Many people in California enjoy riding motorcycles on the state’s highways. People might enjoy motorcycles to take in the views and as an economical form of transportation. Unfortunately, motorcyclists have much higher risks of suffering from serious injuries or being killed when they are involved in accidents. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 4,985 motorcyclists were killed in crashes in 2018. In addition, thousands of other motorcyclists are injured in collisions each year. If you have suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident that was caused by someone else’s negligence, you should talk to the experienced attorneys at the Valley Accident Lawyers. We represent injured victims in Beverly Hills and throughout the San Fernando Valley to help them to recover compensation for their losses.
Proving negligence after a motorcycle accident
Most motorcycle accident lawsuits are based on claims of negligence. Negligence occurs when someone acts or fails to act with the degree of care expected of reasonable people under similar circumstances. To prevail in a motorcycle accident negligence claim, you will have to prove the following elements:
- The defendant owed a duty of care to you.
- The defendant breached his or her duty of care.
- The defendant’s breach of the duty of care directly or proximately caused your accident and injuries.
- You were harmed as a result.
Several parties might be liable for a motorcycle accident. The motorcycle operator, the driver of the other vehicle, a manufacturer of a defective part, and the entities that are responsible for maintaining and repairing the roads might all be liable for causing a motorcycle accident. Experienced lawyers carefully investigate how motorcycle accidents occurred to identify all of the liable parties. This helps their clients to maximize the potential sources of recovery so that they might secure fair compensation for their losses.
What are the damages that you might recover in a motorcycle accident claim?
The monetary compensation that might be available in a motorcycle accident claim will depend on the unique facts of each case. This means that the value of these types of claims varies from case to case. The types of damages that might be available include compensatory damages and punitive damages. Compensatory damages include general damages and special damages. Special damages are monetary awards for your actual pecuniary losses while general damages are monetary awards for the noneconomic losses that you have suffered.
Some of the types of compensatory damages that you might be able to recover include the following:
- Your past medical costs
- The medical costs you are anticipated to face in the future
- Your past lost wages
- Your future reduction in your ability to earn an income
- Property losses
- Your physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma or mental anguish
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Disability
- Loss of consortium
Valuing special damages is fairly straightforward. Placing a value on your general damages may be more difficult since these damages are for nonecomic losses. Your attorney might work with economists and medical experts to help to determine your special damages and might rely on formulas and calculations to value your general damages.
Unlike compensatory damages, punitive damages are not designed to compensate you for your losses. Instead, these damages are awarded to punish defendants whose actions were egregious. As a consequence, they are only available in rare cases.
Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer Beverly Hills
Suffering serious injuries or losing a loved one in a motorcycle accident can be devastating and permanently alter your life. You might be entitled to compensation to pay for your economic and noneconomic losses that have resulted because of the accident. The Valley Accident Lawyers are dedicated to helping motorcycle accident victims recover compensation in a fair amount. Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer Beverly Hills at our firm today to schedule a free consultation by calling us at 818.565.6600.
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If you or a loved one has been injured, you will want a top rated San Fernando Valley personal injury attorney that understands how to get the maximum compensation you deserve. Our pledge is to be your partner, and provide passionate, yet skillful legal representation needed to win your case. Contact our highly trained personal injury lawyers today for a free case evaluation.
