If you have been hurt in a serious motorcycle accident, the lawyers at Vogel LLP are here to help. Motorcyclists are the most vulnerable motorists on the road. Unlike drivers of cars and trucks who sit comfortably inside a vehicle, people on motorcycles are fully exposed to the world around them. As a result, motorcycle accidents can leave victims with extremely severe injuries, including broken bones, facial fractures, severe lacerations, dislocated joints, traumatic brain injuries, and even spinal cord injuries. In the most serious cases, motorcyclists are left with cognitive or physical disabilities that can affect them and their families for the rest of their lives.
In many cases, motorcycle accident victims can recover compensation for their losses, including their medical expenses, lost income, lost quality of life, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. For this reason, if you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a motorcycle crash, you should speak to a lawyer as soon as you can. Call us today to schedule a free case evaluation with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer at Vogel LLP.
Who Can Be Held Liable For My Motorcycle Accident?
As a victim of a serious accident, you may be curious as to who you might be able to hold liable for your accident-related losses. Under Canadian law, when a person is injured by someone else’s negligence, he or she is entitled to recover compensation from the negligent party. Negligence occurs when a person fails to use the standard of care that would be used by a reasonable and prudent person in the same or similar circumstances.
There are a number of parties that could potentially be held liable for a motorcycle accident. Some of the more common include the following:
- Other Motorists – The negligence of other motorists is perhaps the most common cause of serious motorcycle accidents. Examples of motorist negligence include speeding, impaired driving, speeding, failing to yield the right of way, driving without headlights at night or in bad weather, or violating traffic laws.
- The Provincial or Municipal Government for the Maintenance of the Roadway – If your motorcycle accident was the result of poor road maintenance or design, you may be able to hold the government entity responsible for the roadway liable for your losses.
- The Motorcycle Manufacturer – In the event that your crash was the result of defective vehicle design, manufacture, or marketing, you may be able to hold the manufacturer of the motorcycle that caused your crash liable for your losses. Motorcycle defects are not always obvious, so you should always have a lawyer review your case if there are no clear alternative causes for your accident.
Is There A Deadline To File My Motorcycle Accident Claim?
Yes. Under the Alberta Limitations Act, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury claim. Regardless of the deadline that applies in your case, you should contact a lawyer as soon as you possibly can after you’ve been hurt in an accident. If you wait, you risk the degradation, loss, or destruction of evidence that may be critical to the success of your claim.
Do I Need A Personal Injury Lawyer For My Motorcycle Accident?
It is always advisable to retain a lawyer after a serious motorcycle accident. This is true even if the insurance company or at-fault party has expressed a willingness to settle your case out of court.
Unless you have significant experience handling personal injury cases, it’s hard to know how much your case is worth. While determining economic damages like medical expenses and lost income is fairly straightforward, it’s much more difficult to assign a dollar value to non-economic losses like pain and suffering or lost quality of life. When you retain a lawyer, he or she will determine the value of your case and ensure that you do not accept an inadequate settlement offer. If the insurance company refuses to make a reasonable offer, your lawyer can file a lawsuit in order to get you the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Today
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you should speak to an experienced lawyer as soon as you can. At Vogel LLP, we have more than 100 years of combined experience helping injured victims recover compensation and are committed to helping our clients obtain the compensation they deserve under the law. To schedule a free case evaluation with one of our motorcycle accident lawyers, call our office today at 403-255-2636 or contact us online.
