Milford, MA Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

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Many Americans elect to use motorcycles as their main method of transportation for various reasons. Motorcycles are more fuel-efficient than full-size vehicles and can fit into more compact locations. More people still have motorcycles in addition to other vehicles because they enjoy the more visceral driving experience of riding a motorcycle. Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents happen every day, just like car, bus, and truck accidents. When these accidents happen, motorcyclists are often much more seriously injured than people in cars or other kinds of larger, more protective vehicles.

You need legal help if you were hurt in a motorcycle collision. There are avenues you can pursue to get coverage or damages to deal with your injuries, either through insurance claims or through a lawsuit. Our attorneys have handled insurance claims and lawsuits, so you will be well-represented no matter what path you choose to get the compensation you deserve after a serious accident.

Get a free, totally obligation-free case review from the Law Office of John J. Sheehan’s motorcycle accident attrorneys when you call our office at (617) 925-6407.

Injuries from Motorcycle Crashes in Milford, MA

Motorcycle accidents often lead to very serious injuries for motorcycle riders. The fact of the matter is that motorcyclists – even when wearing helmets and other protective gear – are not as well protected in accidents as people inside cars, SUVs, trucks, or even convertibles. Therefore, when another vehicle impacts a motorcycle, the motorcyclist’s injuries are probably going to be worse than injuries to the occupants of the other vehicle.

Cataloging the injuries you incurred in your motorcycle crash is an important step that our motorcycle collision lawyers take when building your case. Compensation for your injuries will make up a sizable portion of the damages you request, so going over the injuries you received in detail is crucial to building a strong case.

Broken Bones

When cars hit motorcycle riders, there is a good chance that some bones are going to snap and break. It is not out of the ordinary for motorcyclists to suffer broken arms and legs or fractured ribs. Pretty much every fracture will require a cast, splint, or other immobilization device to heal properly. More serious breaks, like compound fractures – where the bone breaks in multiple places and punctures the skin – may also require surgery to get broken bones back into place. Even after your cast is off, you will likely have to undergo strength retraining in the affected area, as well as potential dietary changes.

Cuts and Puncture Wounds

Cuts and puncture wounds are probably not the first thing that come to mind when one thinks of a motorcycle crash. However, bits of broken glass and warped metal can go all over the place in a crash and potentially slice through or piece an unfortunate motorcycle rider.

Cuts will almost always require stitching to heal properly and could leave permanent scars or other disfigurement. Puncture wounds, while potentially less nasty to look at, can be much more dangerous because they are harder to stop from bleeding and have the potential to hit vital organs with only a couple of inches of penetration beyond the skin.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injuries, or TBIs, are caused by hard hits to the head that damage the brain. Even DOT-approved motorcycle helmets are only rated for impacts up to a certain amount of force. It is often the case that motorcyclists wearing perfectly good helmets still suffer head injuries of all sorts, including TBIs.

So-called “mild” TBIs, more commonly known as concussions, can still have bad, permanent side effects like memory loss or migraines. More severe traumatic brain injuries can result in the loss of basic bodily functions or even death in some cases.

Amputation

Particularly violent motor vehicle crashes can result in the victim undergoing amputation. This can happen in two ways. First, doctors may decide that amputating a limb is the best course of action for a patient due to damage to the limb or risk of infection. Second, the victim may suffer a traumatic amputation – where the limb is removed from the body by the force of the crash. The latter is extremely dangerous and likely fatal if immediate medical treatment is not administered.

Compensation in Milford, MA Motorcycle Claims

You can get financial compensation in two main ways in motorcycle claims. First, you should look to see if an insurance provider can cover you. Massachusetts is a “no-fault” state, which means that your insurance provider will provide some coverage regardless of who is responsible for the accident. If your insurance provider or someone else does not want to provide coverage when they are supposed to, you can take them to court.

The other way you can get financial compensation is by taking defendants to court to try and collect damages. You get damages from defendants if you can prove that they were liable for your injuries. You can get damages that are based on many different things, including the cost of treatment for injuries you sustained, lost income, and the cost of repairing your motorcycle. Additionally, you can seek damages based on things like emotional distress or mental anguish, which may not have as immediately obvious a value.

Some states allow for punitive damages in all personal injury claims. However, under Mass: Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 229 § 2, punitive damages are only allowed in Massachusetts in cases involving wrongful death. So, if you are suing on behalf of a loved one who passed away after a motorcycle crash, you should discuss seeking these damages with our lawyers, but otherwise, they are off the table.