Motorcycle accident compensation is an extremely specialised area of personal injury law. Your solicitor must understand all of the liability arguments which will be used by the other driver’s insurance company to prevent your claim from being successful.
Riders and pillion passengers of motorbikes involved in collisions with other vehicles often suffer serious and life changing injuries. The value of compensation can be very high as the injuries can be so bad.
Apart from a high likelihood of suffering serious physical injuries, anyone in a motorbike accident faces the prospect of suffering from post-accident stress or psychological trauma – commonly known as PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). In many circumstances, the time taken for a person to recover from psychological injuries can be far longer than the process of recovering from physical injuries.
What you need to claim motorcycle accident compensation
To make a successful no win no fee claim your accident has to be someone else’s fault, resulted in medical treatment, and happened in the last three years (unless you’re under 18). Starting your claim early will give your solicitor time to build a successful case and collect as much evidence to support your claim as possible.
If they are possible to get, witness statements and photographs of the accident site can provide vital evidence to support your claim.
If you haven’t yet sought medical treatment, and the accident happened recently, do visit your GP or hospital as you may still be in shock and not notice your injuries. Your claim can cover any treatment you might need, such as physiotherapy, pain management, or osteopathy.
If you don’t know the identity of the liable party (vehicle registration, driver name etc), then you should report the incident to the police. In the case of a hit and run accident, an injured motorcyclist may still be able to recover compensation through the Motor Insurers’ Bureau, who compensate victims of untraced and uninsured drivers.
Claiming for psychological trauma
A surprising amount of people injured in what are often traumatic and upsetting accidents have no idea that they can claim psychological damages as part of their personal injury claim.
One of the problems that many personal injury claimants face is that they suffer in silence. Whether it’s the ‘stiff upper lip’ of the British that means that we don’t tell our doctors of our problems – particularly those relating to psychological injuries – or the perceived stigma that can accompany certain mental health issues, it is a problem that needs addressing. Without proper diagnosis of an injury, it is very hard to then add the extent of an undiagnosed injury to a personal injury claim. Therefore, it is vital that any person suffering with psychological trauma after an accident sees their GP and asks for a referral to a specialist.
This is all part of ensuring that you properly report and record your accident. Any claimant must prove to a 3rd party insurer just as to how badly any injuries that they have sustained have affected their life. By ensuring that all injuries – including those that can’t be seen, such as psychological trauma – are reported to the medical profession and that treatment is received, it is then possible to maximise the value of any settlement awarded to you as the 3rd party will not be able to dispute the medical evidence that supports your claim.
The kind of psychological trauma that victims of motorcycle accidents suffer can vary greatly and come in many different forms. Some ex-motorcyclists will struggle to get back on their bike and may well give up riding and use other forms of transport. Some with more severe problems may struggle to walk near moving vehicles and therefore have great difficulty living a normal life. Regardless of the severity of any PTSD issues, all people wishing to make a claim for personal injury compensation should see their medical professional and make sure that the injuries caused in their accident are on record.
The process of claiming
We have arrangements in place to provide replacement motorcycles within hours of the accident if you are fit to drive. We can also arrange replacement helmets, leathers and all other damaged items. Direct2Compensation will take care of you from start to finish. If ever you have a question, you can call us or the solicitor we have appointed for you. You will discover we are always happy to help you.
After assessing your case along with the supporting evidence and information, your claim will be submitted to our panel of specialist personal injury solicitors. A motorcycle accident solicitor will evaluate your claim and contact you to discuss and confirm the details of our claim file.
We will manage your personal injury claim on your behalf, ensuring that your relationship with the solicitor is simple to understand and that any complicated paperwork that may be sent to you is explained in a simple and clear fashion should you so need.
Your solicitor will work towards prompt settlement of your claim to get appropriate compensation for your injuries and losses. They will also seek effective treatment for your injuries to return you to your pre-accident medical condition.
In the event that your no win no fee claim is not successful, you will never be liable for the costs incurred.
How much compensation will I receive for my injuries?
It’s impossible to say as every claim is different, but there are guidelines issued by the courts and we use solicitors that are experts in handling motorcycle accident claims, and know how to use these guidelines to ensure you receive the right amount of compensation for your injuries and losses. Once initial evidence has been collected you will be advised as to the likely level of compensation to expect.
There is no charge for assessing your claim, so you have nothing to lose and much to gain if you can make a successful one. As a specialist claims company which has been successfully recovering compensation for victims of motorcycle accidents for some years now, we have all the expertise required to conclude your claim as swiftly and efficiently as possible.
To find out more about your compensation rights or to start your claim today, call us on 01225 430285 or if you prefer, .
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