Pearland Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
In many ways, Southeast Texas is ideal motorcycle riding territory. The weather is relatively mild year round and the terrain is relatively flat. In other ways, however, Southeast Texas is the worst place for motorcyclists. The large vehicles on Greater Houston roads limit driver visibility, and images of the 2015 biker gang shootout in nearby Waco still linger in the minds of many jurors. As a result, in collisions, the motorcycle rider fatality rate is thirty times higher than the vehicle occupant fatality rate, and it’s difficult to obtain maximum compensation in court.
Henrietta Ezeoke, a determined Pearland motorcycle accident lawyer, knows what it takes to win motorcycle crash cases. Our team evaluates your legal case, identifies your options, and collects evidence that supports your claim and refutes insurance company defenses. We don’t stop at building a case. Instead, a strong case is just a launching pad. The ultimate goal is the best possible result under the circumstances. We don’t settle for anything less.
Motorcycle Crash Injuries
Even if motorcycle crash victims are fortunate enough to survive collisions, they usually sustain serious and permanent injuries, such as:
- Head Injuries: Texas, like most other states, doesn’t have a universal helmet law. Even if such a law existed, it might not significantly reduce the number of motorcycle crash-related head injuries. The motion of a wreck, as opposed to a trauma impact, often causes such injuries.
- Broken Legs: Usually, when riders go down, their legs are smashed between their bikes and an oncoming vehicle. This impact usually shatters bones, instead of breaking them. As a result, doctors must use aggressive means to reconstruct these bones, and these victims must go through additional physical therapy. Even then, some permanent loss of use is almost inevitable.
- Biker’s Arm: As riders fall off their bikes, they naturally extend their arms to break their falls. This reflex usually causes permanent injuries to the brachial plexus nerve bundle under the arms. The resulting paralysis, which usually affects the face and neck, is normally permanent.
These injuries sound expensive to treat, and they are expensive. Making matters worse, many group health insurance companies don’t cover injury-related costs.
A Pearland motorcycle accident lawyer can obtain compensation for these medical bills in court. Usually, these victims pay nothing upfront for medical treatment. Most doctors agree to defer billing until the case is resolved.
Liability Issues
Driver error causes about 98 percent of these wrecks. Generally, this driver error involves driver negligence, or a lack of care. Two major negligence areas include aggressive driving, like speeding and tailgating, and driver impairment, like alcohol or fatigue. However, a preliminary negligence case isn’t enough to obtain maximum compensation.
Comparative fault is one of the most common insurance company defenses in motorcycle crash cases. Basically, an insurance company lawyer tries to shift blame for the accident from the tortfeasor (negligent driver) to the victim. For example, perhaps the victim was speeding and the tortfeasor was intoxicated.
Texas is a modified comparative fault state with a 51 percent threshold. So, even if a victim was 49 percent responsible for a wreck, the tortfeasor must pay a proportionate share of damages.
Other defenses, like the motorcycle prejudice defense, aren’t found in any lawbook. As mentioned above, many jurors believe that motorcycle riders are reckless thugs. Therefore, they hesitate to award maximum compensation. Attorneys must be ready to deal with such informal defenses, even if their legal cases are practically airtight.
Contact a Diligent Brazoria County Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced truck motorcycle lawyer in Pearland, contact the Henrietta Ezeoke Law Firm, PLLC. You have a limited amount of time to act.
