Penn Hills Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

When motorcyclists are involved in crashes, they are at far greater risk of serious or fatal injury than people in passenger vehicles. Even though their injuries and property damage tend to be more serious, they still struggle to get the compensation they deserve. What does this mean for you as you figure out your next steps after a Pennsylvania motorcycle crash?

It means it’s time to talk to an attorney and protect yourself. You need a lawyer who knows your rights as a motorcyclist and can fight back against the misconceptions that make it hard for bikers to get fair treatment. Call Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman at 866-565-4949 to set up a consultation right now.

Why You Need an Attorney—and How We Can Help

For many people, the idea of hiring an attorney for a traffic accident is overwhelming. They worry about the cost, the extra time it may take, and if it’s worth the added stress. Once you understand what an attorney does for you, you’ll see that these issues are irrelevant.

First, the vast majority of personal injury attorneys work on contingency—this means that you pay nothing unless you win a settlement or court award, and your attorney’s fees are taken out of that amount. You pay nothing out of pocket. Second, hiring an attorney can actually help you get a fair settlement faster than negotiating on your own.

Insurance companies are far less likely to waste your time with unethical bargaining techniques if they know you have an attorney. Finally, having an attorney can lower your stress levels. When you have legal representation, you don’t have to deal with insurance companies. You can just focus on recuperating.

Attorneys are especially important for injured bikers. Despite the fact that the majority of motorcyclists ride safely and with full awareness of their surroundings, there’s still a popular misconception that bikers are reckless, dangerous drivers. As a result, insurance companies have a tendency to assign liability to riders even when it’s clear that another party is at fault. You need a lawyer who knows what you’re up against and can fight for your best interests.

At Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman, we take our responsibility to our clients very seriously. Our team will gather the necessary evidence, including the accident report, witness statements, and photographic evidence. We’ll investigate the crash to figure out what happened and who caused it.

From there, we’ll work on understanding your injuries, proving their severity, and making a case to present. Our goal is to secure the compensation you rightfully deserve after a collision.

What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania Motorcycle Crashes

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation maintains data on motorcycle collisions. Their data shows that total crashes have been on the rise since 2018, and as a result, so have fatal injuries. In 2020, there were nearly 3,400 motorcycle accidents and over 200 fatalities. Almost all of the fatalities were drivers.

One shocking statistic relates to impaired driving crashes. Despite only being 2% of all drivers involved in crashes, motorcycles were the impaired party in 8% of the crashes involving impaired drivers. This is a serious issue that highlights the need for safe driving practices and education.

Common Injuries

Motorcyclists report a wide range of injuries after collisions. Since they are not restrained by seatbelts and have no protection from the road beyond whatever they are wearing, their injuries tend to be more severe than those suffered by occupants of passenger vehicles.

Some commonly reported injuries include:

• Fatal injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Lacerations
• Infections caused by road rash and exposure to the road
• Shoulder injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Serious back and neck injuries
• Burns
• Scarring
• Disfiguring injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Internal bleeding

As you see, many of these injuries are severe and would require significant medical treatment. In just one accident, it’s not uncommon for a biker to rack up tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical bills. Without fair compensation from an injury claim, a biker could be on the hook for these bills on their own.

Causes of Motorcycle Collisions

A thorough investigation is necessary to determine what caused your motorcycle accident and who is liable. While there are cases where a faulty bike part, faulty car part, unsafe road, or unclear sign is to blame, most collisions are a result of human error. Common causes of accidents include:

• Unsafe lane changes
• Unsafe turns
• Speeding above the speed limit or too fast for road and weather conditions
• Driving while impaired
• Driving while fatigued
• Driving while distracted
• Following too closely
• Failing to yield right of way

Your Next Steps

If you’ve already been involved in a crash, gather the evidence you have and put it somewhere safe. If you took photos of the crash scene, store them on your phone and on a cloud-based storage service so you have a backup.

Next, it’s time to contact a Penn Hills motorcycle accident attorney. Pennsylvania has personal injury laws that are quite different from what you’ll find in other parts of the country. Pennsylvania has a no-fault car accident law, so you’ll need to file through your own insurance first up until you reach policy limits. However, in some circumstances, you can file a claim with the other party’s insurance.

This may be the case if you have serious injuries that exceed policy limits. Additionally, if you have full tort coverage, you can seek full compensation for your accident-related losses. Talking to an attorney and providing them with the details of your insurance policy will help them determine what your next move should be.

Reach Out to Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman Today

The team at Caroselli, Beachler & Coleman has built a reputation defending motorcyclists like you. If you’ve been injured in a collision, don’t let the insurance company leave you burdened with medical debt and repair fees. Call us at 866-565-4949 or send us a message online to schedule a consultation with our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers.