likely to suffer a major traumatic brain injury, but can still suffer a serious concussion, skull fracture, or other injuries to the head, neck, and back. If you find yourself in this situation, unable to work, unable to pay your medical expenses, don’t face this situation alone. Talk to a highly experienced Arizona motorcycle accident attorney as quickly as possible to ensure your rights and your future are properly protected.
Why Should You Choose the Arizona Motorcycle Accident Lawyers from Ciccarelli Law Offices?
Should you find yourself injured in an Arizona motorcycle accident, you need help. You need help finding the medical treatments you need to begin to heal, help paying your regular monthly expenses while you are unable to work, and help getting an equitable settlement amount from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. You should not have to worry about anything other than getting better and getting your life back on track.
When you hire an attorney from Ciccarelli Law Offices, we will handle the insurance company, making sure they pay you what is right and fair. do not have to face this situation alone. While we understand that you have choices when finding an Arizona motorcycle accident attorney, we hope you will speak to an attorney from our office. We believe once you talk to us and we have answered your questions, we can take your motorcycle accident claim on a contingency fee basis. This means we don’t get paid unless we collect a settlement on your behalf.
We will fight for the medical treatments you need, reimbursement for your medical expenses and lost wages, and payment for your pain and suffering. We want you to know that attorney Lee Ciccarelli has been recognized as:
- Super Lawyer
- Top 100 Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers Association
- Having the highest rating (10.0) by AVVO
- One of the Top 100 Litigation Attorneys by the American Society of Legal Advocates.
If you want an Arizona motorcycle accident lawyer who truly cares about your future, contact Ciccarelli Law Offices today.
What Compensation is Available Following an Arizona Motorcycle Accident?
Many motorcyclists who are hit by a vehicle must undergo medical treatments for a very long time. This means they may be unable to return to work and make a living and that they will have very large medical bills to deal with. While every situation is different, your motorcycle accident attorney will ask for reimbursement for your current medical expenses, along with your future medical expenses, current lost wages, and future lost wages. These are known as “special” damages because they are easy to quantify—that is, there are actual receipts and numbers to calculate when reaching a final amount. Your attorney will know how to figure your future lost wages based on the position you had at the time you were injured, your education, and your expected career path if you had not been injured.
Additionally, you may also be entitled to receive pain and suffering. This compensation is for actual physical pain as well as for emotional pain and suffering that may include depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more. These are known as general damages because they are less easy to quantify because they are subjective. In other words, it is more difficult to put a specific number on your level of pain and suffering following your accident. In most cases, your attorney will take the total amount of your special damages, then use a multiplier from 1.5 to 5, depending on the severity of your injuries, to determine an amount for your pain and suffering.
Motorcycle Accidents in Arizona Fall Under Comparative Negligence
Some states operate under the theory of contributory negligence which means if it is found that you are the least bit at fault for the accident, you may not sue the other driver for damages. Under Arizona’s comparative negligence laws, even if you were partially responsible for the accident, you can still sue the other driver for damages. If it is determined that you were 25 percent responsible for the accident and your settlement is $200,000, then that amount would be reduced by 25 percent.
What Are the Most Common Injuries Associated with Motorcycle Accidents?
Motorcyclists do not fare well in an accident. If a helmet is worn, the likelihood of a traumatic brain injury goes down, but motorcyclists have little else in the way of protection. Some motorcyclists wear “leathers,” (leather leggings) that can protect the legs against road rash in the event of an accident, but during the warmer months, these are rarely worn. Road rash can be a very serious medical issue, as it can lead to major infections that can be difficult to get past for the victim.
Broken bones are common following a motorcycle accident, as are scrapes, cuts, bruises, strains, sprains, internal injuries, loss of vision, concussions, neck and back injuries, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, burns, and disfigurement due to scarring. Traumatic brain injuries can alter your life forever as cognitive issues are common, as well as dramatic changes in personality, and emotional problems.
Traumatic brain injuries can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat, affecting you and your family. Spinal cord injuries are the same, altering your life forever, perhaps making it impossible for you to ever return to work, and requiring many years—or a lifetime—of costly medical treatments. Whatever the level of your injuries following your motorcycle accident, an attorney from the Ciccarelli Law Offices will work on your behalf to secure the settlement you need and deserve for your future.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents?
Perhaps the most common cause of motorcycle accidents is drivers who fail to properly look for cyclists. Drivers today are often distracted or fatigued, making it even less likely they will see the much smaller motorcyclist. When a driver is eating, texting, talking on the phone, turning around to see what the children are doing in the back, or simply daydreaming as they drive, they are not watching for bicyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.
Drivers often make left-hand turns in front of an oncoming motorcyclist, seriously misjudging the speed of the cyclist, causing him or her to crash into the side of the turning vehicle. Other times, drivers park, then open their car door into an oncoming motorcyclist or back out from a driveway or parking lot without looking for motorcyclists. Drivers who are impaired, speeding, or otherwise driving recklessly can also cause an accident with a motorcyclist. In the end, even the safest, most skilled motorcyclist cannot avoid an accident when those in passenger vehicles are not looking for them.
What Should You Do Immediately After a Motorcycle Accident?
The first thing you should do following a motorcycle accident is to get medical treatment. Your health is of the utmost importance, and getting immediate medical attention is important. You should call 911 so that the police and emergency services arrive quickly. If you are physically able, take photographs of the scene of the accident and obtain contact information from any witnesses. Once you are home after receiving medical treatment, jot down everything you can remember about the accident.
Even the smallest detail could be important for y our attorney as he or she builds your case. If the driver’s insurance company contacts you, it is better to refer them to your attorney—the attorney you should hire as quickly as possible following your motorcycle accident. The sooner you have an experienced Arizona motorcycle accident attorney by your side, the more likely you are to receive an equitable settlement amount for your injuries.
Your attorney will fight for your rights every step of the way, after thoroughly investigating the accident and proving that the other driver was at fault. Your motorcycle accident attorney will make sure all paperwork is filed in a timely manner because he or she is cognizant of the statutes of limitations that govern the amount of time you have to file your claim. If you want to ensure you are protected every step of the way, you will hire an Arizona motorcycle accident attorney from Ciccarelli Law Offices.
Call Our Arizona Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Today
If you suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident in Phoenix, Chandler, Tempe, or anywhere in the state of Arizona, you need a law firm on your side. At Ciccarelli Law Offices, our Arizona motorcycle accident attorneys have the experience and resources you need to fight the insurance companies from the start. We can help motorcyclists obtain the compensation they need – and deserve after a serious accident.
Let Attorney Lee Ciccarelli help you through this difficult time in your life.