Columbus Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident Lawyer

Driving in Ohio can be dangerous for car drivers, motorcycle riders, and other road users. According to figures from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, passenger vehicle and motorcyclist fatalities in the state have increased every year since 2019.

Suffering serious injuries and financial losses in an accident with a negligent motorcyclist can be frustrating and upsetting, especially if your medical bills and other accident-related expenses are stacking up. However, you may be able to hold the negligent motorcyclist accountable for your damages and recover compensation in a personal injury lawsuit. A Columbus Motorcycle Accident Lawyer from The Fitch Law Firm can help you with this legal process. Allow us to clarify your legal options and fight for compensation on your behalf.

A Columbus negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer from The Fitch Law Firm can help you with this legal process. Allow us to clarify your legal options and fight for compensation on your behalf. Contact The Fitch Law Firm now and take advantage of a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our dedicated team members.

How Do Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accidents Happen in Columbus?

Negligence is often the basis for any claim against a party who causes an accident. Here are some of the most common forms of negligent motorcycle rider accident cases:

Failure to Responsibly Operate the Motorcycle

Motorcyclists have a responsibility to take care when passing other vehicles and follow all traffic laws. They must also be particularly careful when riding in bad weather, encountering defective road surfaces, or navigating objects and debris on the road. In some cases, motorcycle riders do not exercise reasonable care in operating their motorcycle and fail to drive in an adequately defensive manner that could help reduce accidents.

Some ways a negligent motorcycle rider can irresponsibly operate their bike include:

• Speeding
• Weaving in and out of traffic
• Lane splitting
• Racing other cars and motorcycles
• Ignoring traffic signs and signals
• A failure to yield
• Improper turns and lane-changes

Driving a Motorcycle Without the Proper License

According to the May 2021 Motorcycle Bulletin from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, motorcycle operators were found at fault in nearly 60% of all motorcycle-involved crashes in 2020. Out of those cases, more than half of at-fault motorcyclists did not have the appropriate motorcycle licenses the state required.

Impaired Operation of a Motorcycle

According to the Motorcycle Bulletin from the Ohio State Patrol, alcohol or drugs were a factor in more than 60% of fatal motorcycle crashes. Since a motorcycle requires considerable balance and coordination, intoxicated riders can struggle to operate their motorcycle safely. These motorists can also drive while fatigued, which can reduce response rates, impair judgment, and cause momentary lapses in focus, all of which can cause serious accidents.

Other forms of motorcycle rider negligence can cause an accident as well. If you would like to discuss your claim and find out whether you may be able to hold a motorcyclist accountable for your injuries and damages, contact The Fitch Law Firm LLC today for help from our personal injury lawyer in Columbus. Our client intake team is standing by to provide you with a free consultation.

Timely Action Can Be Crucial for Your Columbus Negligent Motorcycle Lawsuit

If you suffered serious injuries and monetary losses because of a negligent motorcycle accident in the Columbus, OH, area, consider working with our Columbus personal injury team and starting your case as soon as possible. Under Ohio Revised Code § 2305.10, a claimant must generally bring personal injury legal action within two years of their accident or injury. While there can be exceptions to this rule, acting too late could potentially prevent you from holding a reckless motorcycle rider financially responsible for your damages.

A Columbus negligent motorcycle rider accident lawyer from The Fitch Law Firm LLC can ensure the timely filing of your claim within the Ohio statute of limitations.

Compensation in a Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident Case

According to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV), all motorcyclists are required to have insurance with the following state-required minimums:

• $25,000 bodily injury or death per person per accident
• $50,000 bodily injury or death per accident
• $25,000 property damage per accident

If the at-fault motorcycle driver has insurance, you can file a claim through their insurance policy to recover compensation. The insurance company may try to offer you a low settlement that fails to meet your needs, which is why it’s important to have a Columbus motorcycle accident lawyer from our team by your side. They can work to make sure you pursue the compensation amount that you deserve.

Economic Damages

A negligent motorcycle accident claim may provide compensation for economic damages such as:

• Hospital stays and surgeries
• Rehabilitative therapies
• Medical devices, such as prostheses and wheelchairs
• Costs for medications
• Modifications to your home
• Loss of income
• Damage or replacement of your car
• Car rental
• Out-of-pocket costs

Non-Economic Damages

Depending on the extent of your injuries and suffering, you may also qualify to recover non-economic damages such as:

• Emotional anguish
• Physical pain
• Reduction of life quality
• Disability
• Scarring and disfigurement

If You Lost a Loved One in the Motorcycle Crash

If you lost a loved one to a negligent motorcycle driver, you may be able to seek wrongful death damages, including:

• Funeral and burial costs
• Loss of household income support
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of parental or spousal support

An attorney can help you determine how much your claim may be worth and calculate your damages accurately. They can also estimate your future expected damages when it comes to income losses and medical costs.

Common Injuries After a Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident in Columbus

Vehicle drivers, passengers, other motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and truck drivers can all suffer injuries and other damages after a negligent motorcycle rider accident. We have helped our clients recover compensation for the following injuries:

• Broken bones
• Sprains
• Muscle and nerve damage
• Back injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Amputation injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)

How The Fitch Law Firm Can Help

Our motorcycle accident lawyers have years of experience helping accident victims protect their right to compensation. We understand how difficult it can be to juggle recovery with navigating the aftermath of a catastrophic accident. The Fitch Law Firm can help alleviate some of that burden by handling the legal legwork for your accident claim. 

Our 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 were seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, 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 for a risk-free consultation and take the first step towards securing the justice you deserve with zero out-of-pocket costs.

Who Can You Hold Liable for a Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident?

Some negligent motorcycle accidents that occur in Columbus can involve multiple parties. This can quickly complicate a case, but our injury lawyer can investigate your case and identify all parties and determine what role each played in your accident.

Besides the person who hit you, other parties that could be liable in the accident include:

• The company that made the motorcycle or its parts as either one could be defective
• A repair shop that worked on your motorcycle
• A government entity responsible for maintaining the road or the area where the accident happened
• Another driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, or another party that contributed to or caused the accident

Negligence is often the basis for any claim against a party who causes an accident. Here are some of the most common forms of negligent motorcycle rider accident cases: Failure to Responsibly Operate the Motorcycle, Driving a Motorcycle Without the Proper License, and Impaired Operation of a Motorcycle. If you would like to discuss your claim and find out whether you may be able to hold a motorcyclist accountable for your injuries and damages, contact The Fitch Law Firm LLC today for help from our Columbus Personal Injury Lawyer. Our client intake team is standing by to provide you with a free consultation.

Determining Liability in Accidents Involving Negligent Motorcycle Riders

In order to understand what caused your accident, Columbus motorcycle accident lawyers evaluate the following elements of negligence:

• 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

Ohio is one of several states in the United States that follows a comparative negligence system, which allows responsibility for the auto-accident to be divided among several parties (ORC). This means that even if you were partially at-fault for the accident that occurred, you are not precluded from obtaining compensation. 

Under a comparative fault system, the following is true:

• So long as you are less than 51% liable for the accident, you are still able to recover compensation. 
• Your compensation will be diminished according to the amount of fault you share. For example, if you were found to be 20% at fault for the accident, then the damages you receive would be diminished by 20%.

While some factors can cause accidents for passenger vehicles and motorcycles alike, the latter may also pose unique factors that can contribute to accidents. Examples of motorcyclist negligence that can lead to accidents include:

• Speeding
• Reckless driving
• Impaired driving
• Inexperienced riding
• Lane splitting

If you were seriously injured in an accident involving a negligent motorcycle rider, our firm can help injury victims like you fight to protect your legal rights. At The Fitch Law Firm, our personal injury lawyers have extensive experience dealing with the many components that make up an accident claim, including:

• Accident investigation and evidence collection (e.g. witness statements, surveillance footage, etc.).
• Handling insurance disputes and negotiation.
• Working with local law enforcement (such as the Columbus Division of Police or the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office) to obtain police reports and other relevant evidence.

What Happens if a Hit-and-Run Driver Caused the Columbus Motorcycle Accident?

It is against the law to leave an accident scene. If a driver fled the scene after striking you, our Columbus injury law firm can help you review options for financial compensation. You may be able to file an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim if you have this coverage in your policy. 

We can also work with the police to stay on top of your case and help you retrieve a copy of the police report and other documents you need for an insurance claim. If the offender who hit you is found later, we can follow up on taking the appropriate legal action on your behalf.

What to Do After a Negligent Motorcycle Rider Accident in Columbus

If you’ve been in a negligent motorcycle rider accident, follow these steps to ensure your safety and the safety of others on the road. Taking these precautions will also help you preserve evidence that could prove the negligence of a careless driver and benefit your case.

• Call 911 and seek medical treatment.
• Get insurance and contact information from all parties involved in the accident. This includes the negligent motorcyclist, their passenger(s), and other drivers and their passengers.
• Ask witnesses for their contact information so you and your legal team have an objective perspective of the accident.
• Document the scene of the accident, including taking pictures or videos of the damage to your car and the motorcycle, injuries, other property damage, and the road and surrounding area.
• Go to the doctor if an ambulance didn’t come to the scene or if you start to develop symptoms of an injury, such as stiffness, soreness, bruising, difficulty moving, and more.
• Call our office for help from a Columbus motorcycle accident lawyer who can help you gather evidence, especially if you couldn’t do it at the accident scene. We can work to determine the cause of the accident and build a case against the negligent party.

Once you’re able, contact the police department that processed the accident or go online to the Ohio Department of Public Safety to request a copy of the accident report—you can use it as evidence in your case.

Get Help From The Fitch Law Firm LLC Today

At The Fitch Law Firm LLC, we understand motorcycle accident victims in Columbus can be wary of seeking legal recourse, not wanting to add any further stress to their lives. However, our firm’s motorcycle accident lawyers serving Columbus can take your claim into their hands, leaving you free to recover from your injuries and move past a potentially traumatizing accident and difficult period in your life.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Columbus and suffered physical, emotional, and financial damages because of someone else’s negligence, you might deserve compensation. Contact The Fitch Law Firm LLC now to find out how we could help you with a free case review with our car accident team.