Many adults in Georgia ride on motorcycles for recreation or regular travel. Motorcycles are fun and efficient forms of transportation, but they are also relatively dangerous, especially when compared with larger enclosed vehicles. Motorcycle riders have to undergo special training to lawfully operate two-wheeled vehicles. Most riders are very proactive about safety, as they understand how much risk they have if they crash should occur. Despite that extra training and caution, motorcycle collisions are relatively common.
An injured motorcycle rider or family members left behind after a fatal crash may expect to pursue compensation through a basic liability insurance claim. However, many motorcycle collisions eventually lead to personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits.
Why is litigation often necessary when responding to a motorcycle wreck?
Costs can go beyond the available insurance
The purpose of liability insurance coverage is to protect a driver from personal financial losses if they cause a crash and make driving more accessible to the public. However, many people do not carry enough coverage to actually protect themselves from liability. Instead, they simply carry what the state requires.
After a crash caused by an enclosed vehicle, those affected by a motorcycle collision may have access to up to as little as $25,000 worth of property damage coverage and the same amount in bodily injury coverage. The state also requires $50,000 of coverage if two or more people incur injuries in a crash.
Those baseline requirements are not nearly high enough to cover the emergency medical treatment a rider might require after a wreck, let alone their lost wages while they heal. Given that motorcycle crashes can cause catastrophic injuries that force people into early medical retirement or change what job tasks they can perform, the injury-related expenses could add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more if someone is young and has higher-than-average earning potential.
Unlike insurance claims, which are subject to strict limits, personal injury lawsuits can potentially lead to more thorough compensation. Additionally, it may be possible to hold more than one party accountable for the crash. A driver could be partially to blame, and an outside party, like a manufacturer or an employer, could be partially liable.
Exploring every option for recouping financial losses after a motorcycle crash can benefit those injured by a preventable collision. Riders who are assertive about the pursuit of compensation can reduce the financial harm caused by a wreck.