GlastonburyMotorcycle Accident Lawyer

Riding a motorcycle is increasingly popular in Glastonbury. Some of our neighbors ride a bike for their daily commute to work or school, while others like to strap on some goggles and enjoy the fresh air and Glastonbury’s scenery, especially along the Connecticut River during summer. Unfortunately, many bikers end up in the hospital after a devastating accident. Tehrani Law Group can help.

Our motorcycle accident lawyer can swing into action, building a convincing case for the compensation you need. The sooner you call, the sooner we get started. Motorcycle accidents present unique challenges regarding liability and claim payout, and you need a Glastonbury accident lawyer who is experienced with navigating these challenges to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

Glastonbury Motorcycle Accidents

Accidents can happen anywhere, at intersections or on the open road. Though some incidents, like truck accidents, may be more common in rural areas, the National Safety Council reports that motorcycle accidents tend to be more common in urban areas. When we consider that most motorcycle accidents include multiple vehicles, it would make sense that more heavily populated areas see a higher rate of accidents. 

Glastonbury may be considered a relatively small town, but that does not make our residents immune to the devastation of motorcycle accidents. According to the Connecticut Crash Data Repository, in the last several years, Glastonbury has seen 17 motorcycle accidents, one of which resulted in two fatalities. 

According to the NSC resource cited above, registered motorcycles in the United States account for about 3% of all vehicles and around 14% of all fatalities. While we may expect most accidents to happen in places like Veterans of Foreign Wars Hwy or Glastonbury Expy, they are most common on smaller roads like those along Hebron Ave.

Significant Factors in Glastonbury Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles may encounter the same types of accidents as any other vehicle on the road, but they are often differently engaged compared to other vehicles. One of the key factors that may contribute to motorcycle accidents is their conspicuity, or lack thereof. This problem with visibility and conspicuity most often results in accidents related to a failure to yield. 

This may play out as some of the following situations: 

• Rear-End Collisions: Many motorists fail to brake in time and smash into the back of a bike, especially one stopped at a red light. Unfortunately, lane splitting is not legal.
• Head-On Collision: A distracted, drunk, or fatigued driver could drift into your lane and crash into you head-on. These accidents are often fatal.
• Left-Turn Accident: A common accident involves a driver hanging out in an intersection to make a left-hand turn. However, the driver never sees a motorcyclist coming through the intersection and pulls into them.
• Open-Door Collisions: A passenger in a parked car could open a door, which a motorcyclist riding close to the shoulder could hit.
• Sideswipes: Some drivers get too close when trying to pass, and they can strike the side of a bike.
• Road Defects: Any road defect could upend a motorcycle. Many Connecticut roads have giant potholes due to our harsh winters. A motorcycle could flip when it hits one.

While it is true that most motorcycle accidents are the result of driver negligence, other factors that may cause an accident include poorly maintained roads. If an environmental hazard is what caused your accident, the liable party may be a property owner, the Capitol Region, or other local municipalities.e government is at fault for a defective road.

A motorcyclist is incredibly vulnerable to serious injuries in a crash. There are many parts of a motorcycle accident that result in more devastating injuries than the typical car accident. Some of the obvious reasons these injuries can be so much more extensive include the lack of physical infrastructure to protect your body and the fact that many riders endure multiple impacts. The first is the collision between the bike and another vehicle, and the next is the collision when you land if you are thrown from the bike. 

The mechanism of injury will affect how your injuries present. For example, a recent study shows that many collisions result in predictable injury patterns based on how the collision happens and whether the rider drops the bike or is ejected. 

Topside Injuries

If your accident threw you from your bike, particularly over the handlebars, you could expect to sustain more injuries to the head and face. If you put your arms out to catch yourself when you hit the ground, you may also experience upper extremity injuries, including those to your hands or wrists. 

Among common head injuries is Traumatic Brain Injury. A helmet will help distribute the force of impact to your head and often prevent injuries such as skull fractures, but it cannot always prevent damage inflicted by your brain hitting your skull. This type of head injury can have lasting and life-changing impacts. 

Lowside Injuries

You may experience low-side injuries when your bike falls on top of you, which may be in an attempt to avoid another vehicle or an accident. If your motorcycle falls on you, the resulting injuries may include limb entrapment, heel or foot injuries, or broken bones in the lower extremities. 

Collision Injuries

The direct injuries from a collision can include injuries all over your body, including the pelvis or legs that may have been hit. However, you may sustain additional soft tissue injuries, such as whiplash or others, related to how your body handles the force of the impact.

Road Rash 

Most of us have experienced road rash at some point, likely from falling off a bike or skateboard as a child. This injury is also known as a friction burn that has the same degree of severity as thermal burns. Depending on how extensive your road rash is, you may experience discomfort, scarring, or require grafts or surgical intervention to treat. 

Back and Spinal Cord Injuries

Any of the above mechanisms of injury may result in back or spinal cord injuries that can have lasting effects ranging from discomfort or pain to paralysis or death. If you are concerned about a spinal cord injury, this should be taken seriously, and you should seek medical evaluation immediately to avoid exacerbation.

Protecting Yourself from Motorcycle-Specific Vulnerabilities

Protective gear is critical to safer travel, whether you’re making your way to Glastonbury Hills Country Club or meeting a friend at Ken’s Corner for brunch. Appropriate gear can help you minimize injury while also increasing conspicuity, which has been found to contribute to many accidents. The NHTSA explains that you can achieve this in a few ways. 

Bright Colors

Much of the protective riding gear available is black or gray. While black gear is better than no gear, it may not provide as much protection as it could if it were a visible color. Choosing a jacket or riding pants with a neon or reflective strip can help other drivers identify you, even in their peripheral vision, possibly preventing an accident. 

Protective Gear

Protective riding gear includes a leather or thick riding jacket, pants, gloves, eye protection, and a helmet. Full-coverage helmets offer the most head protection and include eye and face protection, with a visor and face covering as a buffer to prevent the face from contacting the ground. Connecticut does not require riders to wear protective attire when they ride. 

Connecticut Helmet Laws May Factor Into Your Motorcycle Injury Claim

The state has partial helmet laws, which do not require adults to wear head protection. According to the Connecticut Office of Highway Safety, riders or operators under 18 are required to wear protective headgear. Though you must be old enough to have a license and pass the written and driving tests to drive a motorcycle, Connecticut motorcycle helmet laws do not limit the age of passengers. 

Though you may not be legally obligated to wear a helmet during normal driving, Connecticut laws still require you to wear a helmet when you complete your road test to add the motorcycle endorsement to your license. Some riders have concerns that helmets can affect rider visibility. However, they are designed with this in mind. 

Choosing a helmet can be overwhelming when there are so many options. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), full-face helmets are considered safest, but other DOT-approved styles can also provide benefits. However, they advise riders to be aware that counterfeit helmets do exist, and to check for sturdy composition, adequate padding, and that the DOT sticker is firmly adhered. 

Tehrani Law Group Can Help You with the Unique Needs of a Motorcycle Accident Case

Bringing a claim for a motorcycle accident is harder than many people imagine. Gathering evidence takes time and legal knowledge. For example, someone on their phone could have struck you because they were distracted. To prove your case, you might need to subpoena their cell phone records, which will show they were talking or sending messages in the seconds leading up to your collision.

Other evidence to establish fault includes eyewitness testimony and photographs of the scene of the accident. Nearby businesses might have caught the crash on their surveillance video, which highlights the importance of working with a firm experienced in Hartford County. When your attorney has experience with the area, they may be aware of these opportunities for evidence that an out-of-area firm may not. 

Evidence such as photos, witnesses, statements, and medical records is critical to building any accident case. However, in a motorcycle accident, experts may be able to gather important information based on the wear and damage to your clothing, which is often unique to motorcycle accidents.  Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Glastonbury, CT, can help identify and track down this information to use in your case and build a compelling argument. 

Motorcycle Riders Might Face Unfair Blame

Many insurance adjusters will try to automatically place the blame for an accident on the motorcycle rider. This may be due, in part, to the stigma of reckless riders. However, the more common reason is that medical costs from a motorcycle accident are often incredibly high, and insurance companies are known to push back more with higher claims. 

When you are injured and facing the financial pressure of mounting medical bills, you may be inclined to accept the first offer from the insurance company. Among the several reasons you may want to be cautious about accepting a quick settlement offer to get the money and be finished is that it is often dramatically undervalued. 

These practices can leave you vulnerable to shouldering blame that is not yours and losing out on compensation you deserve. Working with a motorcycle accident attorney is often your best chance to avoid this kind of situation and ensure you get what you need to manage your injuries. 

Comparative Negligence Laws 

One of the most effective ways for an insurance company to reduce or avoid paying a claim is to shift liability to the other party. According to 52-572 of the Connecticut Civil Code, liability and payout are determined based on a modified comparative negligence model. 

This means they will not have to pay if they can show evidence that you were more than 50% responsible for the accident, or their overall payout is reduced by your liability. 

A Glastonbury Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near You Can Fight for the Compensation You Deserve

While most motorcycles may not cost as much as a vehicle, the costs of treating your injuries and follow-up care are far more likely to be significant, and recovering compensation for these costs is often a critical part of keeping your life functioning. The specific damages you may choose to claim will vary based on your specific losses, but may include:

• Medical expenses related to the accident
• Lost wages if you are unable to work
• Loss of future earnings
• Pain and suffering 
• Emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Potential 

A motorcycle accident attorney near you will work with you to identify your quantifiable losses that establish the foundation of your damages. Additional damages, such as pain and suffering, are often part of these types of cases, and the value of these is most often calculated based on the value of the tangible or economic damages.

Motorcyclists face an uphill climb to get the compensation they deserve following an accident. For assistance, call Tehrani Law Group today to schedule a free consultation. From our Glastonbury office, we proudly serve the people of Newington, Avon, South Windsor, Rocky Hill, New Britain, Bloomfield, Windsor, Kensington, Berlin, Bolton, and other areas.

The cost of treating your injuries after a motorcycle accident can often be astronomical. If another driver’s failure to pay attention caused your accident, our Glastonbury, CT, motorcycle accident attorneys near you may be able to help you recover the compensation you deserve. Our firm prides itself on finding creative and convincing arguments that get results. Call us to schedule a free consultation today.