Conyers Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle accidents happen every year in Georgia, leading to serious injuries and fatalities. If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, trust Dan Chapman & Associates to help you hold the at-fault party accountable and secure the settlement that you deserve. 

Our Conyers motorcycle accident lawyers have represented thousands of people in their insurance claims and lawsuits. We will advocate aggressively for your right to maximum compensation.

Why Choose Dan Chapman & Associates for Your Motorcycle Injury Claim

• Our Conyers accident lawyers have over 100 years of combined experience, representing people throughout Georgia in their injury claims. We will leverage our skills, resources, and knowledge to craft a compelling case in your favor.
• We value open and honest communication from consultation to settlement. Our firm will be available to answer any questions that you may have and provide important updates about your claim.
• Our attorneys understand that financial hardship often accompanies a motorcycle accident. That’s why we take all cases on a contingency fee basis—if we do not win, you do not pay for our services.

What Causes Georgia Motorcycle Accidents?

Motorcycle accidents can happen at any time, in virtually any place on the road. Many of these collisions occur due to road hazards, poor weather, and defective motorcycle parts. However, several motorcycle accidents happen because of the negligence of other drivers.

Because they lack the same protections as motor vehicles, motorcyclists are vulnerable to severe injury on the road. Dangerous driver behaviors can lead to serious accidents, such as the following:

• Tailgating
• Distracted driving
• Fatigued or drowsy driving
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Making unsafe left-hand turns
• Running a red light or stop sign
• Driving while intoxicated
• Changing lanes unsafely

Legal Options for Injured Motorcyclists in Conyers, GA

It’s no secret that motorcycle accidents can lead to serious, often lifelong injuries. Victims of these collisions can sustain significant losses. However, there are legal pathways available to injured motorcyclists.

Depending on the circumstances, you could file a lawsuit or insurance claim against the party responsible for your accident. There are several parties that you could hold liable in your claim:

• Motor Vehicle Drivers: If your accident was caused by driver negligence, you could file an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver. Georgia is a fault-based insurance state, meaning that drivers are financially liable for any collisions that they cause.
• Manufacturers: Sometimes, motorcycle accidents occur due to defective parts or a defective bike. In these situations, you could file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer.
• Government Agencies: Motorcyclists are susceptible to road hazards, and it is the responsibility of the local government to ensure the roads are safe. If your accident was caused by a road defect that the government failed to fix, you could pursue a lawsuit against the responsible agency.

What Damages Are Available in a Motorcycle Accident Claim?

By filing a motorcycle accident claim, you can recover damages for the physical, emotional, and financial hardships that you endured. Your Conyers injury lawyer from Dan Chapman & Associates can help you identify all of the forms of compensation that you may qualify for, maximizing your potential award. 

Examples of damages available in Georgia motorcycle accident claims include the following:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and loss of future earnings
• Property damage, including motorcycle repairs
• Disability accommodations
• Chronic pain
• Permanent disability
• Emotional distress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Mental anguish

Determining Fault in a Conyers Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycle crashes are often caused by another driver’s carelessness or negligence. Many motorcycle crashes are caused by distracted drivers who fail to look at the road ahead or around them.  We have all heard the phrase “Look twice save a life.”  This is because many drivers fail to look before they change lanes or make a turn.   It is easy to miss a motorcycle when this happens.   

Multiple parties could be responsible for a motorcycle collision, including drivers, government agencies, product manufacturers, and private companies. Your legal options will depend on who was at fault for your accident, so it is important to work with an experienced personal injury attorney who can help you find the liable party or parties and all of the insurance that can pay your damages.  

How to Prove Fault in a Motorcycle Accident Case

To recover compensation in a motorcycle accident claim, you will need to show that the other party’s actions caused the crash and your injuries.  

In a personal injury claim, or lawsuit if it goes further, you will need to prove the at-fault party’s negligence. Under Georgia law, there are 4 elements needed to prove negligence:

• Duty of Care: The at-fault party owed you a duty of care at the time of the accident. For example, drivers have a duty to follow traffic laws and drive safely. Government agencies have a responsibility to keep the roads under their jurisdiction in safe condition.
• Breach of Duty: The at-fault party breached his or her duty of care through a negligent act or failure to act. For example, a driver who runs a red light or opens his or her door into traffic breaches the duty of care.
• Causation: The at-fault party’s breach of duty caused your motorcycle crash and the injuries you suffered. For example, say that a highway develops cracks and potholes, but the government agency responsible for maintenance of the highway fails to fill in the deep holes, and you crash when your motorcycle hits a pothole.  The crash would not have happened if the agency had maintained the road surface.  
• Damages: You suffered damages in the accident that you can recover in your settlement. These damages may include medical care, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering.

There are several pieces of evidence that you can leverage in order to prove the at-fault party’s negligence and establish fault. These may include official documents like medical records, police reports, and correspondence from your employer. Witness testimony, photographs, videos, and other evidence from the accident scene can be extremely helpful in establishing fault. If you need help proving especially complex aspects of your case, your attorney can enlist the help of expert witnesses like accident reconstruction specialists and medical professionals.  

Comparative Negligence in Georgia

Georgia allows motorcycle accident victims to recover their full medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages, as long as they are not partially at fault. According to the state’s laws on comparative negligence, your award will be reduced if the court discovers that you contributed to the collision. 

In this situation, the court will assign you a percentage that represents your share of the liability. You can recover compensation as long as you are less than 50% responsible for the accident; if your liability is 50% or higher, you are ineligible for a settlement.

For example, say that you were injured after a driver made an unsafe lane change. However, the court discovers that you were speeding at the time of the accident. If the court assigns 40% of the fault to you and you request a $40,000 award, you will receive $24,000. If the court assigned you 60% of the fault, you would not receive any compensation.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Conyers

If you are ever involved in a motorcycle accident, you can feel scared, confused, and overwhelmed. Not only are you dealing with painful and sometimes very serious injuries, but you may also face financial hardship, property damage, and emotional trauma. Your immediate actions following an accident will have a major impact on your future claim, so you need to take the following steps.

Check on Everyone Involved in the Accident

First, you should make sure that everyone involved in the accident is okay. Your health and the health of other people is a top priority in these situations, so ensure that everyone is safe before moving on. If anyone is seriously hurt, call 911 and bring emergency medical services to the scene. Make sure everyone is out of the road and keeping a safe distance from the collision and oncoming traffic. 

Report the Accident to the Police

After the collision, call 911 to bring law enforcement to the accident scene. The responding officer will create a police report that includes important details like the time of the accident, the names of the involved parties, and what the officer believed happened. This document is also an important piece of evidence, so report the accident to the police and ask for the officer’s information so you can find it later.

Exchange Information with Other Parties

If you are able, exchange your information with all of the people who were involved in the collision. Swap your license, insurance, and contact details. Keep your interaction as short as possible and do not say anything about the accident, your injuries, or how the collision happened.

Gather and Preserve Evidence

You should also take steps to gather evidence if you can move around the crash site safely and without further injury. Take as many photographs and videos as possible. Ask any witnesses in the area for their contact information.

Seek Medical Care Immediately

Next, you should seek emergency medical care, even if you do not feel injured after the accident. Sometimes, injuries in motorcycle accidents do not start showing symptoms for a few hours or even days after the initial event. However, symptoms can worsen the longer that you go without medical care. For these reasons, it is imperative to seek care right away.

Your medical records will also serve as foundational pieces of evidence in your future claim. If you do not have these documents, it will be very easy for an insurance company to deny your case. Always go to the hospital, and always save any documents pertaining to your injuries or treatment.

At Dan Chapman & Associates, we offer free consultations to people who have been injured due to no fault of their own.  Most of these consultations are done over the phone, so you do not even need to leave your home to speak to an injury lawyer.  At these free meetings, we review the facts of your case, discuss our legal services, and provide our opinion on how to proceed with getting you help for your injuries, getting money for your damaged motorcycle, and on the things you need to know about dealing with an insurance company.  Some of our lawyers formerly worked for insurance companies, so we know their tactics and how best to deal with them for maximum recovery.  

Contact a Conyers Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

Were you injured in a motorcycle accident in Conyers, GA? The attorneys at Dan Chapman & Associates can help you recover the compensation that you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a free case consultation with one of our Conyers motorcycle accident lawyers. We will evaluate your case and help you strategize your next steps.