Why Even Partial Blame Can Make Injured Riders Ineligible for Compensation After Accidents
When motorcyclists are injured anywhere in the U.S., they often face difficult paths to compensation. That’s because insurance companies are frequently biased against riders, and they often believe they’re at fault for their crashes, regardless of what the evidence says.
In Virginia, the path to compensation for injured riders is even more difficult. That’s because Virginia uses a contributory negligence system of awarding compensation in injury claims. This system only allows people who played no role whatsoever in causing their accidents or injuries to receive compensation. Being ruled even 1% at fault makes victims ineligible for settlements.
Because motorcyclists face a lot of bias from insurers, other drivers, and even police, they’re often blamed for crashes, even when it’s clear that the other drivers involved in the crashes were liable. Police officers may assume that riders were speeding even when they weren’t or that they were following vehicles too closely before their crashes occurred.
Once fault has been established, no matter how minor, insurance companies will use that against riders to prevent them from getting compensation. This is yet another reason why injured riders need to get experienced Roanoke motorcycle accident lawyers on their sides right away after crashes that weren’t their fault.
Don’t risk losing out on 100% of the compensation you deserve because you were assigned a small percentage of blame for a crash that wasn’t your fault. Contact Skolrood Law Firm today for a free consultation.
Let Us Help You Get Compensation for Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries
When you crash while driving or riding in a vehicle, there’s a good chance you’ll suffer at least one injury, whether serious or minor. When you crash while driving or riding on a motorcycle, your chance of suffering a serious injury is four times higher than it is if you crash in a passenger vehicle.
When motorcyclists crash, their injuries are often far worse than the injuries people suffer in cars, trucks, and SUVs. That’s because motorcycles offer no protection for riders during crashes. They don’t have seat belts, airbags, or steel frames protecting riders during collisions. Instead, riders must protect themselves with the safety equipment they wear.
Even the most well-equipped riders can suffer injuries and complications such as:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Road rash
- Broken bones
- Internal organ damage
- Torn ligaments
- Infection
- Back, neck, and spine injuries
The cost of these injuries can be enormous. It’s common for motorcyclists to be out of work for months, years, or the rest of their lives. That means no paychecks all while facing some of the biggest expenses they’ve ever encountered.
At Skolrood Law Firm, we empathize with injured motorcyclists. Unlike biased insurance companies, we know that most motorcyclists are law-abiding riders who exercise caution and defensive driving. But too often, we hear from motorcyclists who are mistreated or ignored by insurance companies—including their own providers.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, we want to help. Contact our Roanoke motorcycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
Motorcyclists, Don’t Count on the Insurance Company Believing Your Story After a Crash
When accident and injury victims contact insurance companies seeking compensation, the insurance companies are almost always skeptical of their stories by default. But when those injured victims are motorcyclists, their skepticism grows even further. It’s common knowledge among motorcyclists and personal injury lawyers that insurance companies are often biased against riders.
Unfortunately, that bias leads to claims being reduced, ignored, or denied far more often for riders than for other injured victims. It’s common for insurance companies to picture the injured riders who contact them as being reckless riders who speed, weave in and out of traffic, and put themselves and others on the road in danger.
At Skolrood Law Firm, we know better. We know that most motorcyclists are responsible and committed to safety. When injured riders reach out to us for help, we begin building their claims knowing that the insurance companies will probably be biased against them, and we work even harder to prove their innocence and the other drivers’ liability.
Sadly, insurance companies being biased against riders isn’t limited to the insurers of at-fault drivers. It can also be riders’ own insurance companies, too. It’s a rude awakening when loyal customers are denied by their own insurers after years or even decades of paying premiums, but it happens all the time.
Contact our Roanoke motorcycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation if you or someone you love was hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault. We’ll put our years of experience and never-give-up approach to work for you and your loved ones.
