New Haven Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Riding a motorcycle is a thrilling experience, and many motorcyclists may go through their lifetime without any incident. However, when motorcycle accidents do occur, they are often catastrophic and cause serious injuries or fatalities. The painful effects of these injuries can be felt long after healing, as there may be permanent or long-term damage to muscles, tendons, or nerves. Our New Haven motorcycle accident lawyers at Loughlin FitzGerald, P.C. understand how accident injuries can affect the rest of your life. Let our highly knowledgeable team handle your legal needs, so we may obtain compensation that will allow you to focus on fully recovering.

Why Our Firm Should Represent You

• It is our goal to achieve the best possible result for each client in every case we handle, through hard work, dedication, and skilled representation.
• Our firm provides more than one hundred years of combined legal experience, along with a hard-earned reputation for excellence.
• We are conveniently located to serve clients throughout the state and do not require any out-of-pocket fees since we will represent you on a contingency fee basis.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident

It is important to take certain steps to protect your future right away after a motorcycle accident These steps include:

1. Check yourself for injuries. You may notice pain, bleeding, swelling or immobility. Keep in mind that your adrenaline may mask the symptoms of an injury. Even if you feel fine, tell the other driver that you wish to see a doctor before answering questions about your injuries.
2. Call the police. You must call the police in Connecticut after any motor vehicle collision that causes injuries, deaths or more than $1,000 in property damage. Calling the police for any accident, major or minor, can help you by creating an accident report. Give the police your version of events when they arrive, but do not admit fault.
3. Exchange information. You are required to stay at the scene of a crash and exchange information with the other driver, including names, addresses and insurance information. If the other driver fled the scene in a hit-and-run motorcycle accident, speak to eyewitnesses for as much information as possible.
4. Go to a hospital in New Haven right away. Do not delay in getting medical care. Waiting to go to a hospital could give an insurance company a reason to reject your claim. Explain what happened to the doctor and request copies of your medical records.
5. Contact a personal injury attorney. Before you begin the insurance process, consult with an attorney about your legal rights. It is important to fully understand your rights before signing anything given to you by an insurance company. Otherwise, you may accept a settlement that is too low for your injuries and losses.

An experienced New Haven motorcycle accident lawyer can help you with the rest of the recovery process, including filing a motorcycle accident claim with an insurance company, collecting evidence, negotiating for fair and full financial compensation, and making sure your family has everything it needs during this difficult time.

Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

The types of injuries from motorcycle accidents can range from mild to serious trauma, commonly including:

• Head and neck injuries, such as concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBI).
• Back injuries, including herniated discs.
• Broken bones, including severe fractures in the extremities.
• Severe road rash.
• Spinal cord injuries, such as paralysis.
• Internal organ damage.
• Emotional injuries, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

Sadly, motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to be killed in an accident than those in passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). At Loughlin FitzGerald, P.C., we can represent your family if you have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit after a deadly motorcycle accident.

Who Is Financially Responsible for Your Motorcycle Wreck?

Connecticut is a fault-based insurance state. This means that the person or party responsible for causing the motorcycle wreck will have to pay for resultant injuries, medical bills and property damage. This is in contrast to a no-fault state, where each driver recovers through his or her own insurance, regardless of fault. In a fault state, you or your attorney must prove that the at-fault driver was negligent. Negligence consists of four elements:

1. Duty of care: The party you name as the defendant in your case must have owed you a duty to exercise reasonable care. All drivers in Connecticut owe other roadway users a duty to reasonably prevent accidents.
2. Breach of duty: There must have been a violation of the duty of care, such as a broken roadway rule. The defendant must have done something that a rational and prudent driver would not have done in the same circumstances.
3. Causation: The defendant’s action or omission must be the main cause of your motorcycle accident. In other words, your motorcycle accident would not have happened were it not for the defendant’s negligence.
4. Damages: Finally, you or your attorney must prove that you suffered damages, or losses, because of the accident. These losses may include physical injuries, hospital bills and lost wages.

The most common defendant in a motorcycle accident case is the other driver. However, the at-fault party might be the government for a roadway defect, a property owner for a dangerous parking lot or a vehicle manufacturer for a defective part. Our attorneys can investigate your accident to determine liability. Then, we can go up against one or more parties in pursuit of maximum compensation for your losses.

Why Motorcycle Accidents Happen

Almost all New Haven motorcycle accidents are preventable. They happen when one or more parties are careless. Many motorcycle accidents are caused by the same kinds of driver error or negligence seen in automobile collisions:

• Speeding
• Distraction / Texting while driving
• Drugged or drunk driving
• Tailgating
• Driver fatigue
• Reckless driving
• Running red lights or stop signs

The NHTSA reports that nearly 5,000 riders were killed in crashes that took place in 2018. To help reduce this number in the future, the agency encourages safe riding practices and road user cooperation.

What is the Value of My Case?

The value of your motorcycle accident case will often depend on injury severity and how your life has been impacted. An experienced New Haven motorcycle accident attorney that has handled cases involving motorcycle accidents can identify all of the applicable damages and estimate how much compensation you should be entitled to. However, if you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to be compensated for your losses. The damages you pursue can include, present and future medical expenses, lost wages from the work you had to miss while recovering, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, any permanent disability or disfigurement, plus more.

Why Hire a Lawyer for New Haven Motorcycle Crash Cases?

A lawyer has the ability and resources to take on the burden of handling your case, while you focus on regaining your health. They can also guide you on how best to utilize all available insurance coverage and will protect you from the insurance companies. Insurers are not your friend, and their only objective is to either deny your claim or minimize compensation as much as possible. Having legal representation will ensure evidence will be preserved to prove your case. If necessary, they have professional connections with investigators who can look over the scene of the accident and locate, then interview witnesses. This is all in an effort to build the strongest possible case that will maximize your recovery.

Schedule a Free Case Evaluation Today

Our team at Loughlin FitzGerald, P.C. is determined to get you justice. Let us fight for you and your family, call (203) 265-2035 or reach us by filling out our evaluation request form online.