Motorcycle Accident Injury- Lawyers In MN
Our Minnesota personal injury attorneys represent people injured in an accident while driving a motorcycle. Also, a passenger injured in an accident riding on a motorcycle. Cars and trucks too often don’t look before changing lanes or pulling out into an intersection. That causes serious motorcycle accident injuries. Our best MN motor cycle accident lawyers have seen many injury accidents involving a bike – usually because the motorcycle was hit or cut off by a car or truck.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 5,290 motorcyclists were killed in one year. That was an increase of 2 percent over the 5,174 motorcycle riders killed the year before. There were another 96,000 people riding a motorcycle who were injured. In fact, motorcycle rider fatalities have increased each year since 1997. Motorcycles make up only 3 percent of all registered vehicles. However, a person on a motorcycle is 37 times more likely than a passenger car occupant to die in a crash. Someone on a motorcycle accident is 9 times more likely to be injured than someone in a car accident.
INSURANCE LAWYER FOR INJURED ON A MOTORCYCLE IN MINNESOTA
A motorcycle is not defined as a “motor vehicle” in MN’s no-fault laws. Therefore, the motorcyclist often has limited medical and wage loss benefits after an accident. Bikers can buy MN no-fault insurance for motorcycle injury accidents, but they need to ask for it. It does not automatically come with the motorcycle insurance policy the way it does with automobile policies. Bikers especially should understand the importance of having no-fault insurance.
It is always a good idea to talk to your agent and read your motorcycle insurance policy every year. You should make sure it has the coverage you expect and need. You want to be covered if you ever are in a motorcycle accident. If you are injured in an accident on a motorcycle, please call us. A MN motorcycle accident injury lawyer can discuss your particular situation and advise you of your rights. Click here for more information from the Minnesota Department of Transportation website.
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURIES – LAWYERS MN
Our personal injury lawyers in MN have seen motorcycle bikers sustain many types of injuries from being hit by another vehicle. Injuries where a person on a motorcycle is hit by a car or truck usually include broken or crushed bones. Many times, the motor cycle driver or passenger is injured in the accident by contact with the ground after being thrown from the bike. Frequently, this is because the motorcycle driver is cut off by a car or truck, causing the bike driver to lay down the bike while at high speed.
Our motorcycle injury attorneys almost always see severe road rash burns from motorcycle accidents. Unfortunately, our top motorcycle accident attorneys in Minnesota too often see head injuries. Wearing a helmet definitely offers some protection in motorcycle accidents. Unfortunately even a helmet is not always enough.
TYPES OF MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURIES
Wikipedia notes the following that was in a report regarding motorcycle injuries:
The Hurt Report stated that the likelihood of injury is extremely high in these motorcycle accidents. 98% of the multiple vehicle collisions and 96% of the single vehicle accidents resulted in some kind of injury to the motorcycle rider. Further, 45% resulted in more than a minor injury. Injuries most often include:
- Collision with less forgiving protective barriers or roadside ‘furniture’ (lampposts, signs, fences, etc.). When one falls off a motorcycle in the middle of a curve, lamps and signs become impossible to negotiate around.
- Concussion and brain damage, as the head violently contacts other vehicles or objects. Riders wearing an approved helmet reduce the risk of death by 37 percent.
- Breakage of joints (elbows, shoulders, hips, knees and wrists), fingers, spine and neck, for the same reason. The most common breakages are the shoulder and the pelvis.
- Soft tissue (skin and muscle) damage (road rash) as the body slides across the surface. This can be prevented entirely with the proper use of motorcycle-specific protective apparel such as a leather jacket or reinforced denim and textile pants.
- There is also a condition known as biker’s arm. This is where the nerves in the upper arm are damaged during the fall, causing a permanent paralysis of arm movement.
- Facial disfigurement. In the absence of a full-face helmet, the unprotected face slides across the ground or smashes into an object. Thirty-five percent of all crashes show major impact on the chin-bar area.
MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURY COMPENSATION WHERE OTHER DRIVER IS AT FAULT
Even if you don’t have no-fault coverage for your motorcycle accident injury, our top motorcycle injury lawyers may be able to help with medical bills and more. We can get you compensation from the insurance for the car that hit your motorcycle and injured you. Our MN accident attorneys will investigate the facts and look for evidence of fault on the other driver. 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.
It is important to keep the motorcycle in the condition it was in at the time of the accident. In other words, don’t fix it. We want to rule out mechanical failure of the bike as a contributing cause of the motorcycle accident. The primary focus of our best MN motorcycle accident attorneys 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. A passenger injured in a motorcycle crash can also bring a claim against the driver of their bike as well as the car that hit them. Again, this requires significant investigation. Therefore, please contact our office and speak with a top motorcycle accident injury lawyer in MN as soon as possible so that we can pursue your case.
EXPERIENCED MOTORCYCLE INJURY LAWYERS IN MN
Our motorcycle accident attorneys have represented many riders who have been injured because a car driver was distracted or not keeping a proper lookout. In many cases, the car was making a lane change. Unfortunately, the injuries sustained by a motorcycle biker are rarely minor. At a minimum, most motorcyclists sustain road rash from the accident, which can cause permanent scarring. Worse, a motorcycle accident 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 Minnesota. Pam is a former partner at Meshbesher & Spence, offering small firm attention to her clients. Our best motorcycle accident lawyers can meet with you to discuss to discuss your injury case at our offices in Edina, Woodbury and Minneapolis MN.
Our attorneys also meet people at their homes to discuss motorcycle accident injuries. We will come to St. Paul MN, Rogers MN, Elk River, and Maple Grove. Also, Brooklyn Park MN, Chanhassen, Chaska, and other cities throughout Minnesota. A lawyer will always provide you with a free initial consultation. Further, we never charge anything unless we are successful in getting compensation for you and your family.
Here is a link to a website that tracks and reports motorcycle accidents in MN. http://www.navbug.com/motorcycle_accidents_in_minnesota.htm