Many people love to ride motorcycles nowadays. In California alone, there are more than 800,000 registered motorcycles. As such, the risk of accidents is high, with as many as 16,505 accidents taking place in 2017, for example. To seek compensation, those who get in accidents on their two-wheelers hire Santa Cruz motorcycle accidents attorneys.
No matter what happens, those who are involved in accidents will want to seek compensation, particularly if they’ve suffered from severe injuries or losses. But what damages can you collect following a motorcycle accident?
If you can prove that the other driver is responsible for the accident, you can recover a lot of different compensation types. This article will explain them in more detail, so you know what to do if you’re planning to seek financial compensation.
1. Motorcycle Replacement or Repairs
Obviously, a motorcycle will take a lot of damage during the incident, depending on the power of the impact and other factors. If your two-wheeler was important to you or it is an integral part of your life, you will want to repair it if it can still be saved or get a new one if it’s too damaged to be repaired.
The good news is that you can seek compensation from the party responsible for the accident if you can prove their role in the collision.
When you make your claim, you can simply add all the costs of repairs from property damage. To make sure you’re successful with getting the necessary amount of money, you should also save any proof you get, like receipts you receive for the vehicle repair, invoices, and quotes. You can also get an estimate of the repairs from a shop.
If the motorcycle is already too destroyed, the insurance company will compensate you for the motorcycle’s fair market value. This way, you’ll be able to get a new one.
2. Medical Bills
You may need medical attention after a motorcycle accident, especially if you’ve suffered some severe injuries. Getting medical help is the first thing that needs to be done.
Considering the accident was not your fault and that you wouldn’t have dealt with any costs for medical treatment if the accident hadn’t taken place, you will be able to seek compensation.
The costs for medical treatment will vary from one case to another. Some need to pay for medical care only after the accident, while others also have to deal with long-term medical expenses.
There are different injuries that might occur following a collision, such as:
- Burns
- Lacerations
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Amputations
- Internal bleeding
- Spinal injuries
- PTSD
Fortunately, with compensation, you will be able to cover multiple medical costs, including:
- Prescription medication
- Hospital/Doctor bills
- Physical therapy
- Future treatment
- Costs of travel to appointments and back
3. Earning Capacity Loss and Lost Wages
Sometimes, those who are involved in motorcycle accidents will miss work because of their injuries. Since this may cause you to lose income, you can include this matter in your claim as lost wages.
To make it as effective as possible, you should monitor the amount of time you’ve missed following the unfortunate event, but also any raises, bonuses, and other similar things you could’ve received if the incident never took place.
In some cases, people may also experience injuries that stop them from working or make them unable to work as effectively as they used to. This classifies as a loss of earning capacity, and you can include it in your claim for compensation.
4. Wrongful Death
A huge number of motorcycle accidents result in death. In fact, 80% of motorcycle crashes lead to either injuries or death. Sadly, some riders end up dying as a result of a collision. Their family members can start a wrongful death claim and request compensation for different damages to ease the financial impact it would have on them.
The family could claim different types of damages, such as:
- Loss of consortium
- Funeral costs and burial costs
- Medical expenses from the last injuries of the deceased individual
- The lost wages of the deceased individual that he or she would’ve earned if they hadn’t died
- Physical and mental pain and suffering that the deceased had to deal with
Final Thoughts
Damages and losses after a motorcycle accident can be costly. If someone else was at fault for the incident, you could claim compensation. Hopefully, this article was useful, and you now know what types of compensation you should claim for your case.
