Importance of Legal Representation After a Motorcycle Accident
Most drivers do not see a motorcyclist until it is too late to avoid the collision or until after the impact occurs. Protecting your rights as a motorcyclist often requires exceptional legal skills. Since 1993, Boston motorcycle accident attorney John J. Sheehan has focused primarily on cases involving accident and injury.
Motorcycle accident statistics
The risk of being seriously injured or dying in a motorcycle accident is higher than other vehicle crashes. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that more than 5.5 million motor vehicle crashes occurred in the United States in 2009, with an average of 93 people dying every day or one person dying every 16 minutes. While accident injury and fatality statistics that involved passenger cars, trucks, and buses dropped from 2000 through 2009, motorcycle accident injuries and deaths rose by nearly 65 percent.
Of the 334 total motor vehicle crash fatalities in Massachusetts in 2009, 54 of them were motorcyclist fatalities. It was estimated that wearing helmets saved the lives of 28 Massachusetts motorcyclists in 2009.
Motor vehicle insurance
Massachusetts is a no-fault insurance state, and motorists are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. PIP benefits cover up to $2,000 in medical bills. If you have no health insurance, PIP benefits may cover up to $8,000 in medical bills. You are not allowed to sue another negligent party unless damages exceed a certain monetary amount or your injuries meet a certain threshold, such as loss of a limb, blindness, permanent disfigurement, and death.
However, motorcycle riders and sidecar passengers are not covered by PIP coverage, but they may be able to seek medical costs under uninsured motorist or underinsured motorist coverage or private health insurance. However, if another driver’s negligence caused your motorcycle accident, a lack of PIP coverage also means that your ability to sue for damages is not limited.
If you suffer injury or a loved one dies in a motorcycle accident, consult an experienced Boston motorcycle accident lawyer to find out about recourse for compensation. Your initial consultation is free, and you owe no fees unless we are successful in recovering damages.
One call or click is all it takes for John J. Sheehan, a Boston motorcycle accident lawyer to fight for you!
Call me attorney John J. Sheehan at 617-973-1593 or contact me online now so I can start working for you today! I’ll come to your home or hospital if you can’t get to my office. Hablamos español, Nos Falamos Portugues.
