Bristol Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
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Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Bristol, CT
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An experienced group of Motor Vehicle Accident Attorneys in Bristol, Connecticut
Motorcycle crashes often result in serious injuries due to the lack of protection offered by these vehicles. If you were severely harmed in an accident, you could be entitled to financial compensation from the liable party.
The Bristol motorcycle accident attorneys at Aeton Law Partners have decades of experience helping victims recover the money they need. Learn more about what we can do for you by giving us a call or completing our contact form and scheduling your free consultation.
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Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Bristol
Investigating Your Bristol Motorcycle Accident
When you hire one of our Bristol motorcycle accident attorneys to help with your case, they will immediately begin looking into your accident, even if the police are still working on their investigation. Your attorney will collect all available evidence, speak with eyewitnesses and consult experts to get a clearer picture of events.
When a motorcycle rider is involved in an accident, there is often a bias that leads people to think that the rider was at fault because they were driving recklessly. Your attorney will need to put forth a strong case showing that another party was at fault for you to recover the compensation you need after a wreck.
An experienced attorney will ensure that all applicable evidence is recovered and build a strong case proving that the accident was caused by another party’s negligence or willful act.
Fighting for Your Right to Compensation
At Aeton, we have represented motorcycle operators and their family members in accidents resulting in death and catastrophic injuries. Our experience, knowledge, and expert contacts oftentimes allow us to get out in front of the investigation of your motorcycle crash. However, we also have the wherewithal to know that not all members of our community appreciate your joy and passion for riding bikes. Starting immediately after we are hired by those involved in serious motorcycle accidents, we begin developing a strategy that permits the whole story from being presented to the insurance company. Our diligence has paid off in cases where the police investigation blames the motorcycle operator, but our thorough investigation proved otherwise.
Once your attorney has finished investigating your accident, they will go through the steps necessary to secure you the compensation you need and deserve. This process starts by determining what damages you are eligible to pursue and calculating how much your claim is worth.
Your attorney will then either submit an insurance claim with the insurance provider of the liable party or file the paperwork for a personal injury lawsuit with the court. If filing a lawsuit, your lawyer will then go through the steps of the pretrial process. Once that is completed, they will argue your case at trial, if necessary.
There is a good chance that your case will never make it this far due to the fact that most motorcycle accident lawsuits end up settling out of court. From the beginning of your case, your attorney will be in negotiation with the opposing party, working to reach a favorable settlement agreement.
Comparative Negligence in Connecticut
Connecticut uses comparative negligence when assessing fault for an accident. Under comparative negligence rules, multiple parties can share a level of liability for an accident. As long as your level of blame is below 50%, you will be able to pursue compensation. However, the amount you can recover will be reduced by the level of fault assigned to you.
For example, if your claim is worth $100,000, but you held 20% of the fault for the crash, the amount you can recover will be decreased by 20% to $80,000.
Proving Negligence in Motorcycle Accidents
To prove negligence, you must be able to demonstrate four things. The elements of negligence are:
- That the defendant owed you a duty of care
- That they violated their duty of care
- That you suffered damages
- That the damages you suffered were directly caused by the defendant breaching their duty of care
Recovering Damages After a Motorcycle Accident
A motorcycle accident can result in permanent damages and have a significant financial impact on your life. If you were injured in a crash, a Bristol motorcycle accident lawyer can help you identify the damages you are eligible to claim.
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover all the money you spent or were unable to earn because of your accident. Some of the most often claimed economic damages include:
- Property damage
- Current and future medical treatment
- Necessary medications
- Lost wages
- Decreased earning ability
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages don’t result in financial costs. Instead, these losses are of a more personal nature. Some of the most often claimed non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Anxiety
- Mental anguish
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent disability
- Diminished enjoyment of life
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages may also be available in certain cases. The court uses punitive damages to punish the liable party for the role they played in the accident. You will only be able to recover punitive damages if the at-fault party was grossly negligent or if their actions were meant to deliberately cause harm.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit Against the Liable Party?
In Connecticut, the personal injury statute of limitations allows motorcycle accident victims up to two years to file a lawsuit against the liable party following a crash. Failing to meet this deadline could mean you are out of options for recovering damages.
However, this deadline is not set in stone. The particular details of your accident may make it possible to file a lawsuit even if the standard deadline has already passed you by. Because of this, you should speak with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney serving Bristol, even if you believe you no longer qualify to pursue compensation.
Of course, the deadline can also shift the other way in some cases. Instead of having two years to submit your paperwork, you may discover that you only have a matter of months to take action. Contacting an attorney as soon as possible after your crash is the best way to prevent an unexpected deadline from sneaking up on you.
Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Bristol Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
When working with one of our Bristol motorcycle accident attorneys after a crash, you won’t have to worry about gathering the money to pay a fee to retain our services or cover our hourly rate. Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means you will never pay us a single penny out of your own pocket.
Our attorneys only get paid if we succeed in recovering compensation on your behalf. Should we fail to get you money for your damages, we work for free. If you do collect compensation, the only fee our lawyers will receive will be paid as a fixed percentage of the amount you recover and will come directly out of the settlement or court-ordered payout.
We believe that accident victims should have access to experienced legal counsel, regardless of their financial situation, and our fee structure helps us to provide it.
The Dangers of Riding a Motorcycle
While riding a motorcycle can be an exhilarating experience, it is also a dangerous one. Between the fact that you are harder for drivers to see than other vehicles, are more vulnerable to weather and road conditions, and have limited protection in case of a crash, the chance for a serious injury in an accident is high.
Get Help From an Experienced Bristol Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Unfortunately, recovering compensation after a motorcycle accident is not always easy. However, retaining the services of an experienced motorcycle accident attorney will greatly improve your chances of collecting the money you need. At Aeton Law Partners, we have a long track record of securing significant compensation for our clients.
We are familiar with all the specific regulations that govern these cases and can help you build a strong case in support of your claim. Schedule a free consultation with a member of our legal team by giving us a call or completing our online contact form. There is no obligation to retain our services after your consultation, so don’t hesitate to get started today.
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What our Bristol Motorcycle Accident Lawyers provide for you
- One-on-one attorney client relationship
- No fees until we win your case
- Never charge you for extra services
- 50 years of combined experience in personal injury
"If you are not emotionally invested, your client is not getting your best effort.”
Our dedication to superior service and personal investment in our cases is unmatched throughout the state of Connecticut.
Get in touch with a Motorcycle Accident attorney
The very characteristics that make riding a motorcycle in Connecticut exhilarating are the same that can lead to life-long injuries. Narrow roads in rural Connecticut towns, long stretches of congested Hartford and New Haven highways, and weather conditions that change hour by hour are some of the conditions that motorcycle operators face. These can also lead to serious injuries even in low-speed accidents for those driving without the benefit of seatbelts, airbags, and cabs.
A motorcycle accident at any speed on a poorly maintained Connecticut road can cause serious personal injuries, including broken bones and head trauma. Oftentimes, the mechanism of injury is unlike that for any other type of motor vehicle crash. Unfortunately, not every motorcycle operator injured in an accident because of the negligence of another is compensated. This is sometimes because the general public, insurance companies, and investigators don’t always understand the rules by which motorcycles operate. This makes it vitally important for your attorney to know the regulations that govern the way motorists treat motorcycles. Your attorney must also understand the “unwritten rules” of operating a motorcycle in Connecticut.
We have represented motorcycle operators involved in serious accidents who were riding alone, in groups, or as a part of charity rides. Each requires special consideration of riding style and guidelines. In any accident, our goal is to get you healthy, proper compensation, and back on the road.
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We’re ready to discuss your case, and create a winning legal strategy that maximizes your personal injury compensation.
BRISTOL PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEYS
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Frequently Asked Questions
In Connecticut, you can only file a motorcycle accident claim within two years from the date the crash occurred. Any claims filed after the two-year window will be disregarded. This is known as the statute of limitations.
While pursuing compensation for your motorcycle accident claim, you should prepare for the possibility that your claim will be declined. Some of the reasons your claim may be denied are:
- The policy expired or was canceled.
- The insurance company believes the accident was your fault.
- The at-fault party was not insured under the policy.
- The insurance company doesn’t believe you were actually hurt.
- The insurance company doesn’t think that particular accident is what led to your injuries.
In Connecticut, motorcycle accident victims are eligible to receive three types of damages as part of their compensation. They are:
- Economic damages: Cover calculable losses like lost wages and medical bills.
- Non-economic damages: Cover difficult-to-calculate losses like pain and suffering and loss of life enjoyment.
- Punitive damages: Meant to punish the at-fault party if their actions or inactions portrayed extreme carelessness, malice, and gross disregard for human life.
Connecticut is among U.S. states following comparative negligence regulations when determining fault in a motorcycle accident. This implies that all parties involved in the motorcycle accident can be found responsible. Here, you can only seek compensation for your physical injuries and losses if your responsibility for the motorcycle accident is 50% or less.
The four primary principles for proving the other party’s negligence in the Connecticut motorbike collision are:
- The defendant (party at fault) owed the plaintiff (you) a duty of care.
- The party at fault breached their duty of care to you.
- The defendant’s non-observance of duty of care caused your injuries.
- The plaintiff has damages or losses from the accident.
Our Connecticut motorcycle accident lawyers will gather evidence and call witnesses, as well as accident experts, to testify to help you prove the other party’s negligence in your motorcycle crash.
