Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Fredericksburg

Motorcycle accidents are on the rise in Fredericksburg and throughout Virginia. According to statewide crash data* from 2017, motorcycle crashes rose by 10.4 percent from the prior year. Many of these accidents result from the careless and reckless conduct of motor vehicle drivers. Many drivers fail to see motorcyclists, pay attention to them or respect their right to share the road. Contact our Fredericksburg motorcycle accident lawyer today.

If a negligent driver harmed you or a loved one on a motorcycle, contact Marks & Harrison as soon as you are ready to take action. As one of the oldest and largest personal injury law firms in the state, we have the experience and resources it takes to protect your rights and fight for all compensation you are due. We can start work on your case today. Call or reach us online for a free consultation through our Fredericksburg office.

Fredericksburg Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

When you work with Marks & Harrison on your Fredericksburg motorcycle accident case, you can expect to receive passionate and professional legal representation. Our legal team will:

• Give you the attention you deserve. From the moment you first meet with your motorcycle accident lawyer at our Fredericksburg office, you can feel free to ask questions and learn more about your rights and legal options. Our attorneys are not just skilled and aggressive litigators. We are also compassionate counselors who want our clients to know that we care about their case and their future.
• Conduct a prompt investigation. We have a team of professionals on our investigative team who will immediately jump into action, including a former insurance claims adjuster and former law enforcement officers.
• Consult with experts. Some cases call for your attorney to work closely with medical specialists or crash reconstruction experts and engineers. As a law firm with a history that traces back more than 100 years, we have developed a network of highly knowledgeable experts. We can turn to them for insight about motorcycle accidents and the nature and extent of victims’ injuries.
• Skillfully handle settlement negotiations. The most important factor in settlement negotiations is the evidence. By conducting a thorough investigation of your motorcycle crash, our attorneys will put you in the best possible position to recover full and fair compensation for the harm you have suffered.
• Aggressively litigate your case. Most motorcycle accident lawyers resolve claims through settlement negotiations. If your case must go to trial, you can enjoy the peace of mind that comes with having a team of talented and experienced trial lawyers on your side who will fight for you in court.
• Charge you no fees unless you recover compensation. We never want a motorcycle crash victim’s concerns about paying for a lawyer to stop them from getting the legal help they need. This is why we agree to never charge a fee unless we secure compensation for you.

Our motorcycle accident attorneys have a record of helping people who suffered serious injuries or lost a loved one in a motorcycle collision. To discuss in more detail how we can help you, contact us today.

Why Do Most Motorcycle Crashes Happen in Fredericksburg?

Sadly, many drivers simply do not share the road well, or they just don’t pay attention to motorcycles. Here are a few examples of motorcycle crashes that happen in Fredericksburg due to other driver’s negligence:

• Rear-end collisions – These crashes happen for a few reasons. Typically, it’s because a driver gets too close to a motorcycle and cannot stop on time. Distractions like cell phones also commonly play a role.
• Left hooks – These crashes occur when a car and motorcycle approach an intersection from opposite directions, and the car turns left directly in front of the motorcycle. Stopping a motorcycle quickly without warning can result in a serious collision. This often happens because the car driver has “inattentional blindness.” In other words, even when the driver sees a motorcycle, the driver fails to notice or acknowledge it. Fredericksburg Motorcycle accident happening along the highway.
• Sideswipes – These wrecks often happen when the car driver tries to “share” the same lane of travel with a motorcycle. A disregard for the motorcyclist may lead a driver to pass within the motorcyclist’s lane. It’s a way of saying, “You aren’t really a vehicle.”
• Doorings – People getting in and out of their parked cars on busy streets should always look behind them before they open their doors. If a car drives by and takes off your door, no one is usually hurt – it’s just a door. But if a door swing open and hits a motorcyclist, it can be fatal.
• Wipeouts – It is one thing to lay down a bike because of gravel, bad weather or your own lack of experience. It is very different when someone pulls out in front of you and forces you to lay down your bike unexpectedly. Many motorcyclists suffer loss of limbs or severe friction burns in these types of accidents.
• Pileups – The most tragic situations occur when a group of riders travels together. If a negligent driver hits one bike, it can send it flying into the others, creating a domino or bowling pin effect that results in multiple people suffering injuries.

How Serious Are Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Fredericksburg?

Because motorcyclists lack structural protection, and they often are knocked off their bikes in collisions, these accidents can cause severe and often fatal injuries. As the Virginia Highway Safety Office reports, motorcycle crashes accounted for only 1.7 percent of all car and truck accidents in the state in 2017. Yet, these crashes also accounted for more than 12 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. This proves that motorcycle crashes have a disproportionate rate of injury and death. Major injuries often include:

• Traumatic brain injuries – TBI is a physical injury to your brain that can leave you with an altered mood, cognitive impairment, headaches, irritability, dizziness, nausea and a host of other symptoms. It is a very serious injury and requires medical attention. Wearing a helmet can be very effective for avoiding TBI. Still, even with a helmet, motorcyclists in Fredericksburg can suffer TBI in a crash.
• Spinal cord injuries – Any time a motorcyclist suffers a spinal cord injury in a collision with a vehicle, the results can be devastating. Spinal injuries can range from damaged disks to severed nerves.
• Lower limb injuries – Fingers, hands and arms can be amputated or injured in motorcycle crashes. But the most common injuries affect the lower extremities such as the legs, ankles and feet.
• Internal organ damage – Not all damage is visible to the naked eye. Motorcycle accident victims often suffer internal bleeding – typically due to punctured organs. If you are in shock, you may not even notice that you are bleeding inside. This is why it is so important to go straight to the emergency room after an accident of any kind.
• Burns – Wearing the right gear helps. Still, when riders have to lay down their bikes, they may coast for hundreds of feet before they come to a rest and suffer severe friction burns, or “road rash” injuries.
• Emotional harm – After handling many motorcycles crashes over the years, our attorneys know how serious accidents can leave people with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a host of other mental health problems.

What Compensation Can You Recover in a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Fredericksburg?

If you are injured in a motorcycle crash in Fredericksburg due to a driver’s negligence, many factors will go into the settlement that Marks & Harrison pursues on your behalf. The damages that our motorcycle accident attorneys may seek for you include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium
• Punitive damages (in cases of exceptional misconduct).

When a loved one dies in a motorcycle accident as a result of negligence, we can seek damages that include:

• Funeral and burial expenses
• Loss of financial support
• Loss of emotional support, love, and companionship
• Final medical expenses.

We will dispute any attempt to shift the blame to you. Insurance companies are notorious for blaming motorcyclists for their own injuries, even when the facts are clear. Our attorneys will zealously argue against these unfair efforts to avoid paying your claim.

How Long Do You Have to Bring A Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit in Fredericksburg?

The motorcycle accident lawyers at Marks & Harrison are here to help when you need us. But don’t wait too long. Virginia law gives you only two years from the date of your motorcycle crash to bring a lawsuit against those who are responsible for it. If a family member dies from their injuries, you have only two years from the date of death to bring a wrongful death lawsuit. We can meet with you immediately to discuss your case at our Fredericksburg office and determine the deadlines for your case.

Our Fredericksburg Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Are Ready to Help You

If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash in Fredericksburg, VA – whether as a rider or passenger – we want to help you to pursue compensation for your injuries. Call the motorcycle accident lawyers at Marks & Harrison today to schedule your free consultation. As one of the oldest and most established law firms in the state, you can count on Marks & Harrison from start to finish to provide the skilled and compassionate representation that you need and deserve. Click here for directions.

*Statewide crash data