Motorcycle accidents can leave victims with very serious injuries – often more serious than the injuries sustained in similar car accidents. When motorcycle riders are hit by negligent drivers and put in dangerous situations on the road, their injuries should be compensated by these drivers.
For help getting the compensation you need after a motorcycle accident, speak with a Hempstead motorcycle accident lawyer today. Our attorneys can speak to insurance companies for you, help you gather evidence, and fight your case in court to get you the compensation you need.
Call The Carrion Law Firm today for a free case review with our Hempstead motorcycle accident lawyers. Our number is (718) 841-0083.
How a Hempstead Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help with Insurance Claims
If you are injured in an accident, the first place you turn for compensation might be an insurance claim. Unlike the no-fault rules for cars and drivers in New York that require victims to file with their own insurance first, motorcycle insurance rules place no such restrictions on your ability to file a claim. This means that you can file a claim directly with the at-fault driver’s liability insurance after a motorcycle crash. However, you might want help from a Hempstead motorcycle accident lawyer before saying anything to the insurance company.
Insurance companies are notoriously shrewd when it comes to how much blame they are willing to accept against their driver and how much they are willing to pay. Insurance companies will go through anything you say very closely, especially if they have a recorded statement to review. They will look for any inconsistencies with your story, admissions of fault, and admissions that your injuries were not that bad.
When you have one of our Hempstead motorcycle accident lawyers working on your case, we can handle most of these conversations with insurance for you. We can help you understand what exactly you should and should not say to insurance companies and how even things like “I’m sorry” might be taken as an admission of fault. When we file claims and handle statements, we help to insulate our clients from unfair blame and get the insurance company all of the information they need to decide in favor of paying you the full value of your case.
Evidence Needed for a Hempstead Motorcycle Accident Case
Whether you are trying to prove your case to the insurance company or before a court of law, you need evidence to support your claims. When our Hempstead motorcycle accident lawyers file a claim with the insurance company or file a complaint against the driver in court, our claim will start with the initial details of what happened, who was at fault, and what damages you faced. Ultimately, we will need evidence to back up each of those three points.
Evidence of What Happened
The story of what happened is an essential part of proving your motorcycle accident case. The evidence that tells this story will primarily come in the form of witness testimony. While it might sound strange to say so, both you as the victim and the at-fault driver as the defendant are also witnesses, and each of you will have to present your own testimony about what happened. If you have other witnesses that saw the accident and can also say what happened, their stories can help support your own story and strengthen your case.
Other objective evidence can also tell the story of what happened. Witnesses to the aftermath of the accident, such as EMTs and police officers, can also testify as to what they saw. Photos of the crash scene will also help show where cars ended up, potentially supporting your story of how the crash occurred. Lastly, if there is security camera footage or dash cam video of the crash itself, that will easily tell the story of what happened.
Evidence of Fault
Most of the evidence of what happened is going to double as evidence of fault. For example, your testimony that the other driver ran a red light or failed to signal before changing lanes would help support your claim that they caused the crash.
In the end, a lot of the evidence sets up the facts, and it is the role of your Hempstead motorcycle accident lawyers to connect the dots and argue how these facts prove fault. This is part of how our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers can help you with your case.
Evidence of Damages
Things like medical records, hospital bills, and doctor testimony can help show how severe your injuries were. Other economic damages, such as lost bills and increased expenses at home while you recover, can all be shown through financial records, bills, etc. Evidence of your pain and suffering can be harder to explain, but your own testimony and the testimony of friends and family can help show how the injury affected your life. Evidence of these types will be necessary to prove your damages in your motorcycle accident case.
Filing a Lawsuit for a Motorcycle Crash in Hempstead, NY
In many cases, insurance companies are reluctant to pay what they owe you, and their adjusters are reluctant to believe the evidence you present. In the end, the best way to get compensation in your case might be to file your claim in court.
In a lawsuit, your case will be decided by a neutral judge and jury who can listen to the testimony, look at the evidence, and make a fair judgment about what happened and who was at fault. It is vital to have a Hempstead motorcycle lawyer help with your case to ensure that all of the formalities for your case – deadlines, document formatting, etc. –are properly met. Your lawyer can also provide strong arguments and use our experience to navigate the legal system, potentially arriving at a strong settlement before your case even goes to trial.
Call Our Hempstead Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Today
For a free case review with our Hempstead motorcycle accident attorneys, call The Carrion Law Firm today at (718) 841-0083.