How Much is My Motorcycle Accident Injury Claim Worth?
How Much is My Motorcycle Accident Injury Claim Worth?
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligence of another driver in the state of California, you will likely be able to recover compensation for your losses. However, no two motorcycle accident claims are exactly alike. The total value of your particular motorcycle accident case will depend on various factors related to your specific situation. Here, we want to discuss how motorcycle accident claims in California are valued.
Analyzing Economic Costs of a Motorcycle Crash
When working to properly value a motorcycle accident claim in California, the first place to look is the relatively calculable costs that occur after these incidents happen. We also refer to these as “special damages.” What we mean by “calculable” is that there are various expenses that come with particular bills or receipts that can be gathered by the injury victim and their attorney and added up to get a total. Some of the most common economic damages available to motorcycle accident victims include the following:
- Coverage of all medical bills related to the accident
- Coverage of any physical therapy or medical devices needed
- Lost wages if a crash victim cannot work while recovering
- Property damage expenses
- General household out-of-pocket losses
Analyzing Non-Economic Costs of a Motorcycle Crash
In order to understand how much compensation a motorcycle crash victim should receive, we also have to look at non-economic damages, sometimes referred to as “general damages.” These non-economic losses are more immeasurable than the economic costs mentioned above. The immeasurable nature of these damages revolves around the fact that there are no direct bills or receipts that can be added up to find a motorcycle crash victim’s:
- Physical pain and suffering damages
- Emotional and psychological pain and suffering damages
- Loss of enjoyment of life damages
- Loss of consortium for family members
Putting it All Together
When a motorcycle accident attorney in California is working to obtain compensation on behalf of their client, they will examine all of the total economic and non-economic losses. There is no set amount of compensation that goes to a crash victim in a settlement or personal injury jury verdict. A relatively minor motorcycle crash may only result in a few thousand dollars in compensation going to a crash victim. However, for severe injuries, a motorcycle crash victim may receive tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. There are various factors that can affect the total compensation paid out. Some of these factors include:
- The severity of the injuries
- The length of time it takes to recover
- Whether or not a crash victim can return to work
- The measurable amount of the victim’s pain and suffering
- The level of property damage
- The at-fault party’s insurance limits
An Orange County motorcycle accident attorney will work with trusted medical and economic experts who can help properly value the entire claim. A lawyer will engage in vigorous negotiations with the insurance carriers involved in order to secure full compensation on behalf of their client. If necessary, an attorney will file a civil personal injury lawsuit and make sure the matter ends up in front of a jury.