St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcycle accident fatalities rose for the ninth straight year in 2006, making it the deadliest year on the roads for motorcycle riders in recent years. What is more, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than passenger car victims, and 8 times more likely to get hurt, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Unfortunately, when drivers get hurt in motorcycle accidents, they also often face discrimination by insurance companies because of a bad reputation—motorcycle drivers are sometimes seen as reckless, swerving from lane to lane at high speeds on the interstate. In actuality, NHTSA statistics show that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents don’t happen on the highway; in 2006, 93 percent of all fatal two-vehicle motorcycle accidents happened on non-interstate roads.
Battling Reputation
The bad reputation motorcyclists are unfairly saddled with can make it difficult to recover the compensation victims need after suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident. Insurance adjustors and representatives, the other party’s lawyer, and even courts can sometimes be blinded by this reputation, making the road to achieving recovery difficult.
Motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than those in passenger vehicles, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In reality, it is more often the negligence of passenger vehicle drivers that cause serious motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle accidents happen when negligent passenger vehicle drivers fail to look properly before changing lanes, give too little space for motorcycle drivers to maneuver, or turn in front of a motorcycle without giving the appropriate signals. Passenger vehicle drivers forget that small bumps in the road or shallow potholes can seem like a minefield to motorcycle drivers.
It is crucial to hire a St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyer when you have suffered injuries from an accident. You have the same rights as someone injured in a car accident! Todd Mathews has been riding motorcycles all his life and has vast experience in and out of the courtroom successfully fighting for and winning compensation for motorcycle accident victims just like you.
Why Hire a St. Louis Motorcyle Accident Lawyer?
Motorcycle drivers are incredibly exposed during motorcycle accidents. With only a helmet and protective clothing standing between their bodies and the asphalt, drivers in motorcycle accidents often suffer severe, excruciatingly painful injuries.
The risk for broken bones, disfiguring scarring and road rash, and serious head, neck, and spinal cord injuries is much higher for those in motorcycle accidents than those riding with the protection of the 3,000-pound steel enclosure a passenger vehicle offers.
The cost of medical bills, rehabilitation, lost work, and pain and suffering associated with motorcycle accidents can be overwhelming. When you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, we can help you move forward and get the compensation you need.
After the Accident
Pursuing a motorcycle accident claim can be difficult and frustrating, but with the help of a personal injury lawyer that has been successful in and out of courts defending motorcyclists’ rights, it will be easier to move forward. The following are some tips to help you strengthen your motorcycle accident claim.
1. Stop immediately and move to the side of the roadway out of traffic, if at all possible. Attend to those who need medical attention as soon as possible, and call the police.
2. Cooperate with the police and give them all the information they ask for. Beware of making statements that indicate guilt in the motorcycle accident, however, and state the facts.
3. Collect photos if you are able of the accident scene, road conditions, the damage to all vehicles, etc. Talk to witnesses and get contact information. Take note of phrases used such as, “the red car was flying,” or “the truck missed the red light."
4. Don’t sign anything from an insurance adjustor until you’ve spoken to a motorcycle accident lawyer at The Mathews Law Firm. You may be signing away future rights to compensation and damaging your potential motorcycle accident case.
5. Call your insurance company right away. Any delays reporting the motorcycle accident to your insurance company could damage your claim in the future.
6. Visit your doctor—don’t let the insurance adjustor choose one for you. Follow the doctor’s directions completely, and keep records of medical bills, prescriptions, and treatment received.
7. Keep a log of how you felt after your motorcycle accident. It may be difficult six or seven months after the accident to remember just how painful it was to do something as simple as bending over to tie your shoes, and insurance adjustors may try to say you are exaggerating your injuries. Also, keep receipts of services rendered because of your injuries, such as house cleaning and lawn mowing.
8. Call The Mathews Law Firm—our experienced staff of will fight for your rights and do everything we can to ensure you receive the compensation you need to move forward after the accident.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in St. Louis or a surrounding area of Missouri, the motorcycle accident lawyers at The Mathews Law Firm are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We guarantee your phone calls will be returned that day. Clients come first for all of our staff, and we strive to provide excellent representation to injury victims throughout Missouri and Illinois. Call us at (800) 957-1186.