Time and time again, you see articles in the paper and on the news about motorcycle accident deaths. Usually, part of the story revolves around whether or not the biker was wearing a helmet. I don’t know if you recall this or not, but famous Hollywood actor Gary Busey, a motorcycle fanatic, was involved in a very serious accident in December 1988 in which his head hit a concrete curb. He was not wearing a helmet and he fractured his skull. To this day he still talks about the effect of brain damage and the fact that he nearly died.

What does this have to do with you? It has to do with all motorcycle riders and it’s coming from my perspective as a motorcycle accident attorney. I have seen and heard about some incredibly awful accidents. I have handled numerous crash cases in my capacity as a motorcycle accident attorney, and I would like to “not” see you in my office because you were badly injured and debilitated to the point where your quality of life is questionable.

Motorcycles are dangerous and any practicing motorcycle accident attorney will tell you that if you ask about motorcycle accident statistics and the number of cases we handle. My answer to that is frequently a fervent wish that bikers take more care and wear a helmet, because as trite as it may sound, it can and does save lives.

Of interest is the fact that motorcycles make up just 2% of all the registered vehicles in the US. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but, consider this; just about 5% of highway fatalities every year involve bikers and/or their riders. It goes without saying that injuries and death stalk more bikers than other vehicles, just because of their nature. When I prepare for a case, the motorcycle accident attorney in me always prompts me to search for valuable statistics to use in cases.

One statistic I found is an eye-opener for everyone, and that is that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that for every mile ridden, the number of deaths on bikes is about 35 times higher than in cars. Thirty five times higher. All the more reason to make sure the rider uses as many safety precautions as possible to lessen the chance of serious injuries or death, and a helmet is just one other safety feature that makes sense. I can say this with authority given the nature of my job as a motorcycle accident attorney.

I likely don’t need to reinvent the wheel and tell you that bikers have zero for protection but for their safety gear. As an auto accident attorney as well as a motorcycle accident attorney, I have seen many car crashes too, and most of the people were able to get out alive, thanks to that steel cage that provides a layer of protection for them. They also have seatbelts and airbags. A biker has their leathers (if they’re wearing them), a helmet and that’s about it. They don’t even have the same stability as a four-wheeled vehicle does.

Do I believe in helmets? Given the fact that my job is a motorcycle accident attorney, I would say without hesitation that helmets “do” reduce the death toll in these kinds of accidents. They also cut down on the number of traumatic brain injuries, thus reducing the costs of medical care. Just to refer to the NHTSA once again, they reveal that wearing the right kind of helmet (safety rated and properly fitted) reduces the chance of the bikers and the passenger’s death by 37%. That’s a significant number.

Another fact that I ran across the other day while I was talking to another motorcycle accident attorney, is that in every state with universal helmet laws or where they have reinstated a previous law, helmet use has gone up dramatically. The good news is this: motorcycle accident deaths and injuries have decreased as a result. The bad news? The other motorcycle accident attorney told me that states with weakened helmet laws, or that repealed the law, have much higher death and injury tolls.

California has a helmet law. As a motorcycle accident attorney, I strongly urge you to follow it, for safety’s sake.

You’ve had an accident with your motorcycle. The outcome was not as good as you would have hoped, in fact, you have multiple fractures all over your body and the doctors say you may not walk again without using canes. It’s time to call a motorcycle accident attorney.

Interestingly enough, many bikers figure they can handle any accident claims they have on their own, not realizing that in the process, they could be short-changing themselves out of settlement money. Only an experienced motorcycle accident attorney will be able to get the biker a fair and equitable settlement or jury verdict.

During the course of handling a motorcycle accident file there is usually a call or two from the insurance company making noises about an offer. While some of the insurance companies will try contacting the motorcycle accident attorney on file, others will call the plaintiff directly.

Insurance companies are famous for wanting to close their accident files fast, and if that means “cheaping” out a settlement that the plaintiff goes for, that good for them. However it’s not so good for the injured biker. This is a major reason why a motorcycle accident attorney needs to be involved in a case right from the beginning, and nip these lowball offers in the bud. These types of accidents are worth more and the insurance company knows that. It’s just that they don’t want “you” to know that.

How do you know if you have a good motorcycle accident attorney on your side? One who will aggressively fight for your rights? If you want to find out how good your potential motorcycle accident attorney is, ask this question: “What’s the first thing you will do for me?” If the answer is along the lines of making sure the insurance agent is very precise and careful about the bike’s damages, the presence of this motorcycle accident attorney will make sure that it does indeed happen.

If the motorcycle accident attorney files suit quickly, you will want this attorney in your corner fighting for you. The lawsuit pressures the insurance company to pay up, and, in some cases, it will also stop the other driver from heading to parts unknown.

Another way to tell if your legal representation is what you want it to be from a motorcycle accident attorney is when they just about immediately demand all your medical records. This means they know what they are doing, because the records tell the motorcycle accident attorney and the court, all about the fractured bones and what the recovery times may be.

While you may not know this, there are actually seven different categories of bone fractures. Getting your medical records and having those fractures categorized is central to the disposition of your claim and your motorcycle accident attorney knows this.

Don’t make the assumption that just because some of your other injuries don’t seem that bad to you that they aren’t. In any motorcycle accident claim hidden fractures and other internal injuries may cause other medical headaches later on. This is why your motorcycle accident attorney builds your case to maximize claim benefits.

While you many not think you need a motorcycle accident attorney, you do. This area of the law is far too complex to handle by yourself. A qualified motorcycle accident attorney will assess your case and be able to get you the judgment you deserve with a minimum of fuss.

Owing a motorcycle can be a real pleasure for a lot of people. Fact is, many biker buffs like fixing on their machines, changing things around, optimizing the bike for better acceleration or installing extra parts to trick out their bike. It’s a whole culture and a whole market that is catered to by original equipment manufacturers and aftermarket parts.

Having been a motorcycle accident attorney for a good number of years, I’ve been able to talk to many bike owners about their vehicles and how they maintained them. To my initial surprise, I found out that many of them opted to get aftermarket parts, some of which had actually been salvaged from other motorcycles that had been in crashes. While this might be a cheaper option to keeping a bike in running order, it has the potential to be a very bad decision if that particular part is defective, not installed properly, not maintained the way it should be etc.

This revelation is one of the major reasons why a motorcycle accident attorney will thoroughly investigate any motorcycle crash to determine where the fault lies. Granted that motorcycle accident attorneys know that the usual cause for a motorcycle crash is the negligence of a passenger vehicle, however, if aftermarket parts are involved in the makeup of the bike, this may be another story and a different kind of a lawsuit entirely.

This is why it is vital for anyone involved in a motorcycle accident to tell the motorcycle accident attorney every detail they possibly remember. In any event, the presence of aftermarket parts may show up during an investigation of the damage done to the bike during the collision.

Generally speaking, when a biker needs to replace parts on the hog, s/he has two options. The first one would be to go with original equipment manufacturers or use aftermarket parts. From the point of few of a motorcycle accident attorney, original equipment manufactured parts make the most sense. These are the parts that come with the motorcycle when bought from the vendor. In other words, the parts haven’t been changed and they’re new. Replacing something on your motorcycle with these parts is comparable to having it done at the factory and they are dubbed “original” parts.

Option number two is to source aftermarket parts; parts that are made to work in substitution for the original parts. Translation: they are cheaper. However, along with cheaper comes the concern that they are not as effective and may be defective. As a motorcycle accident attorney I have seen and heard about aftermarket parts that are of equal, lower or higher value than the originals. It’s actually quite the crap shoot when it comes to aftermarket parts and when it comes to putting a motorcycle accident case together, the quality of the parts may be the key to the kingdom of compensation at trial or on settlement.

Over the years as a practicing motorcycle accident attorney I have heard many biker clients comment on why they use aftermarket parts. Largely it has to do with price, but more often than not it relates to customizing their ride. They might want to change the color of the chassis, alter the look of the tires and add different rims or do something different with the sheaves and cables inside the motor to enhance performance.

The bottom line is that change may be for the sake of aesthetics, for the sake of extra safety or for performance reasons. All valid reasons to be sure, but speaking as a motorcycle accident attorney who has seen a lot of accident cases, not all makers of aftermarket parts are accredited by the maker of the motorcycle. That means that while the components look like they may a good fit visually, there may be something that’s not compatible that has the potential to cause an accident later.

It never hurts to say this, and say it often, if you’ve used aftermarket parts on your bike, check it before and after every trip. Just keep in mind that aftermarket parts may also be used parts and parts salvaged from a motorcycle wreck. Be safe, be smart and try to avoid being in the office of a motorcycle accident attorney because an aftermarket part was defective.

Rather than run the risk of sounding paternalistic, I’ll probably only say this once in this article: if you’re in a motorcycle accident, seek medical attention immediately and do not wait. If you wait to go to the doctor and wait to seek assistance from a motorcycle accident attorney, you may lose your case. Why? Because the delays in getting medical help and coming to a motorcycle accident attorney may be viewed with some suspicion by the insurance company.

Unfortunately, as long as I have been a motorcycle accident attorney, it has always been difficult for a biker to get compensation. I’m not saying it’s impossible, or that it can’t be done, but what I am saying is that with the current attitude about people who ride motorcycles, compensation can turn out to be a real battle royal.

I find it rather odd that many car drivers and insurance companies heap scorn and cast aspersions on motorcycle riders; painting them as reckless fools with no traffic sense in their heads. The truth of the matter, from my perspective as a motorcycle accident attorney, is that most motorcycle crashes are caused by car drivers, because “they” were negligent.

But back to my main theme here, and that is if you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you must get medical help immediately. This applies even if you figure you’re just fine and dandy and only have horrid road rash and cuts and bruises and a sprained neck. Over the years that I have handled accidents as a motorcycle accident attorney, I have seen seemingly innocuous injuries turn into life-altering events that debilitated the rider.

One of the worst types of injuries a biker can sustain is a traumatic brain injury. While it may not be immediately evident that is what happened, if it is not caught right away, the consequences may be catastrophic. Just take a moment and think back over this last couple of years about the number of high profile sports people who suffered traumatic brain injury from hitting their heads. The most well known case of course involved actress Natasha Richardson.

As a motorcycle accident attorney, I have seen and dealt with some pretty devastating injuries, many of which resulted in lifelong impairment for the injured biker in varying degrees of difficulty. Being in a motorcycle accident can be overwhelming, and if the cause of the accident was another’s negligence, then the biker deserves the best fight their motorcycle accident attorney can muster.

While it likely goes without saying, I’m going to emphasize this once more, just because I can, and because it’s my job as a motorcycle accident attorney to hand out advice. Making sure to get medical attention is a smart move because there is a record of your injuries. If there is any delay, as I mentioned earlier, the insurance company may look askance at your claim.

The fact is, that medical records that are detailed and complete are vital cornerstones to have in any lawsuit, and your motorcycle accident attorney knows this. Damage awards are quite often based on what information is in those records. So, make certain “every” injury is completely documented, in case something goes wrong later. And while I am at it, do not sign off on any medical claim until you discuss the matter with a motorcycle accident attorney.

Even though you may view yourself as a safe motorcycle rider and have driven all over the place for many years and never had a problem, this does not take into account the negligence of “other” drivers; drivers who say they can’t see a motorcycle.

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a motorcycle crash, seek legal counsel from a motorcycle accident attorney to obtain justice. When another driver is at fault for the collision, you have a higher chance of being able to claim compensation.