Maison Law helps victims hurt in motorcycle accidents while they are riding as a helpless passenger. We make sure the at-fault motorists take responsibility for medical bills, lost income, and the pain that’s left behind.
If you have been injured, please contact a Salinas Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for a free, no-obligation case review. It’s an informative and confidential way to find out what your injury may be worth and how to hold a car insurance company fully responsible.
When You Might Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The seriousness of your injuries will often decide how much you need a lawyer’s help. If you are a passenger on a motorcycle and somehow only come away from a collision with minor injuries, you can probably handle your accident claim without issue.
However, a more serious injury means more time in a hospital, with a physical therapist, and more paychecks lost while you can’t work. It all adds up to a much bigger price tag for recovery. These expenses cause car insurance adjusters to get defensive and fight you at every turn when you ask for full compensation.
They may deny that their policyholder’s fault in the accident and even try to blame the motorcyclist you were riding with. They could try to sweep the seriousness of your injuries under the rug, saying they were minor. This allows them to get away with offering you much less than you’ll truly need to restore your life to normal.
These are just a few of the types of injuries Maison Law can help you bring home more compensation for:
- Broken bones, including chest fractures
- A Traumatic Brain Injury, including a serious concussion
- A neck or spine injury, including a serious case of whiplash
- A back injury with pain that lingers
- Skin damage such as a serious case of road rash or a degloving injury (skin peeled away)
- A permanent physical disability or disfigurement
- Face and mouth injuries
- A fatal motorcycle accident that claimed a loved one’s life while they were riding on the back of a motorcycle
Maison Law can help make sure insurers are held fully accountable for every recovery cost. You always have the right to file your own claim, but a skilled lawyer can usually earn you much more in support.
Taking Advantage of a Free Accident Consultation
If you aren’t sure if you have enough evidence to win your case, there’s no harm in scheduling a case review with a real Monterey County motorcycle accident attorney. This consultation is free, 100% confidential, and it comes with no obligation.
Allow Maison Law to help you navigate through this difficult time. We’ll go over all of your legal options and help you find the best path to getting your bills paid and getting back on your feet.
Winning Support for a Motorcycle Accident
All the evidence can point to a careless driver, and even a CHP accident report might put the blame on the motorist. However, car insurance companies can fight you no matter where the evidence points.
They can squabble over what they should cover for the patient. However, an experienced Salinas attorney would demand support for every hardship the passenger has endured. This means all physical, emotional, and financial damages:
- Support to pay all ambulance fees, hospital bills, surgeon fees, and physical therapy costs.
- Estimated costs for a lifetime of care and support if a permanent physical disability is suffered.
- Support for travel costs to see specialists outside Salinas.
- Support to cope with the physical pain endured in recovery and any chronic pain and arthritis developing in the future.
- Support for the emotional trauma suffered with a major injury. Depression and anxiety can affect victims. Support should be available if injured victims suffer a loss of enjoyment of life and can’t enjoy the activities they once did, such as riding. Motorcycle crash victims can also suffer PTSD symptoms stemming from the moment of impact.
- Past and future lost earnings and benefits while victims are forced to miss work hours.
- Money for property damage.
- Support for families if a motorcycle passenger is tragically killed.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Passengers can find themselves on the pavement along the pavement on Highway 101 after a careless driver switched lanes into their motorcycle. They may end up in the middle of an intersection like the one at Route 183, Market Street, and Salinas Street. It may be a distracted driver’s fault after running a red light.
The cause may be easy to see for those who witnessed it, but to hold a giant car insurance company liable, you may need more evidence.
If you are left strong enough to move around, and the scene is secure, it’s a great time to grab some evidence that might be cleaned up within a half hour.
Here’s a list of some things you can do to preserve evidence and protect yourself:
- Dial 911. Request an ambulance if you or anyone else is hurt in any way.
- Get every injury checked out. Let paramedics take you to the hospital if they feel you should go. If you must leave the scene, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to take some photos for you.
- Inform Salinas police officers or the CHP about everything you observed before the impact. Let them know if you saw the driver holding a cellphone or behaving aggressively. Officers will be writing up an accident report that provides evidence for your case.
- Take pictures at the scene. Show the car that hit you, the damage to your motorcycle, and any visible injuries. Take photos of any traffic signs and lane markings that are related to what happened. Show yourself with a helmet if you were wearing one. Take pictures of any damaged clothing.
- Get contact information from witnesses. Your Maison Law attorney will call on them to provide important testimony.
- Exchange information with everyone involved if an officer doesn’t provide this information to you.
- Get checked out by your own doctor in the days that follow. Follow the recommendations the doctor makes, including going to physical therapy and visiting specialists.
Your Maison Law representative will take this information to build a strong case for you. Your attorney can also call in accident reconstruction teams to provide additional evidence of a driver’s mistake. Let your attorney go to work for you, and in the meantime, you can focus on healing and rebuilding your life.
The Care Motorcyclists With a Passenger Must Show
Any California motorcyclist who allows a passenger on board must take care of that passenger. An operator can be held liable for causing an accident with another vehicle or by causing a single-vehicle wipeout.
Motorcyclists in California are allowed to carry passengers, even children, on their trips. However, there are strict guidelines and even some precautions motorcycle owners must take before allowing someone to climb aboard.
Many of the responsibilities are explained in the California Vehicle Codes (CVC):
“It is unlawful for a driver of a motorcycle or a motorized bicycle to carry any other person thereon, except on a seat securely fastened to the machine at the rear of the driver and provided with footrests, or in a sidecar attached to a motorcycle and designed for the purpose of carrying a passenger. Every passenger on a motorcycle or a motorized bicycle shall keep his feet on the footrests while such vehicle is in motion.”
The California Motorcycle Handbook from the DMV explains the responsibilities motorcycle operators have when carrying a passenger. The important information is in a section that starts on page 38.
Holding a Motorcyclist Responsible for an Accident
Passengers hurt in accidents caused by the motorcyclist they are with can seek help with their medical bills and other damages from the motorcyclist. This support can come from the existing motorcycle accident insurance.
However, many motorcycle insurance policies don’t provide compensation to passengers. The owner would have to pay for additional coverage called guest passenger liability coverage.
If passengers can’t ask for insurance benefits, the motorcyclist may have to help victims out of their own savings.
Another challenge is that passengers may know the motorcyclist and feel conflicted about filing a claim against a family member or friend.
However, it’s better to think about the claim being filed against the insurance company and not an acquaintance. The insurer would provide for all of the victim’s recovery needs.
Also, remember that your family member or friend would probably want you to be able to pay for the care you need to fully heal. It’s part of the reason why they pay insurance premiums.
Contact a Salinas Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law of Salinas, is an advocate for safe rides and never wants to see motorcyclists or their passengers made to wait for recovery help. Mr. Gasparian has a long track record of helping motorcyclists earn full support that allows them to afford the care they need and to get back to their rides again.
We’re pleased to offer free consultations and case reviews to all local accident and injury victims. There’s no obligation for this meeting. It’s a no-risk way to find out how much your injury is worth and how to hold an insurer fully responsible.
If you feel we could help you win more, you don’t have to worry about how you’ll pay a lawyer. Maison Law doesn’t ask for any payment unless we win your case for you. Then our attorney’s fee comes out of the settlement check that a car insurance company must write for you.
