Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Columbus

If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident in Columbus, OH, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and related expenses. Our experienced Columbus motorcycle accident lawyers can help you evaluate your case and guide you through the process of filing a motorcycle accident injury claim in Ohio. 

Contact The Fitch Law Firm LLC today for a free case consultation with a member of our legal team and learn how our personal injury lawyers in Columbus can help you pursue maximum compensation for your losses.

Meet Attorney John Fitch, Your Columbus Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

When you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer in Columbus from The Fitch Law Firm LLC, our entire team can help you start the process of fighting for the compensation you need and deserve from the liable party. Check out our video above, where Attorney John Fitch answers some common questions about motorcycle accidents. 

What Damages Can You Recover Following a Motorcycle Accident in Columbus?

If you are a motorcycle accident victim, you may be entitled to recover compensation for a variety of economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can directly compensate you for financial losses. Non-economic damages are compensation for the suffering you endured and losses to your way of life.

Examples of the types of damages you could qualify for include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Loss of Quality of Life: You can no longer perform certain tasks (e.g., a sport or getting dressed) that you used to. Perhaps you need another person’s help to get through the day.
• Any Type of Disability: If the accident caused or worsened a physical or intellectual disability, you could collect damages. This is true even if the disability is only temporary.
• Pain and Suffering: This loss may include both physical pain and emotional distress stemming from either the injuries suffered or the accident itself.
• Lost Income: If you missed work due to recovering from the accident, you may demand compensation for this drop in your income.
• Loss of Future Earning Potential: If a permanent disability prevents you from working as much as you used to, you could seek compensation for these future lost wages.
• Property Damage: The most common example of property damage includes motorcycle replacement or repairs. However, this could also include any damaged personal effects of yours at the time of the accident. 
• Medical Bills: You may seek compensation for the medical expenses you incurred, such as hospitalizations, surgeries, prescription drugs, mobility equipment, and doctor’s visits. You may even seek compensation for transportation. 
• Ongoing Healthcare: This damage may include rehabilitative therapy, nursing and domestic support, and possibly home modifications.

The team from The Fitch Law Firm LLC believes personal injury victims should not bear the financial burden of injuries caused by someone else. Let us help you pursue fair compensation so that you have one less thing to worry about as you recover.

What About Wrongful Death Damages?

According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol OSTATS report, 953 motorcyclists have been killed on Ohio roads between 2018 and 2022. Additionally, there were 5,296 riders who suffered serious injuries in the same period. The report mentions further that this has been an increasing trend.

Additional damages may be available to those who lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident. In this case, you could file a wrongful death suit and seek such damages as the following: 

• Final medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of guidance
• Loss of consortium

One of our wrongful death lawyers in Columbus can provide you with the compassionate yet professional service your family needs to get through this difficult time.

How The Fitch Law Firm Can Help

Our motorcycle accident lawyers have years of experience helping injury victims protect their right to compensation. We know the hard work it can take to get your life back after a catastrophic accident, which is why we handle the legal legwork for you. You can depend on The Fitch Law Firm to take care of your legal needs so that you can focus on recovery.

To help alleviate some of your burden, our attorneys can:

• Investigate the motorcycle accident claim for you
• Help gather police reports, cellphone records and crash evidence
• Consult accident reconstruction experts
• Review insurance coverage and disputed fault claims
• Handle uninsured and underinsured motorist claims
• Negotiate with insurance companies
• Identify liable parties
• Calculate your potential recoverable damages
• Pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages

If you were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, The Fitch Law Firm can help you secure financial recovery to assist you in receiving treatment from some of the top Columbus medical centers like, for example, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center. 

Call us today at (614) 739-8931 or contact us through our website for a risk-free consultation and take the first step towards securing the justice you deserve with zero out-of-pocket costs.

Who is Liable for Your Motorcycle Accident?

When filing a lawsuit, it matters less what caused the accident than whether or not you have proof that someone else’s negligence was to blame. First, negligence is established in four parts. They are: 

• Duty of Care: This part is the legal, ethical, and moral obligation every driver shares while operating their vehicle on the road. It is the responsibility to ensure the safety of others. 
• Breach of Duty: When a driver deviates from their responsibilities, they have breached their duty of care. This action or inaction can take many forms, but ultimately, it leads to the next part. 
• Causation: This is the accident that their actions cause, and in turn, the injuries you suffered. 
• Damages: Your injuries have a value attached to them. Whether you suffer physical injuries, financial burdens, or emotional trauma, you deserve compensation for the losses you have experienced.  

To prove that the other driver’s negligence led to your injuries, we must investigate the motorcycle accident and collect evidence. Your evidence may include such things as the following:

• Police report
• First responder reports
• Medical records
• Photographs of the accident scene 
• Videos from traffic cams and CCTV
• Eyewitness and expert testimonies
• Physical evidence

Depending on the details of your case, we may discover that one or more parties may be responsible for your injuries. Some common parties who may be liable include:

• Another Motorist: The driver of the vehicle that collided with your motorcycle or caused the accident in some other way can be held responsible for your injuries.
• The Motorcycle Manufacturer: The manufacturer may be held liable if a defective part caused your accident. Under some circumstances, the case could become a class action lawsuit if the manufacturer has faced similar lawsuits from other riders.
• A Mechanic: The mechanic or company entrusted with maintaining your bike may be held liable for your injuries and property damage if they provided negligent service.

From the evidence we collect, we can determine your damages and build your claim. 

The Statute of Limitations for Pursuing a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit

Generally speaking, as stated in Ohio Revised Code Section 2305.10, motorcycle accident victims have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit with either the Franklin County, Fairfield County, or Delaware County courthouse, depending on where the accident took place in Columbus. This is the general rule, though there are exceptions. The sooner you contact The Fitch Law Firm LLC, the sooner we can go to work to defend your rights against all negligent parties.

While the statute of limitations sets a general deadline for filing a lawsuit, some exceptions could allow you to file outside the standard time frame. Depending on the specifics of your case, you could still qualify to submit a lawsuit to the court years after the statute of limitations has run out.

Alternatively, you could find that an exception puts further limits on the amount of time you have to file. The best way to protect yourself against an unexpected deadline is by hiring an attorney shortly after your crash. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer in Columbus will be able to identify if special circumstances restrict your ability to file a lawsuit.

The Cost of Hiring a Columbus Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

When you are pursuing a motorcycle accident lawsuit, legal assistance from an experienced professional can be an incredible asset. Unfortunately, many accident victims fail to secure the money they need simply because they are afraid that they will not be able to pay for an attorney’s services.

However, the truth is that motorcycle accident attorneys work differently from other lawyers. Rather than charging a large retainer fee and a high hourly rate, these lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, which means they collect a single fee for their services upon the conclusion of a successful case. 

This fee is directly tied to the compensation you receive from the liable party. Your lawyer will collect their attorney’s fees as a preapproved percentage of what you recover. This payment method ensures that your attorney will be motivated to get you as much money for your damages as possible. Failure to secure compensation on your behalf means your lawyer doesn’t get paid.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Columbus

Motorcycles are smaller in size and offer less protection for their driver than a typical passenger vehicle, making them harder to spot on the road and more likely to suffer serious damage in the case of an accident. These circumstances make them more vulnerable to harm and injury than a driver who may be cocooned within four walls of metal, and the statistics speak to this: although motorcycles make up only 3% of all registered vehicles in the United States, motorcyclists account for 16.2% of all traffic fatalities (nsc). It may be more common to drive a four-wheel vehicle than a two-wheel one, but despite the smaller share of road-goers, motorcyclists are proportionately more likely to get into traffic accidents than those driving passenger vehicles

Driver negligence plays a significant factor in many motorcycle accidents, causing serious, sometimes fatal,  harm. In many cases, motorists may fail to account for smaller vehicles, like motorcycles, sharing space with them on the road and may not take the appropriate actions for safe driving.

Causes of motorcycle accidents in Columbus include but are not limited to:

• Motorists failing to see motorcyclists
• Sudden stops
• Distracted driving
• Left-turn collisions
• Speeding
• Driving while under the influence
• Unsafe lane changes 
• Tailgating and other aggressive driving behaviors
• Failing to yield to right of way
• Defective equipment
• Hazardous road conditions (e.g bad weather, debris on the road, etc.)
• Driving under the influence 

According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol, more than 19,000 motorcycle-involved crashes occurred on Ohio roadways in a four-year period. More than 1,000 of those crashes proved fatal, and over 5,000 crashes resulted in serious injuries. Every year, people suffer due to motorcycle accidents caused by the negligence of others, experiencing catastrophic injuries and severe monetary loss. 

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident due to someone else’s negligence, getting back on your feet after such a traumatic event can feel daunting. But you aren’t alone. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney can help you investigate your motorcycle accident, hold liable parties accountable, and get you the compensation you deserve so that you can get your life back. Call The Fitch Law Firm today for a free legal consultation and learn more about the legal paths open to you.

Common Questions Regarding Motorcycle Accident Cases

The questions below are some of the most common we receive from motorcycle accident victims. Hopefully, these answers will address any concerns you may have,e and know that you can reach out to us at any time: 

What is the Average Motorcycle Accident Settlement?

We understand the financial strain victims are under, but every accident is different and unique, so your settlement should compensate you for all the losses you have suffered. It should not be based on a national average. 

Should I Get a Lawyer for My Motorcycle Accident in Columbus?

We recommend discussing your case with a member of our legal team. The consultation is always free, so there is no financial risk for talking with us about it. From there, you can decide if you would like to hire us to manage your case. 

I Know What to Do After the Accident. Is there Anything shouldn’t’t Do? 

For one thing, don’t admit fault. Anything you say could be used against you. This includes social media. For the time being, it would be best to stay off social media. 

For another, follow through on your doctor’s treatment plan. Keep your appointments and complete your rehabilitation. Your health is important, but any deviation could also be used against you. 

Let Our Columbus Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Help You Fight for Compensation

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, it may be in your best interest to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer in Columbus from our law office. Call The Fitch Law Firm LLC or fill out our online contact form to discuss your case and receive legal advice on moving forward. We are proud to serve Columbus, Ohio, and other cities throughout the state.