If you’re hurt while operating or riding on a motorcycle, you have a right to seek full and fair compensation from any party that caused the accident. Don’t be surprised, though, if you get into court and face challenges getting the recovery you need and deserve, even if the facts seem relatively straightforward.
As unfair as it may seem, there’s a stigma that bikers carry, a perception that you’re a rebel, a nonconformist, or someone who doesn’t follow the rules. Attorneys who work to ensure that jurors don’t have strong feelings against motorcyclists are not always successful. An experienced lawyer, one who has handled motorcycle-accident claims, will know how to prepare and present your case to minimize the impact of juror bias.
In addition, while nearly every competent adult has driven a car, less than 10% of Americans ride on a motorcycle with any regularity. That also creates a bias, an “us-versus-them” mentality, in which bikers are viewed as assuming all the risks of other motorists when on the road.
Because so few people have operated a motorcycle, jurors don’t understand what bikers must do to stay safe or why it’s important for other motorists to watch out for you. They don’t realize that another motorist can cause you to lose control without ever making contact with your bike, or that you need to keep a minimum speed to maintain balance and control. Instead, jurors often think motorcycle accidents occur because the biker was going too fast.
Unlike a passenger vehicle, a motorcycle provides no barrier between you and the pavement. If you go down, you’re likely to suffer serious injury, even at a low speed. You want an attorney who knows the types of injuries commonly sustained in motorcycle accidents and who can effectively communicate the current and future medical care you’ll need.
