Being in any kind of accident can be a frightening experience. On top of staggering medical bills, the victim may be unable to work and could endure intense pain and suffering. This is no less true for victims of motorcycle accidents.
If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you will need dedicated legal counsel to seek compensation for the various damages you will incur. Find out why victims in Flagstaff, West Valley, and Buckeye, AZ depend on the Gill Law Firm to advocate for them.
Economic and Non-Economic Damages
Most motorcycle accident victims can seek two broad categories of damages: economic and non-economic. Economic damages are intended to compensate a victim for tangible losses that can readily be calculated. Among them are:
- Medical bills: These include expenses for ambulance care, hospitalization, surgery, prescription drug medication, adaptive medical equipment, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and follow-up visits. Also included are reasonably estimated future treatments that the victim may need later.
- Lost income: During their recovery and participation in legal matters involving their accident claim, victims will lose time from work and therefore income. They have the right to therefore seek compensation for lost earnings.
- Lost earning capacity: If the motorcycle accident victim is hurt badly enough, they may not be able to return to the same productivity level as before the accident (or return to the same line of work at all). This will cost them future earnings, bonuses, promotions, benefits, retirement, and more.
- Property damage: Motorcycles are expensive, and the driver or other at-fault party may have to pay to repair or replace the victim’s vehicle. The same is true for any items of personal property that were damaged or destroyed in the wreck.
- Other expenses: There may be other costs, including out-of-pocket expenses, that the motorcycle accident victim incurs. Keeping extensive records of these expenses will help the victim claim the full amount of compensation they deserve.
Non-economic damages allow victims in Flagstaff, West Valley, and Buckeye, AZ to recover money for losses that are not as easy to calculate. These include such damages as:
- Pain and suffering: Road rash, bone fractures, and other injuries can cause intense pain, discomfort, agony, and related issues. These are subjective experiences that are unique to each individual victim.
- Emotional distress: The trauma of being in an accident often leaves victims with anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other emotional problems. A mental health professional can diagnose and explain the victim’s exact issues.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: The injuries that the victim sustains may make it impossible for them to enjoy previous hobbies and interests, including motorcycle riding. The victim has the right to demand compensation for the lost quality of life they experience.
- Disfigurement: Because of the extreme injuries that motorcycle riders can suffer in an accident, they may end up permanently disfigured. The loss of an arm, leg, eye, or other body part can harm one’s ability to live a normal life and cause self-esteem and psychological issues.
- Loss of consortium: This category of damages concerns the inability for the victim to maintain marital relations or intimacy and engage in normal family functions like going on walks with a spouse. This impacts the quality of one’s marriage and allows the victim to seek damages.
How Our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm Can Help You
Our attorneys not only understand the relevant laws that govern motorcycle accident cases, we also know how to determine the nature and value of the victim’s damages. Often this includes consulting with our network of expert witnesses who can help calculate future damages. Learn more about how the Gill Law Firm can serve your legal needs by calling us or completing our online contact form.