Average Motorcycle Accident Settlement
- The average motorcycle settlement at our firm is $100,000.
- We have settled motorcycle cases for as much as $3.4 million.
- The extent of your physical injuries, emotional trauma, and financial loss impact your settlement.
- Your share of the fault for an accident can reduce your compensation.
- How long your claim takes to settle depends on the complexity of your case and other factors.
The average motorcycle accident settlement obtained by Cordisco & Saile LLC’s motorcycle accident attorneys is $100,000. However, we have settled cases for up to $3.4 million. The particular circumstances of your case dictate whether it settles for hundreds of dollars, hundreds of thousands, or more.
The extent of your physical and emotional injuries and their financial impact play a significant role in determining your potential compensation. Sharing some of the fault for your accident can also affect the damages you can collect. In addition, the available insurance coverage will dictate how much you ultimately recover. Our experienced team can analyze all these factors to evaluate your claim and help you understand what compensation you can pursue.
Our Motorcycle Accident Settlements
Our motorcycle accident lawyers will fight for fair compensation to cover all your injuries and losses. We’ve collected millions of dollars for injured clients, including the following:
- $2,900,000 for a client who suffered a traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident with a corporate box truck. Our team established that the company did not formally train its drivers nor have any safety protocols or procedures.
- Will try and get more from the client
When you hire our motorcycle accident attorneys, you get our total commitment to you as a person, not just an accident claim. Our motto is “People Come First.” We have a passion for helping injured accident victims. We will help you no matter how much effort it takes.
In addition, when you hire our firm, the insurance company will know mean business. Our reputation and track record of outstanding results provide us significant leverage in seeking the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
What Factors Into Motorcycle Accident Settlement Amounts?
Several factors affect motorcycle accident settlements, such as the extent of the available insurance coverage, the severity of your injuries and emotional trauma, and the amount of your financial losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. Your share of the responsibility for the accident will also affect your settlement amount, as do state laws governing motorcyclists and insurance.
Motorcycle Insurance
Motorcycle insurance laws vary by state. In Pennsylvania, motorcycle insurance operates differently than other motor vehicle coverage. Automobile drivers must choose between limited or full tort coverage.
Both policy types allow injured victims to recover compensation for economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and lost earning capacity. However, limited tort policies restrict policyholders from pursuing damages from at-fault drivers for pain and suffering and other non-economic losses unless they meet certain requirements, like an injury resulting in a “serious impairment of bodily function.” On the other hand, full tort policies allow recovery of pain, suffering, and other non-economic damages, even for relatively minor injuries.
Unlike passenger vehicle drivers, Pennsylvania riders do not choose between limited and full tort when purchasing motorcycle insurance. Their only choice is full tort, allowing them to sue for all their damages, including emotional trauma.
Passenger vehicle drivers must also carry first-party medical coverage to pay for their medical expenses from an accident, regardless of who was at fault. Motorcyclists are not eligible for this coverage. That means you must turn to the other party’s insurance coverage instead of your own to pay your medical costs.
New Jersey is also a no-fault insurance state without personal injury protection for motorcyclists. If you are a rider injured in a motorcycle accident in the Garden State, you must turn to other sources of compensation, such as an insurance claim or lawsuit against the at-fault driver.
Other Motorcycle Laws
Whether you follow other state motorcycle laws can also impact your compensation. For example, if your motorcycle was in 1986 or later, Pennsylvania motorcycle laws require that your headlamp be on at all times while riding. If you fail to follow this law but otherwise drive safely, the other party can still claim they couldn’t see you, shifting the blame for the accident to you.
Pennsylvania motorcycle riders must wear helmets unless they are over 21 and either have two years of riding experience or have completed an approved motorcycle safety course.
In New Jersey, helmet use is mandatory. If you were not wearing a helmet at the time of your crash and you suffered head injuries, the insurance company may claim that you didn’t take reasonable care to protect yourself.
Comparative Negligence Laws
Pennsylvania follows a modified comparative negligence standard for personal injury claims. Under state law, you can collect damages if you were less than 51 percent responsible for an accident. However, your compensation is reduced in proportion to your share of the blame. For example, if you sustain $100,000 in damages from your motorcycle accident but were 25 percent responsible, you can collect $75,000. New Jersey follows the same standard.
Types of Damages Awarded in Motorcycle Settlements
Motorcyclists and their passengers face significant injuries in crashes with potentially long healing times. Unlike drivers and passengers of other vehicles, motorcycle riders have little protection from a crash. You can seek compensation for your economic and non-economic damages from a motorcycle accident, such as the following:
- Medical bills and future medical costs
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages and future earnings
- The cost to modify your home or vehicle to accommodate your injuries
- Home nursing or other care
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma
- Loss of consortium
- In wrongful death claims, funeral costs and the loss of future benefits such as wages or insurance
Choosing a lawyer with experience in getting clients fair motorcycle accident settlements for clients is critical. Some of your damages, particularly your current economic losses, may be easy to calculate. However, it is more challenging to show your future medical costs and loss of future earnings.
It also takes compelling evidence to show the extent of the harder-to-quantify impacts on your life, like pain, suffering, emotional trauma, and loss of enjoyment of activities. Our skilled attorneys know how to build a compelling case with the evidence needed to prove all your damages.
How Long Do Motorcycle Accident Cases Take To Settle?
The time it takes to settle your accident case depends on the specific details of your claim and the insurance company’s willingness to settle before going to court.
In a straightforward case, the other party’s insurance company may make you a fair initial offer, and we can settle your case quickly. More complex cases can take months or even years to resolve. Because comparative negligence can reduce your compensation, we may have to spend significant time proving that you were not to blame for your crash.
Insurance companies may also dispute the seriousness of your injuries. If you miss doctor’s appointments or your social media posts show you engaging in physical activities that your injuries would normally preclude, they will claim you don’t deserve the amount you are asking for. If the other party’s insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement or their policy limits don’t cover your damages, you can proceed with litigation and take your case to trial.
Why Hire Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
For over 30 years, our award-winning attorneys have been fighting for the people of Philadelphia, Bucks County, Mongomery County, the Lehigh Valley, and across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. We never stop fighting to pursue the compensation our clients deserve when someone else causes their injuries.
Our case results total millions of dollars in compensation for our deserving clients, and we are honored by client testimonials of our work ethic and communication skills. Our lawyers are passionate about helping people, no matter how much effort it takes.
Partner with our motorcycle accident attorneys today. We can help relieve some of your post-accident stress and pursue damages that reflect the true harm from your motorcycle accident. Call us today at 215-642-2335 or complete our online form for a free consultation.
