How Much Money Can I Get For My Motorcycle Accident?

If you're deciding whether or not to pursue a lawsuit for your motorcycle accident, knowing how much the claim would be worth is an important deciding factor. Here are some things that can affect your insurance payout. 

Who Is At Fault for the Accident

The first thing to consider is whether the other person was liable for your accident. In some cases, this can be clear cut; if the person rear-ended you, that is clearly on them. But if you were driving negligently, you may not be able to get anything out of a lawsuit. There are also grey area cases, of course, and you'll want to take the evidence to a personal injury lawyer to see whether or not you have a chance at pinning the liability on the other driver. 

Severity of the Accident

The severity of the accident matters, as well. It's probably not worth your time to pursue a lawsuit if there were minimal damages to you and your vehicle, even if the accident was clearly the other person's fault. The times when it pays to hire a personal injury lawyer is when there are significant damages as a result of the accident. 

The Protective Equipment You Used

Your judge may also consider whether you were using appropriate motorcycle protection gear to keep yourself safe at the time of the accident. For one, your helmet will come under close scrutiny. Make sure that you don't alter your helmet in any way, since the judge may want to see how the helmet was damaged during the impact. Your judge may also want to know about other safety equipment that you were using, such as motorcycle gloves, your motorcycle jacket, and protective leg wear. It helps to take pictures of their condition right after your accident, and you may even want to have them on hand during your trial. 

Additional Damages You Claim

Finally, you can boost your lawsuit's value by adding additional damage claims to the trial. Getting compensated for damage to your vehicle is a no-brainer, but there are many other damages that you can claim if you speak with a motorcycle accident attorney. Your current and future medical care should be fully covered by the other party. You can sometimes be compensated for lost hours at work as well. And the pain and suffering you experience from your accident may be a valid claim if the injury is severe enough.

For more information, contact professionals like Scherline And Associates.