New Haven Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycles can be fun to ride, but they are some of the most inherently dangerous vehicles on the road due to the very limited protection they offer in a crash. They are also smaller and easier to overlook than most other vehicles, and all motorcyclists need to acknowledge these risks regardless of their experience levels. A New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer can help if you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident.

Representing Motorcycle Accident Victims in New Haven, CT

Dolan Injury Lawyers, PLLC, offers client-focused and responsive legal counsel for all types of vehicle accident cases in New Haven and surrounding areas. Our firm has years of experience helping accident victims recover from auto insurance claims and personal injury claims, and we are ready to apply this experience to your case. You have a limited time to seek your recovery, so it’s vital to connect with a trustworthy attorney as quickly as possible.

While it is technically possible for the victim of a vehicle accident to pursue compensation for their damages on their own, it is a very challenging process and unlikely to yield the result you hope to see. You would be forced to meet strict filing requirements with the court, confront major insurance carriers that will seek to undermine your claim, and face all of these legal challenges while recovering from painful injuries and managing your personal affairs.

Instead of making an already challenging situation even more difficult by trying to handle it alone, working with a New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer can significantly improve your chances of not only succeeding with your recovery efforts but also maximizing your recovery. Our goal is to help our client resolve their motorcycle accident case efficiently and secure maximum compensation for their damages.

Proving Fault for a Motorcycle Accident in New Haven

Fault is a central issue in every vehicle accident case involving more than one party. If you believe another party is responsible for causing your motorcycle accident, you must be prepared to prove fault for the incident before you can recover compensation for your damages. Motorcycle accidents happen in many of the same ways that all other vehicle accidents in New Haven happen.

Driver negligence is the most common cause of all vehicle accidents in the state, and this can take the form of distracted driving, speeding, and moving violations. Negligence refers to any failure to exercise reasonable care in a given situation or failure to meet a specific duty of care. For example, all drivers have a duty of care to operate their vehicles attentively. Distracted driving is a violation of this duty of care.

Alternatively, motorcycle accidents can also happen when drivers break the law. A common example of this seen in the New Haven area is intoxicated driving. Not only would an intoxicated driver face civil liability for the damages they caused to others, but they would also face criminal charges for breaking state law. This can complicate a personal injury case in various ways, and your attorney can help you understand any such implications in your case.

It may also be possible that you have little to no recollection of how your accident happened due to your injuries, or the crash may involve highly technical issues that require the attention of specific professionals. An attorney can coordinate expert witness testimony for you if necessary to resolve any such issues. These experts can provide valuable insights that can help you prove fault and establish the extent of the effects of the defendant’s actions.

Your New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer can help you gather the evidence you will need to prove fault for your recent accident. This could include drivers’ cell phone records, vehicle computer data, traffic camera footage, and testimony from witnesses who saw the accident happen. It is important to consult an attorney as soon as you can after your accident so they can begin gathering the evidence you will need to establish fault for your accident.

Understanding Comparative Fault in Connecticut Accident Cases

While it is possible for a vehicle accident to be the fault of a single driver, it is also possible for multiple parties to share fault for an accident. This could mean multiple defendants sharing liability for an injured plaintiff’s damages, but it is also possible for a plaintiff to bear partial responsibility for causing their claimed damages. In such a case, the state’s modified comparative fault rule comes into play and affects the outcome of the case.

It’s relatively common for defendants accused of causing accidents to attempt to deflect blame for these incidents onto others, including the victims of their actions. Whether you have been confronted with a false accusation that you contributed to causing your accident or you do share blame for the incident, it is important that you consult your attorney to determine how to prove the truth of the situation.

Under the modified comparative fault statute, as long as a plaintiff is less at fault than the defendant, they can still claim compensation for their damages. However, the plaintiff will lose a percentage of their case award equal to the fault percentage assigned to them. If you have any reason to believe you may be partially responsible for causing your recent motorcycle accident, it is imperative to discuss these concerns with an attorney right away.

Filing an Auto Insurance Claim for a Motorcycle Accident in New Haven

Every driver in the state is required to have auto insurance that meets basic coverage requirements. This insurance will cover bodily injuries and property damage in an accident up to the coverage limits of the policy. However, insurance companies will generally push back against claims for compensation whenever and in whatever way they can. It’s important to have an experienced attorney help you file your claim.

Insurance company representatives are trained to use a claimant’s own words against them and to look for all justifications they can find to offer lowball settlements or outright deny claims. Some will even engage in bad faith tactics in their efforts to avoid paying fair compensation. However, if an insurance company notices a claimant has legal counsel, they are more likely to process the claim efficiently and in good faith, extending a fair settlement offer.

Your New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer can help ensure your case is handled in good faith. They will guide you through the claim filing process, address any disputes the insurance company might raise against your claim, and assist you in uncovering all the various forms of compensation you are eligible to claim from the defendant. If insurance won’t fully cover your losses, your attorney can help you build a personal injury suit against the at-fault driver.

Recovering With a Personal Injury Claim After a Motorcycle Accident

A personal injury claim is a civil suit seeking compensation for damages. If you can prove another party is directly responsible for causing your recent motorcycle accident in New Haven, you have the right to claim full compensation for all damages they caused. Their insurance may cover some of these losses, but any damages you cannot recover through insurance must be claimed with a personal injury suit.

Connecticut’s personal injury laws allow an injured plaintiff to claim full repayment of any direct financial losses they suffered because of a defendant’s actions. The plaintiff must prove the nature and severity of these economic damages and prove that the defendant is solely responsible for causing them. The economic damages you may be able to recover with a personal injury suit in New Haven might include:

• Property losses, such as the cost of repairing or replacing your vehicle. The at-fault driver’s insurance may cover some property damage, but any remainder their insurance won’t cover can be sought as economic damages in a personal injury case.
• Medical expenses. Motorcycle accidents have a high chance of resulting in catastrophic injuries, and a victim may require extensive immediate and ongoing medical treatment in order for them to reach maximum medical improvement from their injuries. Your attorney can help you assess the extent of the medical expenses resulting from your accident and hold the defendant accountable for the cost of all treatments you require.
• Lost wages. When a personal injury prevents you from working for an extended time, the defendant is responsible for the income you were unable to earn during your recovery. Additionally, if your accident left you permanently disabled and you cannot work in the future, the defendant would also be liable for your lost future earning capacity. Your attorney can help you accurately calculate these projected damages.

Your case may be worth more than you initially expected once you have an experienced New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer investigating it. However, beyond your economic damages and future financial losses resulting from the accident, you also have the right to seek compensation for the pain and suffering you experienced.

The average person may not know how to determine a monetary value for intangible damages like physical pain, emotional distress, and psychological trauma, but your attorney can help you determine an appropriate amount to seek with your personal injury claim. State law does not cap or limit pain and suffering compensation in most personal injury cases, and the more serious a plaintiff’s injury, the more compensation they are likely to receive.

Settlement Versus Litigation for a Motorcycle Accident Claim in New Haven

Many personal injury claims filed in the state are resolved privately in settlement negotiations. When a defendant is clearly to blame for a personal injury and accepts liability, settlement offers them the chance to resolve the case more quickly, which will entail less expense than litigation. However, settlement may require both parties to be willing to compromise on mutually acceptable terms to resolve the case.

If settlement is not a viable option, or if settlement negotiations fail, the case will need to be resolved in court. Litigation can be a lengthy and stressful process for all parties involved, and the court will have the final say on the outcome. Ultimately, there are potential benefits and possible disadvantages to both settlement and litigation when it comes to resolving a personal injury case. Your attorney can explain what to expect with either option.

How Your New Haven Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help

The right attorney can have a tremendous positive impact on your experience with your motorcycle accident case and the final outcome. Trust them to guide you through your proceedings efficiently and assist you in resolving any unexpected disputes you encounter as your case unfolds. Dolan Injury Lawyers, PLLC, approaches every accident case we accept with the intention of helping our client recover as much as possible.

We know how to build the foundation of an effective civil suit and how to gather the evidence our client needs to firmly establish liability for their accident. Trust us to secure traffic camera footage, witness testimony, and any other evidence you may need to establish liability for your accident. We can also assist you in proving the full extent of all the various damages you are eligible to claim from the at-fault driver.

Our firm has confronted many major insurance carriers on behalf of our New Haven clients and knows the tactics they often use against unwary injured claimants. We can help you maximize your insurance claim settlement and, if necessary, build a compelling civil claim for you. If you must file a personal injury suit to recover from your accident, we will do everything we can to maximize the total compensation you win from the defendant.

You have a relatively limited time in which to pursue your recovery from a motorcycle accident in New Haven, and the first steps you take following the accident are crucial. Dolan Injury Lawyers, PLLC, is ready to assist you in building a comprehensive case aimed at securing maximum compensation for your damages. Contact us today and schedule a free consultation with a New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer about your case.