Whatcom County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Here to Provide Compassionate Legal Help to Motorcycle Accident Victims Seeking Fair Financial Recovery in Washington State

Have you sustained serious injuries in a motorcycle accident? Or have you lost a loved one in a wrongful death motorcycle accident case? Suppose a negligent or malicious at-fault party caused the motorcycle collision. In that case, you may be able to hold that person responsible and seek fair compensation for medical expenses, property damage, emotional distress, physical pain and suffering, and wrongful death damages.

However, no motor vehicle accident case is ever as simple as it seems, especially for motorcycle accident cases. Motorcyclists and their representatives face unfair biases and difficulties from insurance companies and others who want to claim that a motorcyclist was a daredevil and somehow responsible for their injuries. Before taking on an insurance agency or the lawyers for the defendant, consider the benefits of working with skilled lawyers to file your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.

Our Washington State law firm has extensive experience helping injured clients and grieving family members of the recently deceased seek fair financial recovery in personal injury and wrongful death cases. Led by attorney Carrie M. Coppinger, who herself is a rider and has decades of legal experience representing individuals in various practice areas, our compassionate legal team will explore all options to help you hold at-fault parties accountable so that you can recover the financial compensation you need.

Those unfortunate enough to be in a motorcycle accident with another driver of a much larger vehicle often suffer catastrophic injuries that could leave them with permanent disabilities or result in their deaths. If the other driver was at fault, you should not be responsible for the costly medical bills and other financial losses. Let our personal injury law firm gather the evidence and attempt to prove negligence so that you can get the settlement you need to make you financially ‘whole’ again.

We offer free consultations to prospective new clients interested in retaining our legal services. To learn more about the benefits of our representation, please contact us to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What Should You Do After a Motorcycle Collision?

Considering most motorcycle accidents are devastating incidents that frequently result in severe injuries for motorcyclists, it is possible or even likely that the injured biker will be transported via ambulance from the accident scene to the nearest hospital for emergency medical attention. However, even if you do not require immediate medical care, we strongly recommend that you still get checked out by medical professionals, as some injuries may worsen with time. If you fail to get medical attention after a motorcycle accident and your injuries get worse, insurance adjusters may attempt to use this against your claim.

If, however, you are not immediately transported from the scene of the crash, you must take specific steps in the immediate aftermath of the accident to strengthen your personal injury case.

Exchange the insurance policy and contact information with the other driver involved in the collision. Attempt to remain polite in any dialogue with the at-fault party, but never go so far as to shrug off the severity of your injuries or apologize for your role in the crash. Anything you say to the other parties or an insurance adjuster at the accident scene could be used against your case.

If you can, take photographs and videos of the injuries you’ve sustained, the damage to your motorcycle, any damage to the other vehicle, weather conditions, any potential road hazards, and anything else that could be deemed relevant to your case. If there were any witnesses to the motorcycle accident, interview them for their testimonies and obtain their contact information so that they can be summoned to court if necessary.

When law enforcement arrives on the scene, provide them with a thorough accident report. The police report will be valuable evidence to your Washington motorcycle accident attorney at a later date.

Contact a personal injury attorney to discuss your motorcycle accident case if you have not done so already. We offer legal guidance throughout the insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit process.

What Are the Common Causes of Auto Accidents Involving Motorcycle Riders?

Unfortunately, many motorists do not pay proper attention or keep a watchful eye on motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians who share the roads with them. Because of this, it’s not uncommon for a motorcyclist to disappear into a driver’s blind spot or go completely unnoticed during turns, lane changes, and speed acceleration.

Among the most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Washington State are the following:

Distracted driving, including texting, talking with passengers, eating, grooming, using the dashboard GPS device, or talking on a cell phone while driving
Failure to obey the rules of the road can cause serious traffic accidents. Running stop signs or red lights, failing to yield to another party’s right of way, and failing to use proper turn signals can all cause accidents
Driving too fast for conditions or exceeding the speed limit makes it harder for vehicles to come to a complete stop, make sudden turns, or slow down to avoid motorcyclists in their way
Road rage and aggressive driving are worryingly common causes of motorcycle accidents. Some drivers are very aggressive with motorcyclists who share the roads with them
Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol can severely impact a driver’s reaction time and judgment, often resulting in catastrophic injuries for those involved in drunk driving crashes
Adverse weather conditions and road hazards can make riding a motorcycle dangerous. Additionally, streets that are poorly maintained or improperly designed can lead to motorcycle accidents as well
Drowsy driving and driver fatigue are almost as dangerous as driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Driver fatigue is particularly prevalent in commercial vehicle accident cases
In some cases, the motorcyclist may be responsible or at least partially responsible for their motorcycle crash. An example may include lane-splitting, which is illegal in Washington
Motorists who do not pay attention and open their car doors into the pathway of motorcyclists can cause serious accidents that severely injure the bikers

Whatever caused your motorcycle wreck, we can help you seek compensation for any serious injuries. Contact us to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today.

What Are Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

Because of the difference in size, weight, and design between a motorcycle and a typical passenger car or commercial vehicle, motorcyclists often sustain serious injuries in auto accidents with larger vehicles. At our Washington law firm, we have represented injured clients who’ve suffered a wide range of severe injuries, some of which were catastrophic and left the victims forever scarred or disabled.

Common injuries seen in motorcycle accident cases include the following:

Spinal cord injuries, which can sometimes result in paralysis
Broken bones
Traumatic brain injuries
Internal bleeding and organ damage
Nerve damage
Road rash
Dislocated joints
Torn ligaments and tendons
Soft tissue injuries like sprained or strained muscles
Concussions
Crushing injuries
Degloving injuries
Severe burns
Vision and hearing loss
Loss of limbs
Wrongful death

Our law firm has experience representing injured clients in various accident cases, including road defect claims, head-on collisions, T-bone accidents, broadside crashes, rear-end collisions, and accidents involving multiple parties. Contact our office to schedule your free case review today.

Can Everson and Bellingham Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Help You Recover Maximum Compensation?

When seeking compensation with an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, motorcyclists typically face extra obstacles that other motorists may not. There is an unfair bias against motorcyclists held by insurance companies and sometimes the public. Because of this, the insurance company will sometimes deny your personal injury claim or offer a low-ball settlement to make the case go away. It’s important to remember that you need not accept the initial settlement offer. Insurance companies can almost always do better.

With the help of an experienced attorney, it may be possible to maximize your total compensation. Your attorney will work to establish the elements of negligence, including showing that the defendant owed a reasonable duty of care to others and that they breached that duty, as well as gathering useful evidence. The evidence that could be valuable to your personal injury lawsuit may include witness statements, medical records, police reports, and more.

A well-constructed case can recover economic and non-economic damages from the at-fault party or their insurance company.

Potential financial recovery may include the following:

Lost wages and lost income-earning capacity
Property damage
Past medical bills and future medical expenses
Diminished quality of life or enjoyment of life
Emotional distress and mental anguish
Physical pain and suffering
Wrongful death damages, which may include loss of benefits, loss of companionship or consortium, medical expenses, and compensation for funeral, burial, and memorial costs

If the motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash or broke Washington traffic laws, their financial compensation may be negatively impacted. Similarly, if the motorcyclist is held partially at fault for the accident, this may impact their total compensation.

Is There a Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury Cases in Washington State?

Washington State has a strict statute of limitations for motorcycle accident cases. Suppose you fail to file your case within the allotted time. In that case, you may be forever barred from recovering compensation for your injuries and financial losses.

In most cases, the time limit for filing legal action is three years from the date of the motorcycle accident. While this may seem like a long time, evidence can deteriorate or disappear, and witnesses may forget their stories. You must speak with a motorcycle accident attorney without delay.

However, certain exceptions may exist, such as the discovery rule. This rule permits lawsuits to be filed within a certain length of time after an injury is discovered. Additionally, if the injured victim was a minor, the statute of limitations may be tolled, meaning the clock does not start ticking until the individual’s 18th birthday.

Please immediately contact an attorney to ensure you do not miss the time window for filing your personal injury lawsuit.

Contact Us Today to Schedule a Free Consultation with an Experienced Whatcom County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, you must seek professional legal representation to work on your behalf when seeking compensation for your injuries and other losses. This is especially so for motorcycle accident cases because the severity of the injuries often means more costly settlements, and motorcyclists typically face more roadblocks or obstacles when filing personal injury lawsuits.

Our personal injury law firm has extensive experience representing injured clients and their family members in auto accident cases, including those involving motorcycles. We would be proud to represent your interests in pursuing full and fair compensation for your injuries.

To learn more about the benefits of retaining our legal services, please get in touch with our law office to schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today. You can reach us at 360-685-7955.