After a motorcycle crash, you may not know what to do first. You may be in pain. Your bike may be damaged. You may miss work. Bills may start to arrive before you know how long your care will take. Then the insurance calls may start. The other driver may deny fault. An adjuster may ask for a statement. You may feel pushed to give answers before you know the facts. Do not guess. What you say early can affect your case later. A Suffolk County motorcycle accident attorney can help you protect your rights, preserve evidence, and deal with the insurance company.
Why Motorcycle Claims Are Different in New York
Michaelangelo Matera explains how he can support you after a motorcycle accident in the video below:
Motorcycle claims are not the same as many car accident claims in New York. Riders and passengers are often not covered by no-fault benefits after a motorcycle crash. An injured rider may need to bring a claim against the driver or other party responsible for the crash, which affects how medical bills, lost wages, and other losses are handled. It also makes proof of fault important from the start.
To pursue compensation, you need to show that another person or party was careless. You also need to show that their conduct caused your injuries.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Suffolk County
Many crashes happen because a driver failed to look, yield, or give a rider enough space. A driver may say they did not see the motorcycle. Regardless, that does not make unsafe driving acceptable.
- Failure to Yield: A driver may turn left in front of a rider at an intersection, driveway, or parking lot exit. These crashes can cause severe harm because the rider has little time to react.
- Unsafe Lane Changes: A driver who fails to check blind spots can force a rider into another car, off the road, or onto the ground.
- Distracted Driving: Texting, looking at a GPS, eating, or reaching for an item can take a driver’s eyes off the road at the wrong time.
- Unsafe Road Conditions: Potholes, loose gravel, debris, poor signage, and work zones can pose serious risks to riders. In some cases, a town, county, contractor, or property owner may need to be reviewed.
Claims involving unsafe road conditions may have strict notice and deadline requirements for towns, counties, and other public agencies, so it is important to have a lawyer review these cases promptly.
How Fault Can Affect Your Case
Fault matters in a motorcycle accident case, but it is not always a simple question. An insurance company may try to shift blame by claiming the rider was speeding, hard to see, or partly responsible. Even then, the rider may still have a claim, though the amount recovered could depend on how fault is divided.
Evidence is the linchpin of the process. Useful proof may include the police report, photos, video, witness names, medical records, bike damage, road marks, and damaged gear. In some cases, an expert may need to study the crash site.
A Suffolk County motorcycle accident attorney can review the facts, identify all parties who may be responsible, push back against unfair blame, and work to pursue full and fair compensation.
What Compensation May Be Available After a Motorcycle Crash?
A claim may include both financial losses and the harm the crash caused in your daily life. The value depends on your injuries, medical care, lost wages, insurance coverage, and future needs.
Compensation may include medical bills, future care, lost income, reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, scarring, permanent limitations, and loss of enjoyment of life. If the crash caused a death, the family may also have a wrongful death claim.
Be careful with a fast settlement offer. It may not cover surgery, therapy, additional time off work, or pain that lasts. Once you settle, you may not be able to ask for more money later.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Get medical care as soon as you can. Some injuries get worse after the shock wears off. A medical record also helps link your injuries to the crash.
Report the crash. Take photos if you can. Save your helmet, jacket, and other gear. Keep bills, notes, and records. Do not argue about fault at the scene. Do not sign papers or give a recorded statement to another party’s insurer before you know your rights.
Taking these steps can help protect your case while your lawyer reviews what happened.
Speak With a Suffolk County Motorcycle Accident Attorney
If you were hurt in a motorcycle crash, you do not have to handle the claim alone. Matera & Manley, LLP, represents injured riders and families after serious motorcycle accidents on Long Island.
Schedule a free consultation with a Suffolk County motorcycle accident attorney today. The firm can review the crash, explain your legal options, and help you decide what to do next.
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