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If you or your loved one were injured in a motorcycle accident and have questions, then you have come to the right place. Laws and insurance policies can be confusing, especially for an accident victim who is still reeling from physical pain and emotional trauma.
At Regan Zambri Long, we aim to win the highest settlement possible for our clients, while keeping them informed of their cases. We hope most of your questions will be answered on this page. However, if you have more questions regarding your case, please reach out for a free consultation with an expert motorcycle accident lawyer. We will walk you through your claim and offer reasonable legal advice about how you should move forward.
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Motorcycle accidents and car accidents are different in four different ways – risk, cause, injuries, and liability:
When a motorcyclist gets on the bike, he or she must be aware of the inherent risk they are taking by driving a two-wheeled vehicle. Motorcycles do not have airbags, seatbelts, or any structure that can enclose and protect the rider. The lack of protection can turn a minor accident into a catastrophic accident.
The biggest cause of motorcycle accidents is low visibility. A 3,000-pound sedan is easy to spot on the road, but a 500-pound motorcycle is more difficult. Low visibility to drivers increases the chances of the motorcyclist getting into an accident with a car. Besides visibility, the most common causes of motorcycle accidents are:
Motorcyclists are at higher risk for life-threatening and life-altering injuries than car passengers for several reasons. The first reason is the lack of protection around the rider – there is nothing to protect him or her during an accident. Another reason is the difference in the weight and size of the vehicles crashing. Passenger cars are about 8 times the size of motorcycles. The impact of the crash will be greater on the motorcycle than on the car. Injuries motorcyclists may sustain during an accident are:
There is a general school of thought that motorcyclists are reckless and cause most accidents. However, that is not always the truth. Because of the discrimination against motorcyclists, proving liability in a motorcycle accident is more difficult than proving liability in a car accident. Many motorcycle accidents are caused by negligent car drivers. Crashes can also be caused by truck drivers, government workers, municipalities, and manufacturers. The Regan Zambri Long motorcycle accident lawyers are experts in determining liability and then building a rock-solid case to prove liability. We work tirelessly to ensure the highest amount of compensation possible for our clients. Call today for your free consultation with a DC motorcycle accident lawyer.
There are 8.3 million registered motorcycles in the United States, with about 83,000 accidents occurring per year. That means just over 1% of riders will be in an accident in their lifetime. In 2020, there were just over 300,000 registered motorcycles across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. If 1% of those riders are involved in motorcycle accidents, then about 3,000 residents across Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC will be involved in a motorcycle crash at some point in their lives.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, there were 5,579 motorcycle fatalities in 2020. With over 8 million registered motorcycles, that makes the fatality rate less than 1% for motorcyclists.
No law requires a motorcycle accident victim to have representation for a personal injury claim. You can represent yourself in negotiations with insurance companies. However, you need to know that hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer will increase your chances of settling for fair compensation. The claims process is full of deadlines and rules – if your paperwork is filled out incorrectly or not on time, you may forfeit any rights to compensation. Furthermore, insurance companies do not easily let go of money, even if they owe it to you. They will fight, tooth and nail, to lowball you and your loved ones.
The Regan Zambri Long personal injury lawyers have been in business for over 30 years and know every trick in the book. We understand the Maryland, Virginia, and DC laws. We know the insurance policies. We’ve negotiated with the insurance companies in the area and litigated in the courts. When you partner with us, we can help to ensure that you and your family are covered for the injuries you sustained during the motorcycle accident.
The first step in proving negligence in an accident case is determining the party or parties whose negligence led to the accident. In a motorcycle accident case, the most obvious negligent party is going to be the passenger vehicle driver. However, there are other factors and people that must be considered when determining who is liable for the accident. If multiple parties were responsible for your injuries and property damage, you can rest assured we will hold each party accountable for their negligent actions.
In a motorcycle accident case, the Regan Zambri Long lawyers will determine if the following parties hold liability in your claim:
To prove negligence, our attorneys will use the police report (which will be essential to your claim, so make sure you call the police after an accident!), photos and video, eyewitness testimony, and security footage if there is any available. We will work with a team of medical consultants who will prove that your injuries were the direct result of the accident.
Drivers have an obligation to other travelers on the road – stay focused on the task at hand and drive responsibly. Any breach of that obligation is negligence on the driver’s part. Our lawyers will remind the judge or jury of that obligation and demonstrate how the driver failed to meet the standard of care. With a Regan Zambri Long motorcycle accident lawyer in your corner, you will have a rock-solid case that will secure fair compensation.
There are two types of damages you can collect for a motorcycle accident – economic and noneconomic damages. Your Regan Zambri Long motorcycle accident attorney will work to secure monetary rewards for both.
Economic damages are usually awarded to the victim to help them be restored to how they were before the accident. The compensation is to help cover medical costs and property damage. For example, let’s say you were involved in a motorcycle crash and your bike was totaled. You had extensive injuries that required an ambulance ride to the hospital, a week’s stay, and rehabilitation. A personal injury lawyer will calculate the money needed to cover those costs and negotiate with the insurance companies to pay every last penny.
Noneconomic damages are awarded to compensate the victim for personal pain, emotional distress, and mental anguish. These damages are more difficult to calculate since there are no physical receipts. At Regan Zambri Long, our attorneys believe you should be compensated not only for tangible costs but for the pain and suffering you and your family had to go through due to someone else’s negligence.
Wrongful death lawsuits are for the family of a motorcycle accident victim who lost their life from the injuries. Wrongful death lawsuits will help the surviving family members with funeral and burial costs. If the family was dependent on the deceased’s income, a wrongful death lawsuit would help recover the lost wages.
If you are the surviving family of a motorcycle crash victim, reach out to a Regan Zambri Long DC accident lawyer today for a free consultation. Our compassionate lawyers will walk you through the claims process to help recover the compensation you and your family need.
Each state has its own statute of limitations. A statute of limitations is how long you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. It is essential that you work with a motorcycle accident lawyer who understands the deadlines in your jurisdiction. If you do not file your claim within the window allowed, you may not be able to collect compensation.
The Regan Zambri Long law firm practices throughout Washington DC, Virginia, and Maryland. The statute of limitations in all three jurisdictions are:
There are a few key components to any excellent personal injury lawyer – trust, success, and compassion. Look no further than the motorcycle accident attorneys at Regan Zambri Long. Our clients can trust that we will work diligently and tirelessly on your case to ensure you recover the maximum compensation available to you. Our lawyers have secured millions for our clients over the years, including a $1.6 million settlement for a motorcyclist involved in an accident. When you work with a Regan Zambri Long motorcycle accident attorney, you are working with the best in the DC Metro Area and we will fight fiercely to protect your rights.
The Regan Zambri Long motorcycle accident lawyers work on a contingency fee. This means we do not accept a fee unless we secure a settlement or verdict in your favor. To help build your case, we work with teams of medical consultants, professionals in accident reconstruction, and other legal experts. At Regan Zambri Long, our attorneys have the financial backing to pay for those services upfront so you do not have to pay for anything out of pocket during the claims process. Furthermore, when we negotiate the damages you are owed, we negotiate fees so the negligent party who caused the motorcycle accident will pay for our services.
