Named one of Money magazine’s top two places to live in the U.S., Carmel, Indiana stands as a beautiful, ever-growing city.The roads are ripe for exploration on a motorcycle ride. But motorcycle accidents occur in Carmel, too. In an instant, a crash from a motorcycle can leave you physically, emotionally, and financially hurting. After a motorcycle crash, where can you turn for help? As bills mount in the aftermath, how do you know what steps to take to seek compensation?
You don’t need to add the burden of taking on insurance companies or other drivers while you deal with the aftermath of your Carmel motorcycle accident. You deserve to find a compassionate, empathetic legal team who will fight for your rights. You need an Indiana motorcycle accident lawyer who can support you in any compensatory claims.
Riding a motorcycle is dangerous for bikers everywhere, including Carmel, Indiana. The city’s home county, Hamilton, had 68 motorcycle collisions in 2019, according to the Indiana Traffic Safety Facts report. That same year, Carmel had 2,730 traffic collisions, the highest number of road accidents in the entire county. Numerous distractions and situations can cause an accident that a biker has no control over, leading to accidents that seriously injure riders.
We want to help guide you through the step-by-step process for the aftermath of a Carmel motorcycle accident, so you have a better understanding of what to do. This includes:
- Statistics on and common causes of Indiana motorcycle crashes
- How to file a police report and exchange information with any other involved parties
- Why you should Immediately see a doctor and document any injuries
- Potential reasons for compensation
- The statute of limitations on filing a case for your motorcycle accident
- How a motorcycle accident lawyer can assist you
Statistics on and Common Causes of Carmel Motorcycle Accidents
Statistics on Motorcycle Accidents
According to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) and the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (ICJI), motorcycle accidents and fatalities in Indiana increased in 2020. The ICJI estimates motorcycles were involved in only 2% of all vehicle crashes, but accounted for 15% of traffic deaths. In Indiana, motorcycle collisions increased by 8% from 2,568 in 2019 to 2,778 in 2020.
In 2019, 2,730 traffic accidents occurred in Carmel–higher than any other town in Hamilton county. However, Carmel’s installation of roundabouts near major thoroughfares (more than in any other US city) saw accidents significantly reduced in 2021.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
The Hurt Report, a study on motorcycle accidents and injuries, states that the leading cause of motorcycle accidents stems from a driver’s failure to yield the right of way to bikers. While roundabouts in Carmel may help diminish the amount of these accidents, they still occur.
Reckless driving on the part of a driver or biker can also lead to Carmel motorcycle accidents. Following too closely, distracted driving, speeding, and illegal lane shifts all fall under reckless driving. A reckless driver is, in part if not fully, liable in these types of motorcycle accidents.
Driving or riding under the influence also accounts for some Carmel motorcycle accidents. Hamilton County, the home of Carmel, ranks 5th in the state of Indiana for highest rates of fatal DUI accidents.
Filing a Police Report and Exchanging Insurance Information
If you’re in a Carmel motorcycle accident, it’s important to remain on the scene of the accident and immediately call the police. When you file a report, make sure you tell the officers on the scene of any injuries you may have attained–no matter how minor.
It’s also vital that you do not apologize or admit fault for the accident. Take time to process through what occurred, and don’t let shock or emotions dictate your words. Although you may be reeling from shock or in severe pain, make sure you remember to collect insurance information from any other drivers. Insurance companies often have much red tape to cut through as you file a claim, and deal with a multitude of claims per day. These corporations may seem apathetic to the trauma you endured. It’s important that you file to begin a record of anything you may experience as a result of your Carmel motorcycle accident.
Why You Should See a Doctor and Document Any Injuries
In Carmel, if you’re on a bike and injured in a motorcycle accident, you may experience traumatic and severe injury. The freedom of riding on a motorcycle also means great exposure to the elements and high potential for direct impact from a vehicle. While any accident can prove scary and equal grave injury, a car offers more protection than a motorcycle.
Although in Indiana helmets are not required for motorcycle operators over the age of 18, helmets and protective eyewear may diminish your risk of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and other facial and cranial injuries. Along with TBIs, Carmel motorcycle accidents may result in:
- Bone fractures
- Road rash
- Facial injuries
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Deep Hematomas
You may feel lucky if you escape a motorcycle crash with only road rash. Nonetheless, you should still get examined by a doctor. Your road rash could become infected, or your injuries could worsen over time.
Potential Reasons for Compensation
A Carmel motorcycle accident lawyer can help you explore any potential you may have for compensatory damages. As a result of an accident, you may find yourself experiencing hardships that could entitle you to a settlement. These hardships may include:
Financial losses:
- Medical expenses. You can receive money for past and ongoing medical expenses, including emergency care, surgeries, rehabilitation services, and more.
- Lost wages or lost potential income. You can receive compensation for the time you spent away from work due to an injury and the time you will spend away in the future due to recovery or rehab. You can also recover lost benefits, tips, and bonuses.
- Lost earning potential. You could recover damages if your injuries have forced you to stop working or made you change jobs.
- Motorcycle repair or replacement. If your bike was damaged or totaled, you could receive compensation for what it would cost to repair it or for the total amount your bike is valued.
Non-financial losses include:
- Pain and suffering. Damages in this category compensate victims for the discomfort their accident has caused them, physically and mentally.
- Emotional distress. If the accident left you with psychological injuries and you need to seek help from a specialist on the field, you could receive compensation from this as well.
- Permanent disability. If your injuries made you permanently unable to work and hindered your ability to care for yourself without help, you could seek damages.
- Loss of consortium. If your quality of life with your partner has changed because of the accident, you could seek damages for this.
- Loss of enjoyment in life. If you can’t do or enjoy the hobbies or activities you used to before the accident, you could be compensated.
How Long You Have to File a Legal Case
After you’ve experienced a Carmel motorcycle accident, it’s important to explore your legal options right away. A motorcycle accident lawyer can help you determine if you have a strong case, and take care of filing any motions for you. In Indiana, there is a statute of limitations on how long you have to file a case after an accident.
State law, IC § 34-11-2-4 , gives you two years to file a lawsuit if you’ve suffered a personal injury in a motorcycle accident. It’s vital that you contact a motorcycle accident lawyer quickly to help you understand the path of your potential case.
How a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Assist You
The trauma of a Carmel motorcycle accident may stay with you for years to come. In the immediate aftermath of your accident, you may not be able to handle the mounting burdens you’re experiencing. Nonetheless, finding a committed advocate in a motorcycle accident lawyer may help alleviate your stress.
If you’ve experienced damage as the result of another driver, your loved ones have suffered, or you’ve experienced irreparable property damage, compensation won’t make up for your loss, but it may ease your pain. If you decide to pursue legal options, you need a dedicated motorcycle accident lawyer in your corner. You may find it easier to move forward in the accident’s aftermath by placing your case in expert hands.
It’s tough to see justice and compensation if you contact an insurance company on your own, and the paperwork may add to your burdens from your accident.
After your Carmel motorcycle accident, if you choose to work with Yosha Cook & Tisch, our lawyers will fight hard on your behalf. We will explain every aspect of your case, and support you through the legal process. In your initial consultation. We’ll advise you on the legal merits of your case, and explore what compensation may look like for you. We’ll pour our vast resources into strengthening your case, and, if needed, utilize forensic experts to collect evidence.
If your case goes to trial, we’ll fight for you in court. And, if you retain our legal team to advocate for you, we will negotiate any settlements on your behalf. We’re here to support you in the aftermath of your Carmel motorcycle accident.
Call Us for a Free Consultation
At Yosha Cook & Tisch, we believe in the rights of individuals. You don’t have to face large corporations on your own. We can guide you, step by step, through your case. Finding justice for you remains our goal.
Your initial discussion with us is free of charge, and we’ll be transparent about the merits we see in your potential case. We also work on contingency. Rather than paying us a retainer for leading you to deserved compensation, we only get paid if you get paid.
You deserve to find support in the aftermath of your Carmel motorcycle accident. Call Yosha Cook & Tisch at (317) 334-9200 for a free consultation.
A personal injury attorney in Carmel will help!
