A motorcycle accident can be a life-changing event. It can leave you with injuries that you never fully recover from — and the medical bills to go along with them. After a bad collision, you might be feeling overwhelmed and hopeless, watching your expenses pile up and having to miss work because of your injuries. If you or a loved one is struggling after a bad motorcycle crash, consider contacting a motorcycle accident injury lawyer in Gary, Indiana.

At Yosha Law, we’ve been helping victims of motorcycle collisions for decades. Our team has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for personal injury cases. We dedicate ourselves to each client we work with. Getting results is important, but we also pride ourselves on our empathy and support for our clients. We’re always there when you need us.

How soon after a motorcycle accident should you call a lawyer?

You should try to contact a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your collision. The sooner you get your case started, the more preparation your attorney can do. However, you should also make sure you’re well enough to see a lawyer, if you suffered major injuries in your motorcycle crash.

In Indiana, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident. That means you only have two years to file a lawsuit if you want to seek compensation for your damages.

You can recover compensation even if you’re partially at fault

In Indiana, motorists who were partially liable for an accident can still file a personal injury claim and seek compensation. As long as you are less than 50% responsible for the accident, you can receive compensation.

Whatever percentage of liability is assigned to you, that’s how much your settlement or verdict gets reduced by. If you are found 15% liable for the motorcycle collision, for example, your compensation would be reduced by 15%.

What types of compensation can you recover after a motorcycle accident?

After a serious motorcycle accident, you probably have lots of bills piling up. Covering your expenses for your medical care can be difficult if you’re unable to work. If you work with a motorcycle accident injury lawyer, they can help you get a settlement or a verdict to cover the damages you’ve suffered.

Some of the damages you can recover in a motorcycle accident case are:

Present and future medical costs
Lost wages for time you had to take off work for your injury and recovery
Lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from being able to do your job
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Medications
Counseling
Therapy (physical, occupational, or psychological)

Money can’t heal permanent injuries, and it can’t bring back a loved one if they were killed in a motorcycle wreck. But the financial burden that comes with severe injuries can be enormous. Funeral, burial, and other end-of-life expenses can also be substantial.

A settlement can’t make your life go back to the way it was before. But it can make it easier for you to move forward.

Motorcycle Crash Injuries Our Gary Lawyers Represent

A motorcyclist who gets in a collision can end up with serious injuries. Without the protective shell of a passenger car, you’re more exposed to the road and other vehicles.

Some of the most common injuries related to motorcycle accidents are:

Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
Spinal cord injuries
Broken ribs
Broken or amputated ribs
Paralysis
Whiplash or soft tissue damage in the neck
Lacerations
Internal bleeding
Organ damage
Facial disfigurement
Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)
Burn injuries

Unfortunately, some motorcycle collisions can also result in fatalities.

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident but don’t see your injury listed above, give us a call anyway. The type of injury you can get varies widely, and our Gary, IN personal injury lawyers may still be able to help.

Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit for a Motorcycle Accident in Indiana

Losing a loved one in an accident is devastating — nothing can make up for that loss. But you can seek damages related to their motorcycle accident to help you cover the expenses you suddenly find yourself with.

These expenses might include:

Funeral and burial expenses
End-of-life medical care
Lost income
Loss of consortium, household benefits, or parental guidance
The decedent’s pain and suffering

If you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit, you have two years from the date of the accident. In Indiana, there’s a fault-based system. That means that as long as your loved one wasn’t responsible for more than 50% of the accident, you can pursue compensation if you are the personal representative of the victim’s estate.

A wrongful death lawsuit is a complex case and you need experienced personal injury lawyers in Gary on your side if you want to file one.

Does Indiana motorcycle insurance cover accident injuries?

In Indiana, anyone riding a motorcycle is legally required to carry motorcycle insurance. This insurance covers injuries sustained in accidents and the coverage limits are similar to regular car insurance:

$25,000 bodily injury per person
$50,000 total bodily injury per accident
$25,000 property damage per accident

The numbers above are the minimum coverage limits. You can get higher coverage, but it will cost you more in monthly premiums.

If you are a motorcyclist who gets injured in an accident, your motorcycle insurance policy will cover your medical care as long as it’s within your policy limits. If you are a motorist who got into an accident with a motorcyclist, your car insurance should cover you as well.

Of course, whether your vehicle insurance policy pays for your injuries or not also depends on whose fault it was. If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident and don’t think you’re getting fair treatment from your insurance company, consider contacting a personal injury lawyer.

We’ll help you deal with the insurance company

After you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, your insurance company is not on your side. They’re interested in getting your claim processed as quickly as possible. Your adjuster may resort to tactics like lowballing you or asking for a recorded statement.

Tactics that insurance companies use

The other party’s insurance company will have your interests in mind even less. The first offer they send you will probably be too low and not enough to compensate you for your losses. Don’t accept the first offer. Instead, have our Gary motorcycle accident lawyers look it over first.

If the first settlement they offer isn’t high enough, we can negotiate for a higher one. You shouldn’t be taken advantage of by an insurance adjuster.

You should also avoid giving any recorded statements to the insurance company after a motorcycle accident. Often, insurance adjusters use this tactic to get you to inadvertently admit liability for the accident. Our team will be able to intervene any time the insurance company tries to contact you. You’re in good hands with us.

Long-Term Consequences of a Motorcycle Accident

Being in a motorcycle collision can have a long-term impact on your life. Injuries sustained in an accident can be life-threatening or permanent. When a passenger vehicle strikes a biker, the sheer difference in size can make it a much more serious or possibly fatal accident than if two cars collided.

As a result, motorcyclists who get injured in an accident may have to deal with long-term consequences such as:

Long periods of convalescence while recovering from serious injuries
Medical bills that pile up and could take years to pay off
Substantial time off from work to recover
Nursing care or home health aides
Therapy (speech, physical, occupational, psychological)
Counseling
Burn center or rehabilitation center care
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety

Your insurance company may be willing to pay the medical bills for some of your injuries but it may also look for ways to deny your claim or avoid having to pay for long-term care. If your insurance company is being difficult or you know that your motorcycle crash injuries are severe, you should contact a personal injury lawyer for help seeking compensation.

What is the average payout for a motorcycle accident in Indiana?

There’s no average payout for motorcycle accidents because every case is very different. Several factors go into deciding how much a settlement or court-ordered award will be. It’s even common for two people involved in the same accident to receive different payouts.

The factors that determine how big your settlement is are usually:

How severe your injuries are
Whether you have to get surgery
The amount of long-term care (such as physical therapy) you need
Whether you had to take time off from work because of your injuries
Whether you’re still able to do your job because of your injuries
Whether your injuries have left you disabled and you require modifications to your home
Property damage to your vehicle
What percentage of the accident was your fault (if any)

With all these factors involved in the calculation, it can be tough to know exactly how much compensation you’ll get when your case ends. The best way to get an accurate estimate of your motorcycle accident payout is to consult with a personal injury attorney and share the details of your case with them.

How much does a motorcycle accident injury lawyer cost in Indiana?

When you hire a personal injury to help you with your motorcycle crash case, they will most likely take the case on contingency. They won’t take any payment upfront from you. Instead, they’ll take 33-40% of your final compensation package. If you don’t get compensated for your injuries, your lawyer doesn’t make any money with your case.

Typically, the contingency fee is about 33% (one-third) when a settlement is reached out of court. If the case ends up going to trial and your attorney has to represent you in court, the fee might increase to 40% of the final court-ordered award. Going to court takes up more of the attorney’s time and resources, so the fee becomes higher.

When you come to Yosha Law with your motorcycle accident case, we’ll explain how personal injury fees work at our first meeting. You’ll know how much you have to pay right from the start.

How a Gary Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You

If you’ve been in a serious motorcycle accident in Gary, you shouldn’t try to handle the claim yourself. Your insurance company won’t look out for your best interests. Unless you have experience negotiating claims or presenting a case in a court of law, you should leave it to a personal injury attorney in Gary.

An attorney will support you throughout the entire process, as well as provide the following:

Identify and interview witnesses to the accident
Gather information about the scene of the accident, including weather and traffic conditions
Visit and photograph the accident scene to collect evidence
Have diagrams of the accident made to better visualize what happened
Review medical evidence related to your injuries
Negotiate with the other parties involved in the crash
Negotiate with insurance companies (yours or the other party’s) to get a better settlement offer
Represent you in court if your case goes to trial

At Yosha Law we not only have the experience to handle your case but we also have empathy and understanding. We treat our clients like family — because we know that you’re going through the unimaginable right now. We’ll fight to get you the compensation and justice you deserve.

Call Yosha Law today for a free consultation about your motorcycle accident.