North Druid
North Druid Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

For North Druid riders, motorcycles bring a sense of freedom. Though attractive, the benefits do not cancel the risks that come with riding a motorcycle. Less visible to other cars and left relatively unprotected by safety barriers, motorcyclists are more likely to experience accidents and subsequent injuries and fatalities than other drivers. 

Should you or a loved one sustain a serious injury in a motorcycle accident, you will need a substantial financial settlement to cover your losses. Contact John Foy & Associates to speak with a motorcycle accident lawyer in North Druid. Start working toward the compensation you deserve right away.

Rates of Motorcycle Accidents in Georgia

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports motorcycle accidents lead to fatalities 28 times more frequently than accidents involving passenger cars, per vehicle miles traveled. The most recent full year of data collection shows over 82,000 motorcycle operators or passengers injured in accidents. While motorcycles represent about 2% of registered vehicles nationwide and 1% in Georgia, motorcyclists represent 21% of all driver deaths.

Georgia’s Traffic Safety Fact Sheet reports equally sobering numbers. Data shows:

• a 33% increase in motorcyclist fatalities.
• 1,942.5 crashes for every 100,000 motorcycle registrations.
• A total cost of $221 million in hospitalization and emergency room costs for motorcyclists involved in traffic accidents. 

The fact sheet reports that 63% of motorcycle crashes involved more than one vehicle. Most commonly, 93% of the time, that other vehicle was a passenger car. Single-vehicle motorcycle accidents occurred 37% of the time.

Collecting a Settlement from a Motorcycle Accident

The most effective way to secure a settlement after a motorcycle accident is to have a motorcycle accident attorney in North Druid handle your case. An experienced lawyer will investigate your case to determine who is responsible. Once this determination is made, your North Druid motorcycle accident lawyer can collect evidence to construct a strong case.

Hold the Right Party Accountable

You will only see a settlement if you hold the right party responsible. Without a thorough investigation of the causes of the accident, you might rush to judgment and file against a party whose negligence you cannot actually prove. If you cannot prove negligence, you cannot collect a settlement.

Proving negligence requires showing the at-fault party

• Owed you a duty of care: All drivers owe other drivers a duty of care. Drivers must obey traffic safety laws and refrain from driving recklessly, while under the influence, or while otherwise distracted. Vehicle and part manufacturers are obligated to design and manufacture vehicles and parts that function properly.
• Breached their duty of dare: If another driver’s recklessness caused the accident, that driver failed to fulfill their duty of care. If a defect in a vehicle part caused the accident, the manufacturer may have breached their duty.
• Caused your injuries: Through the breach, the at-fault party caused the accident, which led to your injuries.
• Cost you quantifiable damages: By causing the accident and your injuries, the at-fault party left you facing measurable losses. 

Georgia’s Comparative Fault Laws Can Affect the Amount of Your Settlement

Injury claims in Georgia are subject to the comparative fault system. 

• If victims are less than 50% responsible for the accident, they can file a claim against the at-fault party. 
• If victims hold 50% or more of the blame, they will not receive a settlement.
• Victims who are able to file may still see a reduced settlement. If they hold any percentage of fault, the amount they collect will be reduced from the settlement in proportion to that percentage. For example, if the victim is 5% responsible for the accident, they receive 95% of total calculated settlement. 

Victims can bear fault if they were speeding, failed to obey traffic signals, or were driving under the influence. Georgia Code §40-6-315 requires motorcyclists to wear helmets approved by the commissioner of safety. If the victim is not wearing a helmet and sustains trauma to the head, neck, or spinal cord, their failure to comply with Georgia’s helmet law may put them at least partially at fault for their injuries.

Unfortunately, insurance companies and at-fault parties will do their best to put as much fault as possible on victims to protect their own assets and avoid paying settlements. A North Druid motorcycle accident attorney from John Foy & Associates will defend you against false or inflated blame and protect your settlement.

Severe Losses Require Substantial Compensation

Motorcycle accidents often lead to serious and catastrophic injuries, which result in comprehensive life changes and crises.

Because they are not protected by a closed car and its safety features, motorcyclists and passenger experience the full impact in collisions with the road, object, or other vehicles involved in the crash. The damage that follows what are often high-speed, violent events can include:

• Limb amputations or severe lacerations
• Road burns, which are vulnerable to infection
• Traumatic injury to the brain, head, or spinal cord, which can lead to paralysis and cognitive disability
• Crushed bones
• Internal bleeding or organ damage

How a Financial Settlement Helps

With the help of a motorcycle accident attorney in North Druid, you can seek a settlement to offset some consequences of your injuries. The specifics of your case affect the amount you collect, but it is typical to see coverage for medical expenses and future medical care, lost wages and lost potential earnings should you be unable to return to work, property damage, physical pain and emotional suffering, and reduced quality of life.

An experienced lawyer will know how to determine a fair value for your settlement, working to ensure your medical and financial needs are met, your suffering is acknowledged, and justice is served. 

Let a Motorcycle Accident Attorney in North Druid Help You Get the Settlement You Need and Deserve

The stress of your accident and injuries is likely to be overwhelming. Do not take on more stress by attempting to fight for a financial settlement on your own. Contact John Foy & Associates, the Strong Arm of Georgia, for a free consultation. 

Put your case in the care of an experienced, compassionate North Druid motorcycle accident attorney who will fight for your interests with skill and strength.