Motorcycle accidents are among the most dangerous because the second driver is almost always in a full-sized vehicle. In fact, car and truck drivers can put a motorcycle rider’s life at risk without even a scratch on their own vehicle and some even drive away without taking responsibility for the accident their driving behaviors have just caused. What’s worse is that implicit motorcycle bias often results in the motorcyclist being blamed when they were the one driving safely.
If you have recently been in a motorcycle accident in Glendale, you deserve a fair assessment of the accident and to hold the other driver accountable if they were the one who put your life – and perhaps the lives of others – in danger. Hutzler Law has top-rated Glendale motorcycle accident lawyers that are dedicated to helping victims of accidents and injuries recover and receive the compensation they deserve.
Motorcyclists in need of a lawyer can rely on the skilled attorneys of our firm to fight for your right to a fair settlement.
Call our team at (602) 730-4530 today.
Do You Need Help Handling Your Motorcycle Accident Claim?
The decisions you make and the actions you take over the next few days and weeks are crucial if you want to get the compensation you deserve. Being proactive is crucial in this situation, saving you time, money, and stress in the long run.
Our team of motorcycle accident attorneys in Phoenix has extensive experience handling motorcycle accident claims. We believe in empowering our clients and guiding them through the legal process with compassion and care.
Call our team at (602) 730-4530 today for your free consultation and let us help you get back on your feet.
How Can an Attorney Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Glendale?
A recent motorcycle accident often leaves the victim in poor condition to fight for their rights in the insurance debate that follows. Who is at fault? Whose insurance will pay? How much are your injuries worth? These are questions that are difficult to answer from the hospital or even recovering at home.
However, a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer can immediately begin the defense and investigation necessary to protect your best interests after you have been hit or were injured narrowly avoiding a collision on your motorcycle. Your lawyer will fight to prevent motorcycle bias from turning against you in the fault assessment and prevent insurance companies from lowballing your claim when assessing the medical funds you will need for recovery.
We also understand that your motorcycle likely took the brunt of the property damage, and will fight for repair or replacement costs, as well. Schedule your initial consultation by calling (602) 730-4530 or write to us through our online form.
Common Injuries in a Glendale Motorcycle Accident Cases
Motorcycle accidents are extremely dangerous because the rider is not protected by an outer metal shell like vehicle drivers. This can make drivers careless around motorcyclists who are at risk of severe injury, even just avoiding a collision when another driver acts recklessly. Common motorcycle injuries include
- Broken Bones and Fractures
- Lacerations
- Friction Burns
- Crushed Limbs
- Internal Bleeding
- Concussion and Head Injury
- Back Injury
- Spinal Injury
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Nerve Damage
- Whiplash and Soft Tissue Injury
Always see a doctor immediately after a motorcycle accident, even a minor one, and monitor yourself for signs of long-term injuries that develop in the next few weeks or months.
What is Motorcycle Bias and Why Does it Matters After an Accident?
Motorcycle bias is the unstated assumption that motorcyclists are inherently reckless and likely to blame for any accident they are involved in. Motorcyclists know better. You know that the drivers of full-sized vehicles often don’t see or acknowledge motorcycles. You know that vehicle drivers are perfectly capable of reckless and dangerous driving that puts others, especially exposed motorcycle riders, at risk.
However, motorcycle bias can cause critical people in the investigation to misread the evidence to fit their assumption that a motorcycle was at fault, including poorly constructed police reports, which insurance companies rely on to determine fault and coverage.
Your Glendale motorcycle accident lawyer will fight for a thorough and fair investigation to ensure motorcycle bias does not play against you in your case.
Vehicle Drivers are Often At Fault for Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycles are subject to a much broader range of accidents for two important reasons. First, motorcycles are more responsive to changes in traffic and road conditions. A motorcycle rider is at greater risk when other drivers suddenly change their behavior. Worse, however, is that other drivers often simply fail to see motorcycles on the road.
Left Turn Accidents
Left turn accidents are one of the leading causes of motorcyclist injuries. This occurs when a motorcycle is moving lawfully through an intersection and a driver turning left hits them without realizing the motorcycle is there.
Lane Change Accidents
Drivers also fail to see motorcycles as occupying lane space to the side of them. Drivers of full sized vehicles will often try to change lanes directly into a motorcycle, forcing the motorcycle to evade or be hit, which can cause further chaos and danger.
The Other Car Didn’t See You
In fact, other drivers often simply don’t see motorcycles, which puts riders at extreme risk when full-sized vehicles try to occupy the space in which the motorcycle is driving. Despite motorcycle bias, this is the primary cause of motorcycle accidents.
The Other Car Did Not Respect Your Lane Position
Sometimes, an aggressive driver does see the motorcycle and tries to encroach on their space anyway. They may dangerously tailgate a motorcycle or try to merge into them just force the motorcycle to give way.
The Other Car was Already Driving Recklessly
Motorcycles also often witness aggressive and dangerous driving from full-sized vehicles and are simply the most exposed victim of this recklessness or road rage.
You Were Forced to Avoid a Collision and the Other Car Sped Off
One of the most challenging types of motorcycle accident is when the actions of a full-sized car forces a motorcycle into a position where they fall or crash, but the other car is unscathed and drives away without accepting responsibility. In these situations, it requires determined investigation through dash cams and security cameras to even find the true culprit of the crash.
How the Glendale Motorcycle Accident Attorneys at Hutzler Law Gather Proof on Your Claim
The single most important part of defending a motorcyclist after an accident is investigation. Proof will often show that the other driver, not the motorcyclist, was acting recklessly or hit the rider while the motorcycle was behaving in a calm and lawful manner. However, to overcome motorcycle bias, an abundance of evidence is necessary.
Here are a few ways the attorneys at Hutzler Law can help get the evidence needed for a successful motorcycle accident claim:
Witness Dash Cams
One of the best sources of in-the-moment footage is the dash cameras from any nearby vehicles. Many people now have front and rear facing dash cameras, especially service vehicles. These live footage clips can show exactly what happened, sometimes from multiple angles, to prove the reckless or oblivious behavior of the other driver.
They can even help identify an at-fault driver who drove away.
Vehicle Telematics
Telematics are the data readings from inside a vehicle, like speed, velocity, engine behavior, and sometimes even GPS location data. This information can be requested if available for either vehicle to provide detailed readings on what happened at the time of the crash.
Local Security and Traffic Cams
If the crash occurred in a public space, there’s a chance that local shop security cameras may have caught the accident. If it happened near an intersection, a traffic camera might yield some useful evidence.
Vehicle Damage Forensics
Vehicle damage forensics might identify the angle, speed, and impact that occurred when the vehicle collided with your motorcycle.
Witness Statements
Lastly, human witness statements are the least reliable, but may be useful when seeking to build a complete view of a scene where there was limited camera coverage.
Securing a Fair Settlement After a Glendale Motorcycle Accident with Hutzler Law
Here at Hutzler Law, we know how hard it can be for motorcycle riders to prove that they were not at-fault and to get a fair insurance claim for the potentially extensive injuries and property damage caused by a motorcycle accident. Our founding Attorney, Jason Hutzler, is a former insurance adjustor and understands the tactics and strategies that insurance companies hide behind to lowball legitimate claims and deny valid coverage.
Let us fight for your right to a fair settlement. Our Glendale motorcycle accident lawyers have the skill, experience, and tenacity needed to defend you from motorcycle bias, argue the full extent of your injuries, and make sure that you are treated fairly in seeking the settlement you deserve. We are available 24/7, so you can call us as soon as an accident occurs, and we will immediately get to work protecting your best interests.
Start your free consultation at any time by calling us at (602) 730-4530 or reaching out through our helpful online form.