Motorcycle Accident Lawyer MN

 

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Motorcycle Crash Attorney Minnesota

Motorcycle Accident Injury Lawyers MN

Our attorneys represent people injured in a motorcycle accident. We have 25 years’ experience successfully handling hundreds of personal injury cases throughout Minnesota. Our cases include when a motorcycle is hit by a car or a passenger is hurt because the driver lost control.

The motorcycle accident injury our lawyers see most frequently is severe road rash scars. However, many cases involve a broken bone, brain injury, and other types of injuries from a motorcycle crash. In you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in MN there are many complicated insurance issues that arise. This is why you should talk to an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney soon after the accident. We will answer your questions and deal with the insurance issues. We also conduct any necessary investigation including getting accident reports, video recordings and interviewing witnesses.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY STATISTICS

According to the Department of Transportation, there are over 8,410,255 motorcycles registered in the United States. To put this number into perceptive, one of every 36 people you meet in the U.S. probably has a motorcycle. There are over 240,000 licensed bikes in Minnesota, which works out to about 1 for every 22 people.

Our attorneys have represented many people injured in a motorcycle accident in MN. Two things every motorcycle accident lawyer has learned: Bikers LOVE riding, and cars too frequently are not keeping a proper lookout for them. Our MN motor cycle accident attorneys have seen far too many injury accidents involving bikes. In most cases, it happens because the car hits or cuts off the motorcycle.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported 5,290 motorcyclists were killed in accidents in one year. There were another 96,000 motorcycle accident injuries. Motorcycle rider fatalities have increased each year since 1997. Motorcycles make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles. Yet a motorcycle rider is about 37 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash. Motorcycle riders are about 9 times more likely to be injured.

CAUSES OF MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT CASES

Wikipedia cites a major study of U.S. Motorcycle accidents that made the following conclusions:

  • 75% of accidents were found to involve a motorcycle and a car or truck. The remaining 25% of accidents were single motorcycle accidents.
  • In single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present in about two-thirds of the cases.The typical error is a slide-out and fall due to over braking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.
  • Almost half of the fatal accidents have alcohol involvement. Also, injury severity increases with speed, alcohol involvement and motorcycle size.
  • In multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.
  • The report’s additional findings show that the wearing of appropriate gear, specifically, helmets and durable garment, mitigates crash injuries substantially.
  • Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of motorcycle accidents. Further, most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.Weather is not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents.
  • The failure of motorists to detect and recognize a motorcycle in traffic is the primirary cause of motorcycle accidents. Therefore, accidents can be reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps-on in daylight and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets.

INSURANCE FOR A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT OR CRASH – MN LAWYER

A motorcycle is not defined as a ‘motor vehicle’ in Minnesota. Therefore, no-fault laws do not apply to a motorcycle accident. As a result, the motorcycle rider often has limited automatic medical benefits and wage loss benefits after an accident. Bikers can buy MN no-fault insurance for motorcycle injury accidents, but they need to know to ask for it. The same is true for uninsured coverage and underinsured coverage (which is the insurance coverage you can get if you are hit by a car that is uninsured or uninsured).

We encourage you to discuss your motorcycle insurance needs with your agent.And then, read your motorcycle insurance policy to make sure it has the coverage you expect and need. You want to be adequately covered if you ever are in a motorcycle accident.

If you are injured in an accident on a motorcycle, please call us so that a top MN motorcycle accident lawyer can discuss your particular situation and advise you of your rights. The primary focus of our attorneys is to make sure our motorcycle rider clients are fully compensated for their injuries.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY

Our motorcycle accident injury lawyers in MN have seen many injuries resulting from being hit by a car. Injuries where a person on a motorcycle is hit by a car or truck usually are broken or crushed bones. It is usually not the immediate impact with the car or truck that injures the motorcycle rider. More frequently, the motor cycle rider is injured in the accident by contact with the ground after being thrown from the bike.

Our motorcycle accident injury lawyers almost always see severe road rash burns and scarring from motorcycle accidents. Unfortunately, a top motorcycle accident lawyer MN too often sees head injury and broken bone cases. Wearing a helmet definitely offers some protection in motorcycle accidents, but it is not a fail-safe. We also see many cases where the motorcycle is cut off by a car or other vehicle, causing the bike rider to lay down the bike while going at high speed. Likewise, the bike may swerve to avoid being hit and crashes into something else, like the median.

MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY COMPENSATION WHERE OTHER DRIVER IS AT FAULT

If you don’t have no-fault medical coverage for your motorcycle accident injury your initial benefits are limited. However, a motorcycle accident attorney in MN may be able to get you compensation from the insurance for the car that hit you or caused the crash. After your motor cycle accident injury, our MN lawyers will investigate the facts and look for evidence of fault on the other driver. Sometimes even if the police report initially puts you at fault, it may be possible to prove your case with witness statements and an accident reconstruction expert. We have done this a number of times.

It is important to keep the motorcycle in the condition it was in at the time of the accident, i.e. don’t fix it right away. Our lawyers need to rule out mechanical failure of the bike as a contributing cause of the motorcycle accident. The mission of our best MN motorcycle accident lawyers is to get you complete and fair compensation for your injuries caused by the motorcycle crash.

If you are a passenger on a motorcycle, you have rights as well. You are more likely to have access to No-Fault insurance to pay for your medical bills. Motorcycle passengers injured in accidents can bring a claim against the driver of their bike as well as the car that hit them. Again, this requires significant investigation.Please contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in MN as soon as possible so that we can pursue your case.

EXPERIENCED MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS IN MN

Our motorcycle accident attorneys have represented many Minnesota motorcyclists who have been injured because an automobile driver was not keeping a proper lookout. This is usually before a lane change or when pulling out onto the road. Unfortunately, the injuries sustained by a motorcyclist are rarely minor. At a minimum, most motorcyclists sustain road rash from the accident, which can cause permanent scars. Worse, a motorcycle crash can cause those on the bike to suffer fractured bones, head injuries or death. See also, HOW TO GET MEDICAL BILLS PAID.

Pam Rochlin and David Rochlin are Minnesota personal injury attorneys with more than 25 years’ experience. We have successfully handled hundreds of motorcycle and car accident injury cases throughout MN. Pam was a former partner at Meshbesher & Spence where she gained big firm experience.At the Rochlin Law Firm she provides small firm attention to her clients.

INJURED IN MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYER CONTACT

A top motorcycle accident lawyer can meet with you to discuss your injury case at our offices in Edina, Woodbury and Minneapolis. Our attorneys also meet people at their homes to discuss motorcycle accident cases in St. Paul, Rogers MN, Elk River, Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park MN, Chanhassen, Chaska, and other cities throughout Minnesota. We will always provide you with a free initial consultation. Further, we never charge anything unless you receive compensation for your injuries.

For additional information on motorcycle safety, check out these websites: Motorcycle Safety Foundation http://www.msf-usa.org/. American Motorcyclist Association https://www.facebook.com/aba.nation.HQ?fref=ts. Wikipedia has a good article on motorcycle safety. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety. Even more resources.