Lincolnton Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Lincolnton Motorcycle Accident Attorney

For many North Carolinians, riding a motorcycle is an exhilarating experience or even a key piece of your social life and identity, but it is also an activity that comes with inherent risks. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident in Lincolnton or the surrounding areas, a skilled Lincolnton motorcycle accident lawyer from the Law Office of Lyndon R. Helton, PLLC, can help you seek the compensation you need to support yourself while you recover from your accident.

Bikers understand all too well that the results of a serious motorcycle crash can be devastating. When navigating the aftermath of such a catastrophe, it can be wise to have a talented and reputable attorney on your side. Insurance companies have skilled negotiators on staff who will fight to withhold as much money as possible. It’s important to respond with a powerful personal injury attorney in Lincolnton of your own if you wish to receive all you should be compensated for.

Seek Support from an Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, motorcyclists account for 14% of all traffic accident deaths in North Carolina. This is to say that a large number of traffic accidents every year will involve motorcycles, leading to injured parties and the beneficiaries of wrongful death suits receiving significant financial compensation. Unfortunately, much of this money will be left on the table by injured bikers who fail to use the law to their advantage in the aftermath of a motorcycle crash.

While it is true that taking on a personal injury or wrongful death claim can be a daunting challenge, it can also be a critical step toward supporting yourself and your family while you recover. Working with a personal injury attorney can alleviate unnecessary stress in this challenging time by allowing you to focus on healing while the legal process of seeking fair compensation for your injuries and other damages is handled by a master of the North Carolina legal system.

Understanding Motorcycle Accidents in North Carolina

All 50 states, including North Carolina, see a significant number of traffic accidents involving motorcycles each year. With some motorists distracted by their phones and others failing to see motorcycles altogether, many of these accidents occur through no fault of the biker. As such, many of the injuries suffered by motorcyclists may be legally compensable.

Some common causes of motorcycle accidents include:

• Distracted Motorists – Drivers who are distracted by their phones, passengers, or other activities can easily fail to see motorcyclists sharing the road with them, leading to disastrous collisions.
• Failure to Yield – Even when an automobile driver isn’t actively distracted, they may be looking for oncoming objects the size of cars and trucks instead of motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians at intersections, which can be extremely dangerous for obvious reasons. Thankfully for bikers, failure to see an oncoming motorcycle does not hold up in court as an excuse for causing an injurious or fatal accident by failing to yield in accordance with traffic laws.
• Unsafe Lane Changes – Drivers who abruptly switch lanes without properly signaling or checking their surroundings also pose a risk to motorcyclists traveling in adjacent lanes of traffic. Due to its smaller size, a motorcycle can “hide” in a car or truck’s blind spots much easier than other motor vehicles. Motorcyclists who engage in the practice of “lane splitting” to cut between established lanes of traffic put themselves at an ever-higher risk for this type of crash.
• Speeding – Excessive speed, whether on the part of the motorcyclist or other drivers on the road, plays a role in a significant number of motorcycle accidents on North Carolina roadways. While many accidents occur at modest speeds in or near intersections, higher speeds can rapidly increase the potential severity of motorcycle collisions and, in turn, the severity of the injuries suffered by the bikers and other parties involved.
• Driving Under the Influence – We know that most bikers are considerate, law-abiding motorists. Sadly, the fact remains that drugs and alcohol do contribute to a number of motorcycle-based injuries and fatalities.
• Poor Weather Conditions – Sometimes, a motorcycle crash cannot be attributed to the negligence or recklessness of anyone on the road. Natural weather events can reduce visibility and leave behind wet or icy road surfaces, posing a significant risk to bikers, especially novice operators. Even for bikers who have logged hundreds of thousands of highway miles, it’s always wisest to plan your motorcycle runs with an eye on the forecast.
• Inexperience – Drivers who lack adequate time behind the wheel, or who have been insufficiently trained, may be more likely to under- or over-estimate the speed or distance of oncoming motorcycles, or fail to see them entirely. Furthermore, inexperienced bikers can pose a similar threat to themselves and their fellow motorists.
• Road Hazards – It doesn’t always take two vehicles to cause a serious crash. Things like potholes, washouts, construction debris, wreckage from other incidents, and uneven pavement pose a threat to all motorists, but bikers are especially vulnerable due to the smaller, unenclosed, and less stable nature of their vehicles.
• Civic Planning and Safety Infrastructure – It is sometimes possible for vehicles to collide even when everyone involved is operating in a reasonably safe and aware manner. A poorly planned or badly maintained intersection can pose a threat to careful drivers and motorcyclists. While this sort of negligence would need to be fairly extreme for a municipality to be legally liable for a motorcycle accident, it is not beyond the realm of possibility.If you believe the City of Lincolnton or some other civic body may be partially responsible for your motorcycle crash injury, we encourage you to contact us for a consultation.
• Vehicle Defects – Defective vehicle components on motorcycles and the vehicles they share the road with can also lead to serious crashes. This isn’t always a matter of an unexpected, catastrophic failure in your engine. Failing to keep up with routine maintenance on key components like brakes and tires can also increase the likelihood of a crash.

To better understand these underlying causes and their real-world implications, some key motorcycle crash data is provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• Around 80,000 motorcycle crash injuries are reported in the United States annually.
• Almost 6,000 motorcyclist fatalities occurred across the country in 2021. This was the highest single-year motorcycle fatality count since 1975 when data collection began.
• These 5,900+ deaths accounted for 14% of all U.S. motorist fatalities that year. The number represents a concerning 8 percent increase from the previous year’s totals.
• Alcohol was a factor in more than 40% of single-vehicle motorcycle fatalities.
• Alarmingly, 36% of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes did not possess a valid motorcycle license. In North Carolina, a special motorcycle endorsement on your state driver’s license is needed to operate a motorized, two-wheeled vehicle on public roadways.
• More fatal motorcycle accidents occur in urban settings, as opposed to rural, by a 3-to-2 ratio.
• Bikers aged 25 to 34 account for around 25% of all motorcycle fatalities.

Motorcycle Accident Law FAQs

Q: How Much Are Most Motorcycle Accident Settlements?

A: Most motorcycle accident settlements are a product of their unique factors and can vary immensely in total value from case to case. The amount of any settlement or judgment for a motorcycle injury will be first and foremost informed by the actual damages you’ve suffered, such as medical expenses, damage to your motorcycle, lost income, etc. Other factors will also play a significant role, such as your attorney’s ability to negotiate effectively.

Q: What Is the Average Settlement for a Motorcycle Accident in NC?

A: The “average settlement” for a motorcycle accident in NC is informed by its unique circumstances, and settlements can therefore vary to a huge degree from one case to the next. To give yourself the chance of maximizing your settlement, it’s important to work with a personal injury attorney who will take the time to understand your goals and needs.

Q: How Painful Is a Motorcycle Accident?

A: A motorcycle accident can be extremely painful. Depending on the specific circumstances of the incident (e.g., speed of vehicles, safety equipment worn, angle of collision), injuries like broken bones, head injuries, spinal damage, and painful “road rash” are all possibilities. In the immediate aftermath of a motorcycle crash, please see to your medical needs as quickly and comprehensively as possible. Then, contact our office to set up a confidential consultation about your crash.

Q: At What Speed Do Most Motorcycle Deaths Occur?

A: Most motorcycle deaths occur at or below the legal speed limit. While speed is indeed a factor in many motor vehicle accidents and can increase the severity of injuries or the likelihood of fatality, data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that only one-third of fatal motorcycle accidents actually involve speeding.

The Law Office of Lyndon R. Helton, PLLC: Your Trusted Motorcycle Accident Injury Lawyer

Motorcycle crashes can be traumatic, painful, and debilitating. They can also cause extreme financial stress when you lose your ability to work and need to pay for necessary medical treatments. We can help by implementing powerful legal strategies to seek substantial compensation from the party or parties responsible for your injury. If you are in Lincolnton or surrounding Catawba, Caldwell, or Burke counties, contact us today to get started with a consultation.