Whether motorcyclists are just passing through, enjoying a weekend ride, or commuting to work, it is common to see them throughout the roads of California.
Most of these riders enjoy choosing a motorcycle as their mode of transportation yet they're also cognizant of the greater risks when they decide to ride. Why?
Although motorcyclists wear safety gear to protect themselves and adhere to the rules of safety in California, they cannot control the actions of others they share roads with. When a motorcycle is in an accident involving a car, even if it seems like a relatively small accident, the motorcycle rider can still suffer serious injuries.
If you've suffered injuries in a motorcycle crash involving another vehicle, and the other driver was at fault, you are entitled to make a claim against that driver to recover money in compensation for your damages. But you may be experiencing frustration if you have attempted to deal with the insurance company on your own. Insurance companies, as profit-oriented corporations, are always focused on their bottom line, and whenever possible, deny or underpay accident claims. This is especially the case with motorcycle accidents, where insurers often assume that if you ride a motorcycle, you are a risk-taker and probably responsible for your own injuries. This bias has no basis.
The NHTSA reports that a majority of all fatal motorcycle accidents involve another vehicle; in 42 percent of those collisions, a car or truck has struck a cycle while turning left into the path of a motorcycle either coming straight from the opposite direction or traveling in the same direction, and in the process of passing the car or truck. Because in these types of accidents the motorcycle has the right of way, the fault is with the driver of the other vehicle.
In other cases, an accident may be caused by obstacles or debris in the roadway, in which case the responsible party might be a road construction company or government department doing roadwork, a trucking company that lost cargo or left a tire tread in the road following a blowout.
Nevertheless, it can be difficult to overcome the biased misperception that the biker is automatically at fault, and it usually takes an experienced Sacramento area motorcycle accident attorney to prove it: one who has experts - such as accident reconstructionists and traffic engineers - available to help support your claim.
In and around Sacramento, California, you will find the top-quality legal representation you need at the law firm of attorneys John M. O'Brien & Grant Zehnder.
With over 25 years of experience and a law practice dedicated entirely to personal injury matters, our firm has earned the highest possible ratings from Martindale-Hubbell and Avvo, and has successfully concluded thousands of cases and recovered millions of dollars for injured clients.
In our client-centered law practice, we focus on your needs and goals and keep you informed and involved at every stage of the process, returning all phone calls and emails promptly.
To get straightforward answers to all of your questions and learn about your legal options, contact the O'Brien & Zehnder Law Firm to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation today. Don't wait, because if you miss a filing deadline, you will lose your right to a recovery.
