3 Reasons Why You should Speak To A Lawyer In The Event Of A Motorcycle Accident

When a motorcycle accident occurs many people are under the misapprehension that their insurer is going to look after their interests and pay out the necessary funds that are needed to cover costs such as material damage, medical expenses (if applicable), and ongoing rehabilitation. However more often that not, victims become disappointed and even angry about the payout they receive. Sometimes it doesn't even begin to cover their costs. This can and often does leave the victim in financial trouble and this is often when a skilled team of Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers step in.

So why does this happen?

There are several reasons why the payment that you may receive from your insurance carrier will be far less that the payments that you receive from a representing attorney who is well versed in dealing with accidents and personal injury cases. These are as follows

A skilled LA motorcycle accident lawyer actually works for you

It is understandable that when you use the services of your insurance carrier you would expect then to represent you and fight your corner. After all you have been paying timely premiums for years right? On the contrary, any insurance company has their own agenda and as a result do not operate with the claimant's best interests at heart. The simple reason for this is that an insurance company is like any other form of business in that they are looking to make money. How they do this is to take in as many premium payments as possible from various customers whilst paying out the absolute bear minimum in compensation payments. Unfortunately this is just the way of the world and is how all insurance companies operate.

An experienced team of accident and personal injury attorneys will operate on a contingency (no win, no fee) basis. This means that your representing attorney will not be paid unless they win the case. The onus is therefore on them to make sure that they do succeed. On top of this the more compensation that you receive, the more that they get paid. Therefore it is in their interests to try and not only fight your corner all the way, but to maximise your compensation also

Comparative fault

An important factor when asking the question...'should I hire a team of LA motorcycle accident lawyers, or use my designated insurance carrier?', is when it comes to whether you believe that you were totally fault free for the incident. In essence, before an insurer will even consider compensation, they will thoroughly investigate the case. If it were found that you were even slightly at fault for your accident, then your insurer will not pay out. This is because they are protecting their own interests. Whereas if you chose a skilled motorcycle accident attorney to represent you, they can use the 'comparative fault' law. California is fortunate in being only one of a dozen or so states that allows this law. This means that you can still file a claim even if you are found to be at part fault. What's even better about comparative laws in California is that they operate under 'pure' comparative fault. This means that even if you were 90% to blame for an accident, then in theory you could still receive 10% of the total amount of compensation payable for this type of motorcycle accident. It is fair to say that in this instance, your lawyer would probably advise you against making a claim, as it wouldn't be cost effective. However it does make the point.

The compensation itself

We have already stated that an insurance company is looking to provide the bare minimum payment, if they have to pay out at all. This may or may not be enough to cover immediate medical expenses, some form of rehabilitation and replacement of funds for a repair costs to your motorcycle, or funds for an equivalent bike. The right team of Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorneys can also look for compensation regarding pain and suffering, emotional trauma, loss of wages whilst in recovery, future loss of wages if unable to work and in some cases they may be able to claim for punitive damages filed directly against the negligent party.

Clearly the easier option is to sit back and let your insurer deal with the problems of your accident. However disappointment may soon follow when you pick up the check. On the contrary, if you believe that you deserve serious recompense for the pain and trauma you have suffered, then an experienced team of Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers can deliver this for you.