Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Driving a motorcycle might provide a unique sense of freedom while on the road, but riding also comes with risks. Motorcyclists are over-represented in fatal traffic crashes according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and in 2019 alone some 5,014 motorcyclists died. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, or lost a member of your family due to a motorcycle accident, you could be entitled to compensation.
Working with an experienced Atlanta, Georgia motorcycle accident lawyer from Butler Prather LLP as soon as possible following your accident will provide you support and ensure the best possible outcome in your claim or case. Call now at (800) 242-2962.
Why Choose Our Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyers?
Butler Prather LLP was founded in 1988 with the sole purpose of helping injured clients achieve justice, and compensation, following their accident. We represent clients who have been injured in car accidents, motorcycle accidents, large commercial truck and bus accidents, slip-and-falls, workplace injuries, and other personal injuries.
With our attorneys’ many decades of combined experience working with injured clients, you can rest-assured that we will recover the best possible compensation for your injuries. We have offices conveniently located in both Columbus and Atlanta, and have served clients in over 30 states. Our Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers are standing by to provide a risk-free consultation on your motorcycle accident.
Our Success With Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Clients
At Butler Prather LLP, we have helped our clients and their families recover settlements in excess of $100,000,000 on many occasions, and will work tirelessly to achieve the best possible outcome in your claim if we take your case. You can only recover damages you can prove with evidence that are properly claimed, and this is where we help.
Having an Atlanta personal injury attorney working on your motorcycle accident helps to ensure that you recover the full amount of compensation you are entitled to. Unfortunately, you do not automatically collect damages you are entitled to after your accident. You must claim your damages from the insurance company of the party liable for the accident.
If a fair settlement offer cannot be reached, then a lawsuit will need to be filed. An experienced Atlanta, GA motorcycle accident lawyer handles your claim every step of the way, from drafting and filing your claim to filing a lawsuit and arguing your case in court as necessary.
How An Attorney Can Help After an Atlanta, GA Motorcycle Crash
If we take your Atlanta motorcycle accident case, we will take over all aspects of your claim so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. This begins with collecting evidence about your accident and the parties involved to determine whether any other parties might be liable, and if they are insured and can cover your compensation. Then, it is time to collect evidence to accurately and completely calculate your damages.
Your damages include both short- and long-term costs associated with your injuries. Short-term medical bills like the emergency room, repair bills, and any lost wages are included. Long-term damages include any ongoing medical treatment, medication, or rehabilitation your injuries might require. Additionally, any impact that your injuries have upon your ability to work should also be included in your compensation. Calculating these amounts requires follow-up opinions from experts and knowledge of similar case outcomes in your area.
After your dedicated Atlanta motorcycle attorney from Butler Prather LLP is on the case, you can step back and focus on recovering from your injuries and getting past the accident.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Atlanta
One of the greatest risks facing motorcycle drivers is other drivers on the road, especially distracted drivers, impaired drivers, or drowsy drivers. Distracted driving in Georgia is one of the greatest risks facing motorcycle drivers, and is when a driver engages in any activity that takes their eyes and mind off the road, or hands off the wheel. Common examples of distracted driving include texting or talking while driving, using the in-dash display or radio, or using GPS to navigate while driving.
Each day in the United States, 29 people die in motor vehicle crashes involving an alcohol-impaired driver according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. When a driver is intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, they are unable to safely respond to road conditions, or to drive safely. If a driver has made the decision to get behind the wheel while intoxicated, they will be liable for any injuries they cause if they hit you.
Another risk facing both motorcyclists and other drivers on the road alike is drowsy driving. A driver is breaking the rules of the road when they get behind the wheel when fatigued due to a lack of rest. When a driver is engaging in drowsy driving, their reaction speed is slowed and ability to focus is decreased, leading to an increased likelihood of accidents.
Types of Injuries A Motorcycle Accident Can Cause
Motorcycles can be especially dangerous as their drivers are not surrounded by a steel chassis and protected by seatbelts and airbags like the occupants of passenger vehicles like cars, SUVs, or vans. Common types of injuries we can seek compensation for from your motorcycle accident include:
- spinal and nerve damage
- traumatic brain injury
- broken/fractured bones
- the wrongful death of a loved one
- neck and back injury
- skin damage and disfigurement
Being injured in an Atlanta, Georgia motorcycle crash entitles you to compensation for the costs and damages associated with your injuries. This includes any costs of your present and future medical care and related treatments, as well as any lost wages and impact on your ability to earn. You can only collect compensation you can prove, and your Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer will help every step of the way.
If you have lost a loved one in a motorcycle crash, you and your family could be entitled to compensation through a wrongful death claim. In this type of claim, your attorney steps into the shoes of your lost loved one, and recovers damages for the loss of the financial and emotional contribution of your loved one to your family.
What to Do After an Atlanta, GA Motorcycle Accident
Immediately after your accident the health and safety of everyone involved should be prioritized. Emergency medical care and assessments should be sought out to ensure that the adrenaline associated with your accident does not cover over symptoms of injury. Then, calling the police to write an accident report and to assist in the exchange of insurance information is helpful.
After your accident, emergency medical care, and the exchange of insurance information, it is time to contact an Atlanta accident attorney. To collect compensation for the costs and damages associated with your injuries, you’ll need to collect evidence then file a claim with the insurance company of the party responsible for the accident. Your attorney helps to determine which parties are liable for the accident, and to then determine what your damages are.
How do you know what the other driver or drivers involved in the accident were doing in the moments leading up to the accident? While you are driving responsibly, you cannot possibly expect to be able to look into the other vehicles in the accident to see what the other drivers were doing. If they were drunk, distracted, drowsy, speeding, or otherwise responsible for the accident, evidence must be collected to determine this.
Your Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer will use legal instruments like depositions, interrogatories, and requests for production to determine what the other drivers were doing prior to the accident. Collecting this information can be difficult while you are recovering from your injuries, which is why having a lawyer on your side as soon as possible after the accident will lead to the best possible recovery.
What is Negligence and How Is It Proven?
In an auto accident, when another driver was engaging in an activity that violates their duty to you, or to the rules of the road, they are liable for the damages caused. To determine whether another driver was negligent or otherwise liable for your damages, you will need to collect evidence and apply the facts and circumstances of your accident to the elements of negligence.
Negligence is comprised of:
- duty – a party must have some responsibility to the injured person, like how drivers must be responsible and safe on the road, paying attention to motorcyclists
- breach – the duty that the other party had must be broken, like when a driver speeds or gets behind the wheel while drunk
- causation – the breach of duty must be the cause of the injuries that resulted from the accident, like when a speeding driver runs a light and hits your car, injuring you
- damages – the injuries from the accident must lead to damages, which are the costs associated with the accident that you are entitled to recover
The elements of negligence are applied to the unique facts and circumstances of your motorcycle collision. Then, evidence is collected to determine fault and accurately measure your damages to inform your claim. Your Atlanta, GA personal injury lawyer handles your motorcycle accident claim every step of the way so you can focus on recovering from your injuries while your injury lawyer focuses on putting together your personal injury claim and negotiating the best outcome.
What If Both Drivers Were at Fault?
The state of Georgia is an at-fault state, meaning that drivers who cause accidents due to their negligence are liable for the damages caused. When both drivers are at fault, you can recover the amount that the other drivers were responsible for. This is because Georgia is also a state of comparative negligence, which means that you can collect damages in proportion to the fault of the other driver. For example, if the court finds that you were 45% liable for your accident, the other driver will be liable for 55% of your costs.
Single Driver Motorcycle Accidents
Common causes of single-driver motorcycle accidents include inadequate road signs, manufacturing issues, poor driving by others, and adverse weather conditions. While an accident might not involve two vehicles, the poor driving of another vehicle could cause an accident that entitles you to compensation, even if their vehicle does not collide with yours.
Motorcycle Accident Statute of Limitations in Georgia
When you are injured in an accident, under Georgia Law you will generally have two years to file your claim. If your claim is not filed within two years after the accident, the statute of limitations comes into play, which is basically the expiration date of your ability to collect damages from your accident. In some instances, the statute of limitations begins when you discover the injury.
It is essential that you bring your claim within the statute of limitations so that you can collect the compensation you deserve. This requires that you apply the law to the unique facts and circumstances of your accident, and this is where your experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer helps.
Contact Our Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Today
To support the best possible outcome in your claim or case, schedule a consultation with Butler Prather LLP at (800) 242-2962 now. Our dedicated and experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyers are standing by to provide you with a risk-free, cost-free consultation on your motorcycle wreck. You are not obligated to anything if we review your case, and if we take your case you never have to pay anything out-of-pocket.
When we take cases, we take them on contingency, which means that we are only paid if we win on your case. Our payment comes out of a portion of the amount we earn for you that we’ll agree upon before getting started on your case. The more you earn, the more we earn, so you can trust that our Atlanta and Columbus motorcycle accident attorneys will seek the highest possible amount possible for your motorcycle crash.
With our experienced law firm on the case, we take over the day-to-day communications and help you schedule follow-up appointments to collect evidence. Then we’ll draft and file your claim, and if necessary take the insurance company to court, so that you collect the full amount in compensation you are entitled to.
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Additional Information
- Fact Check: Motorcycles Are More Dangerous Than Cars
- Motorcycle Crashes Caused by Bad Roads and Dangerous Drivers
- Can I File a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Georgia If I Wasn’t Wearing a Helmet?