Atlanta’s year-round temperate weather makes it motorcycle-friendly for those seeking a gas-friendly transportation option. It’s also an iconic Southern destination city for motorcycle enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the same open-air, two-wheeled design that makes motorcycle riding exhilarating also leaves the rider vulnerable to direct impact and severe injuries in an accident. If you or a close family member suffered motorcycle accident injuries caused by someone else’s negligent or reckless action, call an experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer at Marc Brown Law Firm for a free consultation and prompt legal action on your behalf.
Why Choose Marc Brown For Your Atlanta Motorcycle Accident?
Marc Brown Law Firm is dedicated to providing large-city law firm results with the compassion and personalized service of a small-town law office. With Marc Brown behind you through every step of your motorcycle accident case, you have the following:
- A founding attorney who once represented large law firms and their powerful insurers, to offer deep insight into how to make the most compelling claim
- Open communication and a personalized strategy based on the unique circumstances of your case
At Marc Brown Law Firm, our Atlanta accident lawyers are willing to come to you if your serious injuries prevent you from visiting our office
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents In Atlanta
Motorcyclists must follow traffic laws and pay vigilant attention to their surroundings, but unfortunately, even the most careful motorcyclist can suffer injuries in an accident caused by a careless or reckless driver. The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Atlanta include the following driver behaviors:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
- Tailgating
- Improper merging into a lane occupied by a motorcycle
- Illegally passing a motorcycle
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Impaired driving
- Making a left turn into a motorcycle’s pathway
- Opening a car door into the path of a motorcycle
In other cases, a motorcycle accident could be caused by hazardous road conditions or malfunctioning motorcycle parts.
Who Can Be Held Liable After a Motorcycle Accident In Atlanta?
After any traffic accident in Georgia, the insurance companies involved investigate to determine the cause. Under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence rule, all parties who cause or contribute to car accidents are liable or partly liable for the damages caused to a motorcycle accident victim.
In some cases, non-drivers may be at fault or share fault for a motorcycle accident. For example, a negligent road maintenance agency for failing to repair a dangerous pothole, or a road planning agency that designed an intersection with an obstructed view. Proving liability requires evidence demonstrating the following:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of reasonable care to the injury victim
- They breached their duty of care through negligence
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident and injury
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
The evidence must prove the at-fault party’s liability through a “preponderance of evidence,” or show that it’s more likely than not that the defendant caused the accident.
Common Injuries From an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident
According to the National Safety Council (NSC), wearing a DOT-approved helmet reduces motorcycle operator deaths by 37% or passenger deaths by 41%. Still, a motorcyclist is subject to direct impacts with the road, other vehicles, and obstacles during a crash. Common injuries in Atlanta motorcycle accidents include the following:
- Single and multiple fractures
- Soft-tissue injuries like sprains, tendon damage, and torn ligaments, especially in the knees
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- External head, facial, and dental injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Severe abrasions and friction burns (road rash)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding/internal organ injuries
- Traumatic amputations
Although helmets reduce the chances of death, some types of brain injuries still occur in motorcycle accidents due to the brain bumping against the inside of the skull during impact.
Damages Available In an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Claim
Injuries in Atlanta motorcycle accidents range from mild to catastrophic. When injuries have financial impacts on the victim’s life, as well as causing physical harm, the injury victim has the right to seek compensation for their losses from the at-fault party. Common damages available in motorcycle accident claims in Atlanta include the following:
- Reimbursement for your medical expenses
- Anticipated future medical costs related to the injury
- Lost wages
- Future income loss or reduced future earning ability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Catastrophic injury compensation for permanent harm, such as disability, disfigurement, vision loss, hearing damage, organ loss, or diminished quality of life
If a close family member died in an Atlanta motorcycle accident, you could recover compensation for your grievous losses through a Georgia wrongful death claim against the liable party.
Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident In Atlanta
Protecting yourself physically and financially after a motorcycle accident can begin at the accident scene by doing the following:
- First, apply emergency first aid and call 911 for emergency services
- Then, use the phone camera to photograph the damaged motorcycle, any involved vehicles, and the accident scene. If you are too severely injured, ask someone else to take photos for you
- Take photos of your visible injuries
- Add the contact information of the driver to your phone
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident
Always go directly to a hospital from the scene of the motorcycle accident, and then ask for a full medical evaluation and a detailed medical report. Then, carefully follow your doctor’s instructions. Finally, reach out to an Atlanta injury lawyer at Marc Brown Law firm before interacting with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
What Is the Georgia Motorcycle Accident Claim Process?
Once you’ve hired an attorney to represent your best interests in an Atlanta motorcycle accident claim, your lawyer will conduct an independent investigation. While the insurance adjuster’s goal is to reduce their client’s liability by pointing their finger at you, our goal is always to protect your best interests by doing the following:
- Documenting compelling evidence of the at-fault party’s liability
- Carefully calculating your damages
- Sending our findings to the insurance company with a demand letter seeking the full compensation available to you
- Assertively negotiating with the insurance company to seek the highest possible settlement
Most motorcycle accident claims end with a settlement from the insurance company, but if the insurer fails to offer an ample settlement for your damages, we will represent your best interests in court and actively seek a favorable jury award for your damages.
Contact Marc Brown Law Firm to Speak to an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Instead of adding a complex legal process to your recovery period, call or contact Marc Brown Law Firm to let an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer navigate your case so you can focus on healing.