Buffalo Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Motorcycle accidents can occur anywhere—they are common in both urban and rural areas and on all kinds of roads. Busy intersections and rural highways are among the most common motorcycle accident locations. Most accidents occur between noon and midnight on weekdays and weeknights with the most dangerous times being rush hour on weekdays (about 3 to 6 pm) and between 6 to 9 pm on weekends.

Motorcycle accidents often occur due to:

• Distracted driving, such as texting and driving
• Government agencies and/or contractors creating poorly built or maintained roads
• Motorcycle manufacturers who design and/or build defective parts
• Motorists driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol
• Motorists not looking for or paying attention to bikers
• Motorists opening up their car doors in the path of an oncoming motorcyclist, also known as “dooring”
• Reckless driving such as speeding, unsafe lane changes

If the motorcycle accident was not your fault—or only partially your fault—you can still file a lawsuit against the motorist or other party responsible for your collision regardless of whether or not you were wearing a helmet at the time.

However, due to New York State’s comparative negligence laws, if you were not wearing a helmet at the time of your accident then the compensation awarded to you may be reduced if you suffered a head injury that could have been avoided with helmet use. For example, a jury could determine that even though you did not cause the accident in question, you are 20% at fault for your head injury because that percentage of the damages could have been prevented if you were wearing a helmet.

There is no "average" settlement amount when it comes to motorcycle accident claims. Every case is unique and depending on the severity of your injuries and other details of your case, your settlement could end up being on the higher end or the lower end. In general, most motorcycle accident settlements attempt to compensate victims for the following types damages:

• Medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Lost income/wages
• Ongoing therapy or surgeries
• Medications
• Damaged property

If you have lost a loved one in a fatal motorcycle accident, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf and obtain compensation for things like lost financial support, funeral and burial expenses, and more.

Unless you are already well versed in motorcycle accident law and the injury claims process, having an attorney on your side is the best way to ensure you are compensated fairly. Motorcycle accident lawyers understand common legal challenges—such as the stigma against bikers—and how to overcome them. A motorcycle accident attorney in Buffalo can also make things easier by handling the necessary legal procedures on your behalf so you can focus fully on your recovery.