Motorcycle accidents are inherently traumatic events. Even if you were able to walk away with minor injuries, you could still be responsible for the costs of an ambulance ride and other emergency medical treatment. Ordinarily, you should expect the at-fault driver’s insurance to pay for the costs of your recovery. However, securing compensation could be difficult if you forfeit your damaged motorcycle, agree to restorative repairs, or allow the insurance company to write it off as unsalvageable.
Your Motorcycle Could Be the Most Important Piece of Evidence in Your Claim
In the aftermath of a serious Tennessee motorcycle accident, you might be tempted to:
- Fix your motorcycle by yourself;
- Ask the insurance company for money to repair your ride; or
- Use an expected settlement to secure a new set of wheels.
While restoring or replacing a motorcycle could help you pay off your medical bills or get back on the road as soon as you have recovered, it could jeopardize your potential settlement. Insurance adjusters, judges, and juries are often biased against motorcyclists. If the at-fault driver or their insurer says that your own misconduct contributed to the accident, you could face an uphill battle. And, because Tennessee is a “pure comparative negligence state,” any finding or suspicion of wrongdoing could adversely affect your compensation.
For better and for worse, your damaged ride could be your best piece of evidence.
How Preserving a Damaged Motorcycle Could Help You Secure a Fair Settlement
If you sustained serious injuries after a Tennessee motorcycle accident, your bike could provide the evidence you need to prove liability. Your attorney could use your damaged motorcycle to demonstrate:
- Care. Insurance companies are for-profit enterprises and will typically do everything in their power to devalue or deny a motorcycle injury claim. Even if the other driver was clearly at fault, the adjuster could still suggest that your motorcycle was mechanically unsound or in poor condition.
- Causation. Your lawyer could analyze scratches, paint defects, and other evidence to determine who caused your accident and how the collision happened.
- Consequences. If your case ever moves to trial, an attorney could use your damaged motorcycle or damaged motorcycle parts to detail the devastating impact the accident had on your bike and your physical well-being.
If you repair or replace your motorcycle too quickly, you lose an important piece of evidence that could be critical in not only establishing the other driver’s liability but the extent of your injuries. Before accepting a settlement offer, you should always speak to an experienced Tennessee motorcycle accident attorney to ensure that you are getting a fair deal.
How an Attorney Could Help You Get a Better Settlement
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident that was not your fault, you could be entitled to significant compensation through an insurance settlement or a personal injury lawsuit. You could receive reimbursement for damages, including but not limited to:
- Your past, present, and future medical expenses
- Physical rehabilitation
- The cost of your motorcycle repairs
- The cost of a new motorcycle
- Property damage
- Prescription medication co-pays
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Lost income from work
- Diminished earning potential
- Disfigurement
- Disability
Tennessee does not cap the damages you could receive after an accident, meaning you could get as much money as you need to get better. However, insurance companies do not make money by offering fair and equitable settlements. Even if they offer you a settlement that is sufficient to cover your existing medical expenses, it might not account for your emotional pain and suffering, your lost income, or physical rehabilitation.
You likely stand your best chance at recovery when you have an experienced attorney on your side. GriffithLaw could help you:
- Investigate the cause of your accident.
- Collect, preserve, and protect critical evidence, including your damaged motorcycle, broken gear, and medical records
- Interview eyewitnesses and subpoena surveillance camera footage
- Take over communications with the insurance company, letting you focus on your physical recovery
- Fight for your rights, using every available strategy to get you the compensation you need and the justice you deserve
Contact GriffithLaw Today
If you have been injured in a Tennessee motorcycle accident, please send GriffithLaw a message online or call us at 615-807-7900 to schedule your free consultation as soon as possible.
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