West Des Moines Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

According to the state’s Department of Transportation, Iowa had 270,000 registered motorcycles as of 2018. It’s a hobby that has increased in popularity over the years. Going out for a ride allows you to enjoy the scenery and spend time alone with your thoughts or with friends who are also riders.

When a motorcycle gets into an accident, however, motorcyclists suffer terrible injuries. Without any cushion or protection, motorcyclists often suffer direct blows from high-speed vehicles, and they often end up thrown in the road. Call Baer Law Office if you were hurt in a crash. Our West Des Moines motorcycle accident lawyer can meet for an initial consultation which is completely free.

What are the Major Reasons Motorcycles Crash?

We have met with bikers hurt in all types of wrecks. Here are the main reasons they get into accidents.

Negligent Drivers

Other motorists on the road are careless or even dangerous around motorcycles. They cause most of the accidents due to:

Following too closely
Passing too closely
Driving while distracted
Fatigued driving
Speeding
Passing illegally
Failing to pay attention

Some motorcycles blend in with the other vehicles and the asphalt. It’s important to stand out, but careless motorists continue to cause a lot of wrecks. Thankfully, you can file an injury claim against a motorist on their liability coverage.

Road Hazards

Because motorcycles have only two wheels they are more vulnerable to any defect on the road. You can lose control of your bike and crash. Some major defects include:

Potholes
Construction debris
Ice or snow
Missing or obscured signage
Poorly designed work zones

The government might be responsible for the defect, in which case we can sue the government for financial compensation.

Do You Need a West Des Moines Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

Please call our firm if you have been injured in an accident and:

You feel intense pain which prevents you from working;
You were hospitalized due to your injuries;
Your insurance company has rejected your claim; or
You need answers to your questions and no one will help.

Unfortunately, insurance companies are not known for their generosity. They often blame motorcyclists for their own crashes, claiming you were driving dangerously. The motorist who hit you might claim you cut them off or were weaving in and out of lanes.

We can immediately help your case. At Baer Law Office, our legal team is committed to finding the evidence necessary to bring a claim. Call us to schedule a free, no-strings consultation with a West Des Moines motorcycle accident lawyer.

How We Prove Fault in Motorcycle Accidents

Fault is the key issue in most motorcycle accidents. The person responsible for your injuries should pay compensation. Here’s the types of evidence we use to prove fault:

Your own testimony. You survived the accident and can testify about what happened. However, it’s best to bolster your claims with other evidence, so your own testimony is merely a starting point.
Photographs of the accident scene. After a crash, you should use your phone to photograph your bike and the other vehicles involved. Also photograph any defect, like a pothole or obscured signs.
Video evidence. An accident outside a West Des Moines business might have been recorded on a security camera. We can investigate, or you could stop in and ask if they have recorded the crash.
Defendant admissions. The driver who hit you could slip up and admit something that shows they were at fault. For example, they might admit they got off work late and nodded off briefly before the crash. We can use these admissions in a case to prove fault.
Third party testimony. Other people who saw the accident can share their memories. A different motorist or even a pedestrian on the sidewalk could serve as a witness.
Phone records. If the driver was on their phone, we can request records to prove that fact.

We Negotiate for Fair Compensation

A motorcycle accident can leave people with major injuries, including back injuries, concussions, whiplash, fractures, and more. You need expensive medical care to recover. Other financial losses make it hard for most people to continue to support themselves and pay their bills.

Our objective is to obtain the most compensation possible in a settlement. Some of the considerations include:

Your economic losses. These are expenses or financial losses with a clear dollar value. Motorcycle repairs, medical bills, and lost wages are examples. Keep copies of your medical bills, which we can use when calculating economic loss.
Pain and suffering and related losses. You can also receive compensation for bodily pain, mental anguish, and negative changes to your marriage. The dollar value of these losses is harder to assess, but we can use other settlements as a starting point for thinking about how much to request.
The defendant’s resources. Some defendants might only have an insurance policy but no other money or resources. In that case, the policy represents the maximum you can reasonably expect to receive, regardless of your injuries.
Your own negligence. Iowa law will reduce your compensation based on your degree of fault. If you are 50% or less, you can still seek a settlement. But what you receive is reduced by your share of fault. If you are 51% or more at fault, then you will receive nothing.

Let’s review the facts of your case. It’s hard to speak of an “average” settlement since no two motorcycle accidents are the same. We strive to minimize your own contributory negligence while searching for ways to increase your settlement.

Reach Out to Our Law Firm

Baer Law Office is committed to helping accident victims with their West Des Moines motorcycle accident claims. Our founder, Kim Baer, has helped injured victims for years while Baer Law Office spent nine years as the top-ranked law firm. You can trust our firm’s experience and ability to negotiate with any insurance company in the state. Call us today to schedule a free consultation, (515) 279-2000.