Motorcycle Accidents

St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Life will never be the same for those injured or killed and their families. If you have been injured in a motorcycle crash or a loved one incapacitated or killed due to a negligent driver, you may be able to recover compensation. A St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyer at Jett Legal tenaciously represents clients in St. Louis, Missouri, and from Jefferson County to St. Charles County who have been injured in motorcycle accidents. We are driven by a commitment to secure financial compensation for our clients through aggressive crash investigation, insurance negotiation, and courtroom litigation.

Most Motorcycle Accidents Are Preventable

No matter how careful you are, motorcycle accidents happen. Moreover, they often involve catastrophic injuries. During the first six months of 2021, fatal motorcycle accidents increased by 40% in Missouri. The increase may or may not be related to a state law that went into effect in August 2020. The law allows motorcycle operators over the age of 25 to ride without a helmet if they have proof of health insurance, even though one in five motorcycle accidents in Missouri result in neck or head injuries. It is one more safety feature eliminated on a vehicle without the standard safety features of seatbelts, airbags, and steel enclosures. If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident in St. Louis, MO, contact a personal injury lawyer at Jett Legal.

What Should I Do If I Have Been In A Motorcycle Accident?

Insurance Claims in St. Louis Motorcycle Accidents

You should know that insurance companies are driven by denying insurance claims filed against their insureds in many motorcycle accidents. Insurance companies work diligently to reduce or negate personal injury and wrongful death claims, especially those asserted by injured motorcycle operators. However, they tend to respect claims made by St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyers.

Strengthening a Motorcycle Accident Claim

There are some steps you should take after a crash to strengthen your most motorcycle accident claims:

• Make a formal report of the motorcycle accident
• Get all necessary medical treatment immediately and keep written medical records. Have documentary proof of broken bones, spinal cord injuries, common motorcycle accident injuries, and all severe injuries.
• Exchange information with the other driver involved in the motorcycle crash
• Take down names and contact information for any witnesses
• Take photos of the motorcycle, vehicles, roadway, and debris
• Contact your motorcycle insurance carrier
• Retain a motorcycle accident lawyer

Seeing a Doctor Before a Personal Injury Attorney

While you may be itching to seek compensation for the injuries that the motorcycle accident caused, many motorcycle accident injuries don’t show up as serious injuries immediately. Even where you suffered injuries that seem minor, seeking medical treatment immediately should be your prime concern. When motorcycle accidents involve car and truck drivers, seeing a doctor as soon as possible is a must. Personal injury lawyers are essential in securing motorcycle accident compensation, but even then, you would have to bring them proof of the injuries sustained. See Jett Legal for a free initial consultation. We will help you secure fair compensation and, if need be, represent you in personal injury litigation. Most personal injury cases don’t go to court, as experienced motorcycle accident attorneys can obtain compensation out of court.

Missouri Motorcycle Laws

Missouri law enforces several requirements governing the operation of motorcycles.

License Class

Motorcycle riders require a valid Class M motorcycle license or driver’s license with a Class M designation.

Lane Sharing

Lane sharing is discouraged but not prohibited by state law. This includes lane splitting, which is operating a motorcycle between two lanes of traffic moving in the same direction and motorcycles traveling two abreast in the same lane.

Headgear

Operators and passengers aged 25 and under must wear headgear, meeting the U.S. Department of Transportation’s requirements. Those aged 26 and older may ride without a helmet so long as they can provide proof of health insurance or other insurance that will provide medical coverage in the event of an accident.

Insurance

Insurance coverage requirements are the same as for regular vehicles in Missouri, which include minimum bodily injury liability limits of $25,000 per person per accident and $25,000 in property damage coverage.

How Is Fault Determined In Motorcycle Accidents?

Motorcycle injury lawyers will tell you: Missouri is an at-fault state for insurance, which means the person responsible for causing the crash is also responsible for paying property, personal injury, and wrongful death damages to those injured or killed.

Pure Comparative Fault for Motorcycle Accidents in St. Louis

Missouri is also a pure comparative fault state. This means any amount agreed to in the settlement of your motorcycle accident claim or awarded by a jury at trial is reduced by any percentage of fault assigned to you. For example, the negligent driver’s bodily injury liability limits are $100,000. Your damages—such as medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages—exceed $100,000, so a jury awards the policy limits to you at trial. You will receive the full award if the other driver is 100% at fault. However, if you were assigned 20% fault for the crash, your award would be reduced by that percentage of fault. In this case, that would be a $20,000 reduction. Good St. Louis motorcycle accident attorneys know this law regarding motorcycle crashes.

What To Do If Your Loved One Was In A Motorcycle Accident

Bringing a Claim on Behalf of a Motorcycle Crash Victim

Suppose your loved one was incapacitated due to serious motorcycle accident injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, and is unable to assert a personal injury claim on their own. In that case, a claim can be made on their behalf. Anyone with the injured person’s durable power of attorney or springing power of attorney—which allows the attorney-in-fact to make decisions in the event of incapacitation—could pursue a claim on their behalf. If there is no power of attorney, a spouse or other close relative could petition the court to establish a conservatorship estate. The conservator would become the plaintiff in the personal injury lawsuit if granted.

Who Can Bring a Claim in a Motorcycle Accident?

In Missouri, certain people may file a wrongful death claim for the deceased loved one injured in a St. Louis motorcycle accident. The law establishes “classes” to determine priority in filing. Classes include the surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews of motorcycle accident victims. If there are no relatives, the estate’s personal representative may file a claim, or the court may appoint one. Any settlement would become part of the decedent’s estate. Missouri law also states that only one wrongful death action can be filed. Therefore, it is essential to work with a St. Louis wrongful death attorney to ensure all negligent parties are named in the motorcycle accident lawsuit.

Establishing Negligence in Personal Injury Claims

Establishing the other party’s negligence and minimizing findings of negligence on the part of your loved one in a motorcycle accident case is critical to your ability to recover damages on their behalf. The medical bills for caring for an incapacitated loved one, or in the wake of their death, can be devastating. It would be best if you had an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to represent your interests, especially in such instances.

ST. LOUIS MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEY

At the end of the day, you need a motorcycle accident lawyer willing to step in when an insurance company refuses motorcycle accident claims and fights for just compensation for the damages you have suffered. That is precisely what we do for clients at the Jett Legal law firm in St. Louis, Missouri. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident or a loved one incapacitated or killed, let us step into the ring for you. Contact us to schedule a free case review, and you will pay us nothing unless you receive a settlement or judgment, so call today!