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Riding on two wheels instead of driving on four can be liberating in a lot of ways, but it can also be uniquely dangerous even if you as the rider are responsible and law-abiding. As you may have recently experienced, a single reckless or careless act by someone operating a bigger and heavier vehicle could lead to a crash with life-altering consequences. A civil court may even be inclined to assume you were at fault for the wreck due to stereotypes about motorcyclists.
Taking effective legal action over a motorcycle-related injury can be a lot more challenging in practice than it might seem, and it is not the kind of case you want to handle without the support of a trusted personal injury lawyer. By retaining and working closely with an Edmonton motorcycle accident lawyer, you can enforce your rights while also avoiding common legal and procedural pitfalls along the road to recovery.
Riding a motorcycle is much more dangerous than driving or riding in an enclosed motor vehicle. Other than wearing a safety helmet, motorcyclists have no safety features like airbags, seatbelts, or even a vehicle frame preventing them from taking the full force of a motor vehicle impact. This often leads to debilitating and sometimes irreversible trauma to the limbs, internal organs, spine, and/or brain. The absence of a motorcycle helmet greatly increases the odds of a fatality, and a wrongful death claim that can follow.
However, the fact that motorcyclists are much more likely to get hurt in traffic accidents compared to motor vehicle drivers does not mean that courts will assume a motor vehicle driver is always at fault the collision. In fact, if a court sides with a driver who argues that an injured motorcyclist was at fault for causing their own injuries, that court may reduce the total compensation available to that rider based on their assigned share of “contributory negligence”. This is an outcome that can be avoided with critical help from an Edmonton motorcycle injury lawyer.
Legal counsel can play a key role in establishing that a specific party is at fault for injuries caused by a motorcycle accident. When filing suit against a motor vehicle operator directly involved in the wreck, this typically means proving that they directly caused the crash by doing something reckless, careless, and/or illegal behind the wheel. That may have been breaking a traffic regulation or driving while drunk or distracted.
In certain situations, it may also be possible to demand compensation from people who were indirectly to blame for a motorcycle wreck. This might include a mechanic who failed to ensure a motorcycle was in safe working order during a service appointment, or a manufacturer which produced faulty motorcycle components. The guidance from a motorcycle crash lawyer in Edmonton can make a huge difference in identifying the parties at fault and crafting a strategy to prove the pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages they owe.
There is no easy way forward financially or personally after a serious motorcycle wreck, nor is there any one-size-fits-all approach to filing a court action. In virtually every scenario, you will have a better chance of securing the positive outcome you need from your claim if you have help from Zacharias Vickers & McCann.
One of our Edmonton motorcycle accident lawyers can answer questions and explain your legal options in more detail during a free confidential consultation. Call today to schedule your appointment.