Were you in a motorcycle accident in Floral Park, Queens, or another New York neighborhood? Did your loved one die because of injuries after a motorcycle accident in Long Island? If so, a Long Island motorcycle accident lawyer at Cohen & Jaffe, LLP is ready to help you fight for your rights.
Our attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP have more than a hundred years of combined experience standing up for victims of serious accidents such as motorcycle collisions. While every case stands on its own, we have helped our clients recover millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements and resolve day-to-day issues such as replacing damaged vehicles and finding doctors.
At the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP, we’re prepared to handle all aspects of your case. Law partner Richard Jaffe is a trained EMT, so he has seen firsthand the trauma that motorcycle accidents cause. You’ll work directly with our attorneys on your case instead of just a secretary or paralegal.
If you are struggling with serious injuries resulting from a motorcycle crash, contact our Floral Park motorcycle accident lawyers right away to get the help you need. We’re available 24/7 to respond to your call and we’re happy to travel to you if your injuries make it difficult to come to our office. To set up a free consultation, call us today at (516) 358-6900 or fill out our quick online form.
Motorcycle Accident Injury Claims
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident involving another motorist, you can file a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance to try to get compensation for your injuries and other losses. This is often a stressful and frustrating experience for accident victims who try to fight with uncooperative insurance companies on their own. However, an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney can negotiate with the insurer on your behalf, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries.
Some of the ways that a New York motorcycle accident lawyer can help with your claim include:
- Negotiating with the insurance company on your behalf. An experienced attorney can protect your rights and advocate for your interests in talks with the insurance company and other parties involved in the accident. Insurance companies generally try to pay out as little money as possible to settle a claim. They use multiple tactics to reduce or deny claims.
Insurers often pressure accident victims to accept unreasonably low settlements by asserting that their offer is the most money that the victim will receive. In other circumstances, insurers talk victims into making written or recorded statements or turning over their complete medical records. They often use this information to argue that the victim was responsible for the accident or that the victim’s injuries were from a pre-existing condition.
A skilled New York motorcycle accident attorney will negotiate on your behalf, so you don’t have to risk mistakenly saying something that the insurer can use against you.
- Determining liability. To win a motorcycle accident claim, you must prove that another party such as another driver was responsible for the collision and that their negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing caused your injuries.
A knowledgeable Floral Park motorcycle injury attorney can help identify all of the parties that may be liable for your injuries. For example, the driver’s employer, a car’s manufacturer, a government agency, or other parties may be liable in addition to the driver, depending on the details of the accident.
Your lawyer can also help you navigate New York’s helmet and comparative negligence laws. New York state rules require all motorcycle drivers and riders to use safety gear, including helmets and protective eyewear. However, even victims that fail to wear a helmet may still be able to seek compensation for motorcycle accident injuries, although a jury might reduce the amount of damages they are awarded.
For example, if a jury decides that your value of your motorcycle injury claim is $100,000, but you were 20 percent to blame for your injuries, then your award would be reduced by 20 percent. You would receive $80,000 under New York’s comparative negligence rules.
- Gathering evidence. Whether you are fighting with an insurer or suing for compensation, you’ll need persuasive evidence to receive a fair settlement after a motorcycle accident. An experienced NY motorcycle accident attorney will know all the types of evidence you’ll need. Our attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe will work to gather proof of your accident and injuries before the evidence gets lost.
Your lawyer will speak with witnesses to record their statements and seek any photographs or videos that show the accident. An attorney will document the important physical aspects of the accident scene, such as the location of traffic signals, skid marks, dangerous road conditions, and damaged guard rails.
A skilled attorney will also obtain police and medical reports related to the motorcycle accident. In addition, our legal team can hire such a traffic reconstruction specialist to testify how the accident occurred.
- Fighting for your rights. To seek full compensation in a motorcycle accident injury suit, you must file your claim within the legal deadline. Under New York’s statute of limitations, accident victims typically have up to three years from the date of an accident to file a claim. In claims involving government agencies that are responsible for building and maintaining roads, however, the deadline is much shorter. It’s important to contact a N.Y. motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights. After this deadline passes, victims usually can’t recover any compensation for their injuries.
The attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe will use their knowledge of New York personal injury claim to determine the timeline that applies to your case.
Our attorneys are prepared to fight for your rights in court if needed. Motorcyclists often face bias because many insurers and juries think that motorcycle riders are dangerous risk-takers. A skilled attorney can help you push back against this bias and demand fair treatment and the full compensation you deserve.
For a free legal consultation with a motorcycle accidents lawyer serving Floral Park, call 516-358-6900
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Many different situations can lead to motorcycle accidents, such as:
- Speeding
- Failure to use safety equipment, such as reflective materials, a helmet and a face shield
- Motorists that drift into the motorcyclist’s lane or cut them off
- Failing to regularly inspect vehicles and maintain them
- A car braking suddenly in front of a motorcycle
- Traffic congestion
- Driving without proper training or licenses
- Tailgating or failing to leave enough room between vehicles
- Lane splitting
- Dangerous road conditions
- Failing to use headlights
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Manufacturing defects in automotive parts
- Riding in a vehicle’s blind spot
- Hazardous weather conditions
- Failing to yield or obey traffic signals
- Making an unexpected left turn in front of a motorcycle
- Drowsy driving
- Driving while distracted while texting, attending to children, or any activity that takes the driver’s eyes and mind off the road
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Types of Motorcycle Accident Injuries
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 25 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than occupants of other vehicles. Additionally, motorcycle riders are at least five times as likely to get injured. Some of the most common types of injuries that motorcyclists suffer include:
- Cuts, bruises, and lacerations
- Road rash
- Muscle damage, such as tears of muscle tissue, sprains, and strains
- Injuries to extremities, including damage to feet and legs, as well as “biker’s arm,” which can involve multiple injuries
- Broken bones
- Loss of limbs
- Crushing injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries, skull fractures, concussions, and many other head injuries
- Facial injuries
- Neck and shoulder injuries
- Slipped discs, bruised spine, and other serious back and spinal injuries
- Paralysis
- Post-traumatic stress disorder and other types of emotional trauma
What Compensation Can be Recovered
Motorcycle accidents often lead to serious injuries that affect the accident victim and his or her loved ones for the rest of their lives. That’s why it’s so important for victims to understand their legal options and seek full compensation to cover not only current bills but also future expenses related to the injuries. The types of compensation that Floral Park motorcycle accident victims may be entitled to recover include:
- Medical bills and future expenses, such as emergency room visits, hospital stays, medications, surgeries, therapies, and other treatment related to the accident
- Wages lost during recovery from the accident
- Loss of future earnings if a motorcycle crash survivor is unable to work or earn a comparable income due to their injuries
- Loss of consortium, companionship, or enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Disability accommodations, such as modifications to the victim’s car or house
- Emotional distress
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Contact a Floral Park Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
Don’t wait until it’s too late to seek the compensation available after a motorcycle accident caused by another motorist’s carelessness or disregard for safety. Contact the experienced and compassionate Floral Park personal injury attorneys at the Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP, today. Call us at (516) 358-6900 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation.
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