California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Serving Orange County Injured Victims
If you own a motorcycle in California, you are one of many. According to the Federal Highway Administration, California is home to nearly 800,000 registered motorcycles. That is, by far, more than any other state. You probably own a motorcycle for several reasons, not the least of which is that the weather is accommodating to this mode of transportation and the scenery here is beautiful.
Unfortunately, this means that California is home to a large number of motorcycle accidents. Every year, thousands of people are injured and hundreds are killed in these crashes. If you or a loved one has faced such a situation, you are likely encountering several different forms of stress and struggle. You need to get back on your feet. You need to find a way to pay those mounting medical bills. You need to get back to work. You need to settle the situation with the insurance company or companies involved. This is all very difficult, particularly for someone who is already suffering through an ordeal of physical and emotional pain.
If you could take just one step to alleviate several of these existing concerns/sources of stress, would you do so? At this point, you need to focus on your medical recovery. You can allow yourself more time for that by seeking the advice of a California motorcycle accident lawyer at Montevideo Law. Contact the firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.
The Crash Was Likely Not Your Fault
If you were riding a motorcycle and you were injured in a collision with another vehicle, statistics indicate that it’s likely that the other motorist caused the accident. In 2013, the Sun Sentinel, a newspaper in South Florida, published an article that described the results of a Florida Department of Transportation study. The study reviewed 10 years of motorcycle accident data in Florida, and the researchers concluded that when motorcycles collided with other vehicles, the drivers of those other vehicles were at fault 60 percent of the time.
The reason as to why this is the case should be clear: Drivers of cars, trucks, and SUVs simply do not see motorcyclists quickly enough, often enough to avoid motorcycle accidents. Their eyes are trained to spot larger vehicles and avoid them. Smaller vehicles such as motorcycles and bicycles often do not ‘register’ in the minds of motorists, and the same holds true with regards to pedestrians. It only makes matters worse when one considers the obvious physical disadvantage faced by any motorcyclist who collides with a larger vehicle.
Your Potential Costs
In 2012, the Government Accountability Office published a study that analyzed the costs associated with motorcycle accidents. The GAO used motorcycle crash data from 2010. The researchers uncovered the following data:
Approximately 95,000 motorcycle accidents occurred in the United States in 2010.
More than 4,400 of these motorcycle crashes resulted in at least one fatality.
Motorcycles accounted for 3 percent of all registered vehicles in the United States in 2010.
Motorcycles were involved in approximately 15 percent of all fatal traffic accidents that year.
The study looked closely at the direct costs associated with motorcycle accidents in the United States. It found that these crashes led to approximately $16 billion in losses. That leads to an average cost of more than $168,000 per accident. The specific types of costs used in this analysis included:
- Medical costs
- Emergency services
- Loss in market productivity
- Loss in household productivity
- Workplace costs
- Legal costs
- Travel delays
- Property damage
The loss in market productivity, or basically lost wages incurred by people who were injured in these crashes, accounted for 44 percent of the overall amount lost, or over $7 billion. Medical costs accounted for 18 percent of total losses, or just under $3 billion.
If you have been wrongfully injured in a motorcycle accident, you could be faced with a terribly difficult if not untenable financial situation based both on the losses you have already incurred and those that you will face in the future. This is just one of the reasons that you need to seek the input of a California motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible if you face this struggle.
You Are Not Alone
If you’re wondering how you’re going to get through this challenging time, one of the first things you should remember is that you are far from alone. According to data provided by the University of California-Berkeley, more than 1,000 Orange County motorcycle accidents occurred in 2016. 28 of those collisions were fatal and nearly 200 people suffered severe injuries. More than 500 people suffered visible injuries. Based on the data above, it’s estimated that people suffered $179 million in losses because of Orange County motorcycle accidents in 2016.
Simply put, you need to recover your losses. You need to do so in such a way that:
- You account for all of your past, present and future losses.
- You include your less tangible forms of loss.
- You pursue your recovery within the timeframe specified by the statute of limitations.
- You aren’t spending an inordinate amount of time managing your financial recovery effort.
Contact an Orange County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The best way to make all of this happen simultaneously is to obtain the help of an Orange County motorcycle accident lawyer at Montevideo Law. The firm has secured millions of dollars in judgments and settlements on behalf of clients and can help you decide you to proceed with your potential case. Contact the firm today to schedule a free initial consultation.
