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 Visalia 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.
Deciding to Contact a Lawyer
If your Motorcycle accident involves a serious injury, like broken bones, a neck or back injury, or brain trauma, and a careless motorist was to blame, it’s a good idea to speak to a lawyer.
When your injuries are serious, the cost of care and support during your recovery skyrocket. This looming large bill makes car insurance companies get defensive and look for ways to avoid having to pay. They can challenge how serious your injuries are. They may claim they are healed when they really aren’t, simply to pay you a little and not have to be responsible for the bills that come later.
Victims without legal representation can easily wind up with surgery bills months later, only to find out they can’t go back to the insurer to ask for more in compensation.
Your attorney will fully investigate what happened to you, collect evidence, and use it to put pressure on the insurer to accept full liability.
You always have the right to file your own claim. However, a skilled lawyer often gives you a much better chance to win more for your recovery and the rebuilding of your life.
Free Consultation with a Car Accident Attorney
Being stuck in a hospital bed will be the worst time to have to think about a frustrating accident claim. But motorcycle passengers are often left with a lot of questions after being involved in a crash. Can they ask for support from the driver? How much will cover all of their present needs and coming costs?
To get the jump on unhelpful insurance adjusters, it’s a good idea to speak to Maison Law first. We provide a free, confidential case review to all injured motorcycle passengers after a collision or wipe-out. It’s a no-obligation chance to get your questions answered. If we can’t help you earn more for your case, we’ll be upfront about that and point you in the right direction to file a successful claim yourself.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Passengers may be shaken up in a frightening slide to the road surface on a busy road like Route 198. But if they can move around and it’s safe to do so, it’s a great time to get the accident documented properly and to collect evidence.
If the scene is secure, try to collect these details and these items of proof before they are cleaned up or towed away:
- 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 Visalia police officers or the CHP about everything you observed before the accident. Let them know if you saw the driver holding a cellphone or behaving aggressively. Officers will be writing up a collision report that provides evidence for your case.
- Get cellphone images 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 visible injuries.
- 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.
- Keep any damaged clothing and personal items. Don’t wash bloody clothing. Preserve it until your lawyer can advise you on what to do with it.
You could feel your injuries were only minor, only to wake up the next day to feel intense pain. The shock of an accident can hide the pain of a serious injury on the day it happens.
It’s a good sign to contact a lawyer and let Maison Law deal with the frustrating claims process and earn you the most possible. In the meantime, you can focus on healing and rebuilding your life.
Passengers Hurt in Single-Vehicle Motorcycle Accidents
Unfortunately for motorcycle passengers, they are at the mercy of the operator’s caution and skills behind the handlebars. A motorcyclist may wipe out after building too much speed or taking a curve too tightly. They can send the bike to the ground, or into a tree or fence, to cause some major injuries to both riders.
Passengers facing massive hospital bills may worry they have no one to hold responsible for a single vehicle accident that involves no contact with another vehicle. But careless or reckless motorcyclists can be held responsible for the safety of their passengers.
The California Motorcycle Handbook from the DMV goes over the responsibilities riders have when they take on a passenger. In the section starting on page 38, officials detail how motorcyclists should make sure passengers have helmets and footrests they can reach. They must also instruct passengers in safety and be ready for how a motorcycle handles differently with the weight of a passenger.
These and other mistakes can leave a motorcyclist liable for a passenger’s recovery expenses.
Filing an Injury Claim Against a Motorcyclist You Know
Passengers in single-vehicle motorcycle accidents may need money to pay for weeks of medical care and therapy. Their only option may be to file a claim with the operator’s motorcycle insurance company.
Unfortunately, not all motorcycle insurance policies include protection for injured passengers. If there’s no added-on guest passenger liability coverage, passengers may not be able to earn compensation from the insurer. The motorcyclist may have to help the passenger out of their own savings.
Another understandable obstacle 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 motorcyclist wouldn’t be directly responsible for providing support. The insurer should provide for all of the victim’s recovery needs.
Also, remember that your family member or friend will probably want you to be able to pay for the care you need to fully heal. Helping victims is why we all pay for vehicle insurance anyway.
Contact a Visalia Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law of Visalia, never wants to see riders or their passengers kept waiting for recovery help. Mr. Gasparian has a long track record of putting pressure on insurance companies and making sure they aren’t delaying unnecessarily. He then focuses on helping Tulare County victims earn the full support they need.
We’re pleased to offer free consultations and case reviews to all local accident and injury victims. Tell us what happened and how your injury has affected your life. There’s no obligation for this meeting. We can answer all of your questions.
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.
