All drivers owe all road users, including motorcyclists, a responsibility to follow all road rules and regulations. Part of this obligation is making safe lane changes. Ohio Revised Code (ORC) §4511.33 mandates that all drivers must indicate their lane change, make sure they have enough room to switch lanes and keep three feet of distance between all motorcyclists on the road. If they fail to perform all these tasks safely, they may cause a serious accident, leading to serious injuries or even death.
If you or a loved one was a victim of a motorcycle accident due to an unsafe lane change, you may be able to recover your related damages. Let a Columbus Motorcycle Accident Lawyer take over your legal fight while you heal from the accident—both mentally and physically.
Contact the Fitch Law Firm LLC today at (614) 545-3930 for a free consultation. As we work on a contingency fee basis, we charge you no upfront or out-of-pocket fees. We only take our payment if you receive compensation.
You May Have Suffered Serious Injuries That Impacted Your Life
As a motorcyclist, you do not have much protection other than a helmet. When a vehicle strikes your motorcycle, you might suffer terrible injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Broken bones
- Lacerations and bruises
- Loss of limbs
- Paralysis
These injuries and others might force you to take on a completely different lifestyle. Even though your life might not be the same again, there is hope to get it back to as normal as possible, and you may be able to pursue compensation from the negligent party. Our Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer team is dedicated to providing compassionate and effective legal representation to help you navigate the challenges of a personal injury claim.
Loss of Income
Your injuries may keep you from working at your job full-time or even part-time. Your employer may have had to let you go, forcing you to look for a different or lower-paying job.
Medical Bills
Serious injuries need intensive medical care. When you file your case, you can claim medical bills for emergency transportation, doctor’s appointments, physical therapy and chiropractic sessions, surgeries, medical equipment, and pain medications, among other medical necessities.
Property Damage
Your motorcycle might have been your only method of transportation. Even if it was for recreational activity, you still may be able to claim its repair or replacement costs in your case. If your other belongings were damaged or destroyed in the accident, you could be reimbursed for those as well.
Pain and Suffering
The emotional anguish and physical pain from the accident could be so debilitating that you may have fallen into a depression or no longer enjoy the activities you once did before the accident.
It is not fair for you to undergo such losses after an accident, especially when you are not at fault. A Columbus unsafe lane change accident lawyer can help you throughout the legal process, including determining what your damages are worth when you file your case. Call the Fitch Law Firm LLC’s Columbus office at (614) 545-3930 today.
For a free legal consultation with a Columbus unsafe lane change motorcycle accident lawyer
(614) 545-3930
Causes and Liability in Unsafe Lane Change Motorcycle Accidents
Even when motorists practice safe and proactive driving, instances of negligence such as unsafe lane changes can still lead to accidents on the road. Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to harm and injury due to riders having less protection and the fact that other drivers are not always accounting for smaller vehicles on the road.
A number of factors may have caused a driver to make an unsafe lane change that puts a rider at risk, including:
- Failure to see the motorcyclist: Because motorcycles are smaller vehicles, many drivers may not anticipate sharing the roads with them and can neglect to properly check blind spots or perceive a rider in the adjacent lane.
- Speeding: At higher speeds, drivers run a higher risk of losing control of their car, rendering them unable to properly stop or change lanes safely.
- Distracted driving: Taking your eyes away from the road means that you cannot properly or fully perceive the car’s surroundings, which includes smaller vehicles such as motorcycles.
Determining Liability
According to a study by the National Highway Traffic Administration, up to 610,000 lane-change crashes are reported to the police annually, with at least 60,000 people injured in these accidents. A number of these injured motorists may be motorcyclists injured due to the negligence of another driver.
There are multiple pieces of evidence that will prove helpful in determining what caused your motorcycle accident and who was responsible, such as:
- Traffic camera footage: If there are traffic cameras on the road where your accident took place, then you may be able to request footage from the Ohio Department of Transportation.
- A copy of your accident report: After an accident, law enforcement from the Columbus Division of Police or another local department should create an accident report which you can request a copy of. If you were unable to do so after the accident, the Ohio State Highway Patrol also maintains records of crash reports that you can request.
- Medical bills: Keeping a copy of what your medical treatment or rehabilitation costs can help calculate the compensation that you deserve.
Trying to organize these details can be overwhelming when you’re already facing recovery and lost income, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you were injured riding a motorcycle due to the unsafe lane of another driver on the road, The Fitch Law Firm can help you investigate the circumstances of your accident and hold at-fault parties accountable.
In order to determine whether the accident was caused due to another party’s negligence, Columbus motorcycle accident lawyers evaluate the following elements:
- Duty of care: The responsible party’s legal obligation
- Breach of duty: Any violation of their legal duty
- Causation: The direct link between the at-fault party’s action(s) and the accident
- Damages: Any financial consequences of the accident
If you were found to be partially at fault for the accident, you are not automatically precluded from recovering compensation. Ohio is one of several states in the United States that follows a comparative negligence system, and this allows responsibility for the auto-accident to be divided among several parties (ORC).
Under a comparative fault system, the following is true:
- So long as you are less than 51% liable for the accident, you may still able to obtain compensation.
- Your compensation would be diminished according to the amount of fault you share. For example, if you were found to be 15% at fault for the accident, then the damages you receive would be subsequently diminished by 15%.
The Last Thing You Should Worry About Is How You’re Going To Pay For Your Medical Bills.
(614) 545-3930
How The Fitch Law Firm Can Help
Our motorcycle accident lawyers have years of experience guiding injury victims through the claims process and helping them protect their legal rights. We understand how overwhelming it can be to navigate the aftermath of a catastrophic accident when you’re also focusing on recovery. The Fitch Law Firm can help alleviate some of that burden by shouldering the legal legwork for your accident claim.
Our Columbus motorcycle accident attorneys can:
- Help gather police reports, cellphone records and crash evidence
- Consult accident reconstruction experts
- Review insurance coverage and disputed fault claims
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Identify liability among riders, drivers, and third parties
- Calculate your potential recoverable damages
- Pursue compensation through settlement negotiations or litigation support
If you sustained serious injury in a motorcycle accident caused by unsafe lane changes, The Fitch Law Firm can help you secure financial recovery to assist you in receiving treatment from highly rated Columbus medical centers like The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. We’ll take care of your legal needs so that you can focus on getting your life back.
Call us today at (614) 739-8931 or contact us through our website form for a free legal consultation and take the first step towards securing the justice you deserve.
Get in Touch with a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
Remember that when you hire a Columbus unsafe lane change accident lawyer, they are your advocate as well as your consultant during your entire case. To learn more about how the Fitch Law Firm LLC can assist you, give us a call today at (614) 545-3930.