Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Pawtucket, RI
Were you injured in a motorcycle crash in Pawtucket? If you were hit by a negligent driver or suffered a motorcycle wreck due to another party’s negligence, you may be entitled to pursue compensation for your injuries and related losses. Turn to a Pawtucket motorcycle accident attorney for help seeking the financial recovery you deserve.
At Bottaro Injury Lawyers, our award-winning legal team has advocated for years on behalf of injured accident victims in Pawtucket and throughout Rhode Island. We have secured millions in compensation for our clients through negotiated settlements and winning verdicts at trial.
Our firm stands ready 24/7 to begin investigating and preparing your case. With our No Fee Guarantee, you won’t need to worry about paying money upfront to hire our firm. We are paid only when we obtain financial compensation for you in your case.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash, reach out to Bottaro Injury Lawyers for a free initial case evaluation with a Pawtucket motorcycle accident attorney. Don’t hesitate to learn about your legal rights and options for recovering fair compensation.
Do You Have a Motorcycle Accident Claim?
You may have a viable motorcycle accident claim if you were injured in a crash caused by another party’s negligence or failure to use reasonable care to avoid hurting others.
For example, a driver who speeds through a red light and hits a motorcyclist entering the intersection would likely be considered negligent since they failed to follow traffic laws and use caution. A government agency that fails to maintain a road properly may be found negligent if a pothole causes a motorcyclist to lose control of their vehicle and crash.
Why Are Pawtucket Motorcycle Accidents More Complicated?
Injured motorcycle riders often face a more complicated process in recovering compensation after an accident for several reasons, including:
- Riders’ injuries are often more severe. Since riders have little protection in the event of a motorcycle wreck or a collision with another vehicle, motorcycle accident victims tend to suffer devastating personal injuries. More severe injuries mean more compensation is on the line, which can complicate motorcycle accident claims as insurers will negotiate harder when larger sums of money are involved. Claims can also become complicated if a rider is still undergoing treatment for motorcycle accident injuries since any financial recovery should include money for future expenses.
- Responsible drivers may not carry sufficient insurance coverage. Unfortunately, many motorists in Rhode Island choose to purchase only the minimum liability coverage required by state law. When these drivers injure riders in a motorcycle crash, their insurance coverage is often inadequate to compensate the rider fully. That means a rider may need to turn to other sources of compensation, such as filing an underinsured motorist (UIM)claim with their own motorcycle insurance company.
- Insurers sometimes try to avoid liability by shifting blame for a motorcycle crash to the injured rider. To try to reduce the amount of money they must pay an injured motorcycle rider, insurance companies may try to argue that the biker bears some of or all the fault for a crash. They frequently rely on unfair stereotypes and biases about motorcycle riders. An injured biker needs an attorney who won’t let them get away with it.
Benefits of Hiring a Pawtucket Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
When your time and energy are focused on treating serious injuries sustained in a motorcycle wreck, you need a dedicated advocate who will pursue full compensation from the parties at fault for the accident and their insurance companies. With Bottaro Injury Lawyers on your side, you can expect your Pawtucket motorcycle accident lawyer to:
- Conduct an in-depth investigation into the motorcycle crash to recover evidence they can use to prepare an effective legal claim on your behalf.
- Go over your legal rights and options with you so you understand what to expect at each stage of your motorcycle accident claim.
- Document the injuries and losses you have suffered through no fault of your own.
- Identify the party or parties at fault for the motorcycle wreck that you were involved in, as well as parties who can be held liable for the expenses and losses that you incur due to your injuries.
- Work with accident reconstruction experts to help them persuasively explain how the accident occurred and how the other party caused the crash.
- File your insurance claims and aggressively pursue maximum compensation through a negotiated settlement.
- Take your case to court and to trial, if you choose to do so, when litigation represents the best chance at securing a favorable outcome for you.
How Is Fault Determined After a Motorcycle Accident in Pawtucket?
Determining who caused a motorcycle accident in Pawtucket requires reviewing various kinds of evidence, including:
- Accident scene photos and videos
- Police accident reports, including records of any traffic citations or criminal summonses issued because of the accident
- Surveillance or traffic camera footage
- Dashcam or helmet cam footage
- Eyewitness testimony
- Post-accident vehicle inspections
- Cell phone records of the drivers involved in the accident
- Accident reconstruction expert reports
In Rhode Island, motorcycle accident claims are subject to the state’s comparative fault law. Under this law, an injured rider is not barred from pursuing a claim for compensation simply because the rider bears some share of fault for a motorcycle accident or their own injuries. However, any portion of responsibility that a rider bears for their injuries will proportionally reduce their compensation in an accident claim.
What Compensation Can Be Recovered After a Motorcycle Crash?
If you sustained personal injuries in a motorcycle crash that wasn’t your fault, you may be entitled to a compensation award that includes money for:
- Costs of medical treatment and rehabilitation of physical injuries you suffered in the accident
- Costs of long-term care for permanent disabilities that result from your injuries
- Lost wages or income if you take time off work to recover from the accident
- Loss of future earning ability if disabilities keep you from returning to your pre-accident work
- Physical pain, emotional trauma, distress, and the loss of enjoyment or quality of life
- Costs to repair or replace any property damaged in the accident
Statute of Limitations on Motorcycle Accident Lawsuits
If you get into a motorcycle accident in Pawtucket, you have a limited time to file a lawsuit to recover compensation. Under Rhode Island’s statute of limitations, you typically have only three years from the date of the motorcycle accident to file a lawsuit against the driver or other party responsible for the crash.
If you wait until after the statute of limitations expires on your motorcycle accident claim to file a lawsuit, the court will very likely permanently dismiss your case, and you will lose the right to pursue financial recovery.
Tips for Protecting Your Rights after a Motorcycle Wreck
After you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you should remember these tips to help preserve your legal rights and options for pursuing compensation:
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible after the motorcycle wreck to have your injuries from the accident diagnosed and documented.
- Take photos and videos of the accident scene and any visible injuries you suffered in the crash.
- Follow all treatment instructions that medical providers give you, and do not put off treatment or rehabilitation for your injuries.
- Keep copies of bills, invoices, and receipts for expenses that you incur because of the accident, as well as copies of your pay stubs or income statements if you miss time from your job or are disabled from working after the crash.
- Talk to a Pawtucket motorcycle accident law firm to learn what next steps you need to take in your case to pursue the financial recovery you deserve.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Injuries commonly suffered in motorcycle crashes include:
- Lacerations
- Abrasions and road rash
- Avulsions
- Burns
- Dislocated joints
- Ligament sprains
- Muscle and tendon strains
- Soft tissue injuries
- Broken bones
- Herniated spinal discs
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal organ injury and internal bleeding
- Facial injuries
- Head and traumatic brain injuries
- Traumatic amputations
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Pawtucket
Examples of the most frequent causes of motorcycle accidents in Pawtucket include:
- Speeding or driving too fast for road, traffic, and weather conditions
- Tailgating
- Reckless driving, including excessive speeding and weaving through traffic
- Unsafe lane changes
- Failing to signal or check mirrors when turning or backing up
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Distracted driving, including texting while driving
- Drowsy or fatigued driving
- Drunk or drugged driving
- Nighttime driving
- Inexperienced drivers
- Adverse weather condition
- Poor road maintenance
- Vehicle part defects
Talk to a Pawtucket Motorcycle Accident Attorney Now
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident caused by someone’s careless behavior, contact Bottaro Injury Lawyers today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a Pawtucket motorcycle accident attorney.