Motorcycle Accident Attorney Serving Riverside, CA
Riding a motorcycle gives riders a level of freedom and maneuverability that other drivers don’t enjoy. But riding a motorcycle can also make you exceptionally vulnerable to injuries caused by the unsafe actions of other drivers.
If you suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident, the party at fault should compensate you for all your accident-related losses. Unfortunately, the battle to recover the compensation you are entitled to can be grueling, which is why you need an experienced attorney by your side. Riverside motorcycle accident lawyer Michael Beliz of Beliz Law Firm is a top-rated advocate with extensive experience negotiating and litigating motorcycle crash claims.
Case Spotlight
$90,000.00 Settlement amountREAR END CAR ACCIDENT
The Beliz Law Firm obtained a $90,000 settlement on behalf of a 67-year old grandmother. The client was stopped in her vehicle at the intersection of Muller Street and Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim. While the client waited for the signal light to turn from red to green, a driver of a sedan was traveling at a speed of 60 miles per hour in an attempt to make a dentist appointment. The driver realized too late that there were stopped vehicles ahead and was unable to slow down the sedan in time. The sedan rear-ended the client’s vehicle and pushed it into the car ahead. The client’s vehicle was totaled.
The client was taken by ambulance to the University of California, Irvine hospital. The client was diagnosed with a non-surgical fracture to the sternum. The client stayed under the care of medical personal for a few days. Afterward, the client presented to her primary care physician for follow-up visits once a month for three months for the aches in her chest but no physical therapy was needed.
The Beliz Law signed the grandmother and filed a lawsuit against the negligent driver. After getting useful information about the driver through discovery and the defense of the client’s deposition, the case went to mediation and settled for $90,000.00.
Motorcycle Accidents Are Often Catastrophic
In 2020, more than 82,000 motorcyclists suffered injuries, and more than 5,000 died in motorcycle accidents. These numbers are staggering but not surprising when you consider that motorcyclists have four times the injury rate of passenger car occupants and that motorcyclist fatalities are 28 times more frequent than passenger car fatalities. If the devastation of a motorcycle crash has touched your life, you deserve legal relief for your losses and pain. An experienced Riverside motorcycle accident attorney can help you pursue the compensation you need to recover from your injury.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Staying safe on the road depends on many factors that are outside of your control. You have to contend with the conditions of the road, other drivers, and the reliability of any repairs made on your motorcycle or another driver’s vehicle.
In its 2019 Motorcycle Crash Causation Study, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that many motorcycle accidents occur because of the following:
- Distracted driving of another driver;
- Traffic obstructions, including construction;
- Road maintenance issues;
- Road design issues;
- Motorcycle vehicle failure;
- Speeding of another driver; and
- Poor driving maneuvers or decision-making of another driver.
For accidents caused by other drivers, you will likely have to seek compensation from the driver’s auto insurance company. You may also have legal rights against private construction companies, public entities, and state and local governments for failing to reasonably maintain and repair streets.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Immediately after a motorcycle collision, you need to take four steps:
- Report the accident to law enforcement;
- Document the accident by taking pictures and collecting witness information, including names and phone numbers;
- Seek medical attention for any injuries, even if you think they are minor; and
- Exchange information with the other parties involved.
Once you complete the above steps, you should contact an attorney to help you resolve your claim. Resolving your claim could include settling with an at-fault party’s insurance company, suing a wrongful actor in court, or both. An experienced Riverside motorcycle accident attorney can maximize your results and handle your claim while you focus on recovering.
Damages Available in a Motorcycle Accident
If you were injured in a motorcycle collision caused by someone else, you are entitled to seek the following types of damages in a claim or legal action:
- Economic damages to compensate you for past, present, and future financial losses, including loss of earning potential;
- Noneconomic damages to pay you for your pain and suffering and other emotional and psychological harms caused by your injury; and
- In some cases, exemplary damages to punish a wrongdoer whose behavior was fraudulent, malicious, or oppressive.
Remember that California law reduces accident awards by the percentage of fault the plaintiff had in the collision. That means the defendant will likely fight every step of the way to cast blame on you so that they don’t have to pay as much compensation. By hiring a skilled motorcycle accident attorney in Riverside, you can thwart a defendant’s efforts to reduce your recovery.
Deadline for Filing a Motorcycle Accident Claim
In general, victims of motorcycle accidents have two years to file a lawsuit to recover compensation for the injuries they have suffered. Two years is a short amount of time to recover from an injury, handle financial loss, and assert your rights in a legal action.
If you need to file suit against a public or government entity, you generally have only six months to do so. In addition to complying with the tight timeline for filing a government claim, you must also follow complex adjudication rules.
Whatever type of suit you initiate, you need the help of a skilled attorney. Motorcycle accident attorneys in Riverside can help you file your claims on time and argue on your behalf to help your claim succeed.
Beliz Law Firm Can Help
Beliz Law Firm is a leader among Riverside motorcycle accident law firms. Michael A. Beliz is a top-rated accident attorney who has over 15 years of experience helping injured Californians receive the compensation they deserve. The Beliz Law Firm team prides itself on giving every client small firm attention that yields big firm results. Michael has handled hundreds of cases and has helped his clients recover millions of dollars in compensation. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.
What Else Should You Look For In A Riverside Motorcycle Accident Attorney?
When you’re looking for the best legal representation for your personal injury case, you want to find someone you can trust.