Maine Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Anytime you climb into or on a vehicle and drive on a public road, you’re at risk of getting into an accident. However, some motor vehicle accidents are more dangerous than others.

Car accidents, for example, are often fairly minor. Modern vehicles have a slew of safety features designed to keep drivers and their passengers safe, even when the vehicle is totaled. Unfortunately, motorcycles don’t offer the same kind of security.

A motorcycle accident can be devastating, even at relatively low speeds. If you’re the victim of one of these accidents, you’ll likely suffer long-lasting, debilitating injuries.

To fully recover from your injuries, it’s crucial to work with an experienced Maine motorcycle accident attorney from Gideon Asen. Our skilled legal team will work tirelessly to uphold your rights and pursue the compensation you need to recover and move forward.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Maine

If you’re hurt in a motorcycle accident in Maine, the actions you take in the minutes, hours, and days afterward could have a significant impact on how much compensation you receive.

Because motorcycle accidents tend to be serious, they often result in high payouts from insurance companies. However, any payout you stand to claim could be quite a bit lower than it should be if you don’t take the proper steps. With that in mind, here’s what you should do immediately after an accident:

Get Immediate Medical Care

Even if you’re wearing a helmet and protective gear, you have a high chance of sustaining serious injuries in a motorcycle accident. Your life could be at risk if you deny medical care.

Even if your life isn’t in danger, neglecting to get checked out and treated could cause your injuries to worsen. What’s worse, you won’t be eligible for compensation for any complications your injuries cause if you refuse care.

Moreover, some conditions, like traumatic brain injuries, aren’t immediately apparent — they may take days, weeks, or even years to manifest symptoms.

When you file a claim for an injury long after a motorcycle accident, your chances of securing compensation will decrease if you can’t show that you took appropriate action immediately after the accident.

There’s also another compelling reason to seek prompt medical care. When you visit the hospital or see your doctor, you’ll create medical records that your motorcycle accident attorney can use to bolster your claim. These records constitute evidence that can prove to the at-fault party’s insurer how, when, and how badly you were injured.

Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Gideon Asen for Legal Assistance

The insurance companies will expect you to start filing your claim and meeting applicable deadlines immediately after a motorcycle crash. That’s asking a lot from someone who’s suffering from serious injuries. Thankfully, you don’t have to go through this process alone.

When you hire a Maine motorcycle accident attorney, they can handle key tasks for you when your injuries prevent you from acting. Our legal team will contact your insurance company and get your claim started the right way. We’ll also investigate your accident to uncover evidence that proves the other party was responsible.

Just as importantly, our motorcycle accident lawyers in Maine will take steps to preserve evidence that might otherwise be lost while you’re incapacitated. Things like torn clothing and bills for miscellaneous expenses can easily disappear when no one makes an effort to gather and organize them.

Obtaining a Settlement After a Maine Motorcycle Accident

When you’re involved in a motorcycle accident in Maine, the at-fault party’s insurer will cover your medical bills and other expenses. This means that the first thing the insurance company will do is investigate your claim.

Unfortunately, the liable party’s insurance provider has a financial incentive to shift the blame to you. If it can produce evidence that you were partially or fully at fault, it can deny your claim or pay you less than what you deserve.

The seasoned personal injury lawyers at our motorcycle accident law firm will perform a separate investigation and provide the insurance company with any evidence we uncover that supports your claim. Doing so will make underhanded adjusters think twice about attempting to undervalue or deny your claim.

Insurance companies are also notorious for delaying claims in an effort to get claimants to drop them.

Injury victims can feel immense financial pressure because their conditions require around-the-clock treatment and care. If you were to wait until you were fully recovered, it would cause serious economic hardship, and the state’s six-year statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim would run out.

When you work with the proven attorneys at Gideon Asen, we’ll bring in top medical and financial experts to assess your condition and accurately estimate your recovery costs, even if you’re still in the midst of the healing process. We can leverage our extensive knowledge and resources to negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf.

Contact our team today to learn more about how we can help.

FAQ

How Do I Get Compensation if I’m Partially Responsible for My Injuries?

If you’re partially responsible for your injuries, Maine’s comparative negligence law will apply. This regulation has two parts.

First, it states that you can only receive compensation from another party if you were less than 50% responsible for the initial accident. If you were more than 50% responsible, you can only seek reimbursement through your own insurance, assuming you have an appropriate policy.

Assuming you’re eligible to obtain compensation, any damages you get will be prorated based on the proportionate liability for your injuries. For instance, if the other driver were found to be 80% responsible for your injuries, they (or their insurance provider) would pay 80% of your total eligible damages.

Am I Required to Wear a Helmet While Riding a Motorcycle in Maine?

Not technically, though this involves the answer to the previous question. If you suffer a head injury because you didn’t don protective equipment, your decision not to wear a helmet may result in a jury or insurance company determining that you’re partially at fault for your injuries. This determination would reduce any compensation you receive.

Who Determines Fault and Liability for My Injuries?

It depends on whether you receive an insurance settlement or a jury award at the end of a Maine motorcycle accident lawsuit.

With the former, the insurance company decides who is responsible and how much to pay the victim, taking into consideration factors like police reports and witness statements. Our legal team can present solid evidence and negotiate a favorable decision on your behalf, but only if we’re involved in the case early on.

If your case goes to trial, a jury will decide how to rule after being presented with evidence by both sides. Juries can be fickle, so it’s wise to hire an attorney with Gideon Asen as soon as possible. Swift action will give us the most time to build a strong case and avoid a risky trial.

Do I Have to Accept a Settlement Offer From the Insurance Company?

Absolutely not. Insurance companies frequently offer low settlements early in the process to try to end a claim. This is a particularly effective strategy in motorcycle accident cases, as the total value of these claims can end up being in the millions when the victim’s injuries are bad enough.

When you accept a settlement offer, you give up your right to pursue additional compensation from the at-fault party or their insurer. Even if a settlement offer looks reasonable, you should be cautious about accepting it too quickly.

If the insurance company offers it to you without your Maine motorcycle accident lawyer looking at it first, it’s probably too low. Always have your attorney look over any prospective offers before accepting one.

Can I Get Compensation if a Loved One Dies in a Motorcycle Accident in Maine?

If you’ve lost a close relative, like a spouse or child, in a motorcycle accident, you may be eligible to recover damages for their death.

One course is to file a wrongful death claim, which you can do if the deceased would have been eligible to file a personal injury claim if they had lived. Contact our firm to discuss this and other options with an experienced lawyer.

Reach Out to the Compassionate Attorneys at Gideon Asen Today

If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident in Maine, our capable legal team is here to help. Contact us to schedule a free consultation and discover how we can assist you in pursuing comprehensive compensation for your injuries.