Riding a motorcycle down the open Indiana roads can feel like exhilarating freedom. Unfortunately, motorcycle rides can lead to accidents on the road. Motorcycle crashes can cause traumatic injuries not experienced in other types of wrecks. A lack of a protective vehicle shield between you, the elements, and the road may cause a litany of unexpected personal damage. Your accident could leave you hurting physically, emotionally, and financially. When you find yourself involved in a Lake County motorcycle accident, what steps should you take? How do you know if you’re due any compensation?
As a result of your accident, you may find yourself with severe injuries, and may have medical bills and transportation issues with which to contend. The last responsibility you want to add to your burden is dealing with insurance companies. After an accident, if you find yourself in need of legal counsel, it’s important to find a Lake County motorcycle accident attorney who can empathize with–and fight for–you. We want to help you on your journey to healing and justice for your Lake County motorcycle accident. Below, you’ll find a guide covering vital information for the aftermath of your traumatic event.
Indiana and Lake County Statistics to know
Whether you chose motorcycles as a passionate hobby or as your preferred method of transportation, it’s important to know how safe Lake County roads are for motorcycles. Statewide, Indiana motorcycle accidents and fatalities increased from 2019 to 2020. The Indiana Criminal Justice Institute (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. According to the 2019 Indiana Crash Fact Book, 69% of all motorcycle collisions occurred in daylight hours, while 49% of all fatal motorcycle crashes occurred before nightfall.
With both the cities of Hamilton and Gary located in Lake County, motorcycles prove a popular method of transportation for many. In 2019, Gary led Lake County motorcycle accident numbers with 24. Hamilton’s numbers weren’t far away with 22 motorcycle accidents for the year. The 2019 Indiana Traffic Safety Facts report listed 150 total motorcycle crashes in Indiana. ABATE offers motorcycle rider safety courses for any interested party, and can help you feel more secure as you hit the roads, but ultimately, you may have no control over your accident.
Steps to Take After Your Lake County Motorcycle Accident
After you’re involved in a Lake County Motorcycle Accident, it’s vital you take immediate steps. Follow these steps to protect yourself, treat any injuries, report to insurance companies, and to help you find an expert Lake County motorcycle accident attorney.
- If possible, pull your motorcycle to the side of the road
- Exchange insurance information with any other driver involved in your accident
- File a police report
- See a doctor right away–even if your bruises and scrapes appear minor, it’s important you document any injuries. Medical procedures may also be required if over time, your injuries grow in severity.
- Contact a Lake County motorcycle accident attorney to explore any valid legal avenues available for you to take.
Common Injuries in a Lake County Motorcycle Accident
In a Lake County motorcycle accident, you may find yourself dealing with severe injury. An impact with another vehicle could ruin your motorcycle and leave you with irreversible physical damage. According to the 2019 Indiana Traffic Safety Facts, a non-motorcycle driver was 60% more likely to be at fault in an accident than a motorcyclist.
A Lake County motorcycle accident could result in:
- Road rash
- Deep Hematomas (bone bruising)
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
- Sprains or torn ligaments
- Bone Fractures
- Spinal cord injuries (SCIs)
- Loss of Limb
- Facial injuries
- Paralysis
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.
Remember, even minor injuries can lead to more severe conditions such as sepsis, and must be treated immediately after a collision. In case of obvious severe injuries, it’s vital you not only seek treatment, but contact a Lake County motorcycle accident attorney. An personal injury attorney in Lake County who is willing to go the extra mile in your case may be the difference between compensatory justice and medical bills that leave you bankrupt.
Common Reasons for a Lake County Motorcycle Accident
Although operators and passengers under 18 are required to wear a helmet by Indiana state law, many older motorcycle operators and passengers chose not to don helmets. A helmet can’t prevent an accident, but it could help in staving off Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and other head and facial injuries. In 2019, 65% of those involved in motorcycle collisions and 27% of motorcyclists killed in accidents weren’t wearing helmets..
The most common reasons for a motorcycle accident in Lake County, Indiana are universal. They include:
- Reckless driving: Speeding, illegal lane shifts, distracted driving
- Failure of a driver to yield the right of way to a motorcycle
- Driving under the influence
Damages You May Be Entitled to After a Lake County Motorcycle Accident
The compensatory damages you could receive after a Lake County motorcycle accident will be based on the circumstances of your accident. However, weighing in factors like recovery time and the severity of your injuries could impact any legal path to justice you choose to pursue.
Some of the damages you might seek and you could find yourself entitled to include:
- Medical expenses: If you incur costs for anything from a doctor’s visit to medication, or, from a hospital stay to multiple procedures to heal your injuries.
- Loss of work and wages: If your motorcycle accident results in a loss of work for you, and if you lose out on current or future wages due to your crash.
- Property damage and loss of transportation: If your motorcycle was damaged as a result of your accident, or, if you lose your main mode of transportation.
- Pain and suffering: This includes physical pain due to injury, mental anguish, loss of quality of life, loss of a loved one, or emotional duress.
- Permanent Disability: If you experience an irreversible disability as a result of your accident.
How Long You Have to File a Legal Case
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 to seek compensation after a crash. In the immediate aftermath of your Lake County motorcycle accident, it’s vital that you seek legal consultation–even if you’re not sure if you will have a case.
A Lake County motorcycle accident attorney can help you determine the validity of your case. Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer quickly to help you understand the path of your potential case.
How a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Assist You
In the immediate aftermath of your Lake County motorcycle accident, you may not have the time or the emotional and physical wherewithal to take on legal issues or paperwork. That’s why it’s important to find a fierce and empathetic advocate to stand in your corner. An expert Lake County motorcycle attorney can fight for you and relieve your extra burdens.
Compensatory damages can never make up for the loss you’ve experienced, but they could help you to feel that some level of justice has been served. A dedicated legal team can help you in your fight to heal and move forward after your accident. Dealing with an insurance company on your own can prove an insurmountable headache, but in the right legal hands, you could emerge victorious in your dealings.
After your Lake County motorcycle accident, If you choose to work with Yosha Cook & Tisch, our lawyers will fight on your behalf. In your initial consultation, we will explain every aspect of your case, and support you through the legal process. We’ll explore what compensation may look like for you. The following are some of what our Lake County motorcycle attorneys can do for you:
- Explain the merits of your case so that you understand your options for recovering compensation
- Collect witness testimony that supports your account of how the accident happened
- Use legal resources to pour over evidence from your case, including (but not limited to): expert witnesses and forensic investigators
- Take your case to trial if we cannot settle out of court
We Care About Our Clients
We are dedicated to our clients, and proud of the work we’ve done on their behalf. Here are some testimonials they’ve shared about our work:
“Yosha Cook & Tisch law firm offers professionalism and generosity rarely seen these days. They were able to efficiently and expertly help me over the phone with a tense situation. I now have the confidence to proceed with my plan knowing that the law supports me in these actions. Thanks Yosha for everything!” – Ian E.
“Rich and the staff at Yosha, Cook & Tisch helped me immensely through a very troubling time. The compassion and understanding I received was more than I could have ever expected and I can not recommend them enough.” – Victoria C.
After you’ve experienced a Lake County motorcycle accident, we would love to help you, too.
Call Us for a Free Consultation
At Yosha Cook & Tisch, we believe in fighting hard for individual cases. We don’t want anyone to have to face Goliath insurance corporations on their own. We focus on finding healing and justice for every person who seeks our counsel.
Your initial consultation with us remains free of charge, and we’ll be transparent about the merits we see in your potential case. We 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 Lake County motorcycle accident. Call Yosha Cook & Tisch at (317) 334-9200 for a free consultation.