Grand Island, Nebraska, is a popular motorcycle destination for its iconic Sandhills Journey Scenic Byway, and it’s also a pass-through state for Sturgis traffic. Many local motorcycle enthusiasts also ride daily to work and school. Unfortunately, the open-air, two-wheeled design that makes riding a motorcycle an exhilarating experience leaves riders vulnerable to severe injuries in a crash.
If someone else’s negligence caused your motorcycle accident, contact an experienced Grand Island motorcycle accident lawyer at Steffens Law to learn how we can help you gain financial accountability and a sense of justice.
Why Choose Us as Your Motorcycle Accident Law Firm In Grand Island?
As experienced Grand Island personal injury lawyers, we understand the physically and emotionally painful after effects of a serious crash. We bring the following to your case:
- Decades of experience in Nebraska’s fault-based accident laws, insurance system, and civil court, with a history of exceptional results
- A commitment to personalized strategies based on the unique details of every client’s case
- Our goal is a low-conflict settlement for the full and fair compensation you deserve
- Open availability, including our dedication to honesty and accessibility, which allows us to come to you or use video conferencing to strategize your claim if your injury limits your mobility
After a free consultation, we use a contingency-based payment model that lets us work for you at no upfront cost. Instead, we only get paid after we’ve first recovered compensation for you.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents In Grand Island, Nebraska?
Motorcyclists must follow the state’s motorcycle traffic laws in Nebraska and pay careful attention to their surroundings, especially when sharing the road with full-sized vehicles. Unfortunately, many motorcycle accidents result from the following examples of driver negligence:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Tailgating, or following a motorcycle too closely
- Aggressive driving
- Failure to yield the right of way to a motorcycle
- Making unsafe lane changes into the path of a motorcycle
- Illegally passing a motorcycle
- Negligent left turns
- Impaired driving
- Drowsy driving
Less commonly, other factors cause or contribute to a motorcycle accident in Nebraska, including negligent road maintenance, negligent road planning, or a defective motorcycle part. In these cases, an experienced motorcycle accident attorney pursues all available avenues for your compensation.
Under Nebraska Revised Statute 25-21,185, any party who caused or contributed to the motorcycle accident can be held liable for their percentage of the damages. This law also allows a motorcycle accident victim to recover a portion of their damages even if they were partly responsible for the crash, as long as they are less than 50% at fault.
Understanding Motorcycle Accident Injuries In Grand Island
A motorcycle rider is subject to direct blunt force trauma in a collision, often including impact with the vehicle, road surface, and obstacles. Common motorcycle accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Fractures
- Knee injuries
- Soft-tissue damage to ankles, shoulders, and wrists
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Severe abrasions and friction burns (road rash)
- Lacerations and contusions
- Internal organ injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputations
Although the National Safety Council reports that helmets are 37% effective in preventing operator fatalities in motorcycle accidents and 41% effective in preventing passenger deaths, helmets cannot prevent all traumatic brain injuries.
Proving Liability In a Grand Island Motorcycle Accident Claim
The injury victim seeking compensation has the burden of proof in a motorcycle accident case. While the insurance company investigates the accident with the objective of minimizing their policyholder’s liability and reducing the value of the claim, an assertive motorcycle accident lawyer investigates to document compelling evidence of the at-fault party’s liability. The evidence must demonstrate the following:
- That the at-fault party owed a duty of reasonable care to the injury victim
- They breached this duty of care through negligence
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident and injury
- The injury victim suffered damages from the injury
The physical and economic consequences of the accident are the damages in a Grand Island motorcycle accident claim.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Motorcycle Accident In Grand Island?
Motorcycle accident damages can be as minor as a single emergency room bill and a few days of lost pay, or can involve long-term care needs for permanent disability due to a catastrophic injury. Common damages recovered in successful motorcycle accident cases include the following:
- Reimbursement for medical expenses
- Projected future medical expenses
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Lost wages
- Future income loss
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Compensation for catastrophic injury damages for permanent harm, such as disability, disfigurement, severe scarring, loss of limb, organ loss, loss of one of the senses, or diminished quality of life
If you lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident in Grand Island, a wrongful death attorney from Steffens Law can help your family recover their losses under Nebraska’s wrongful death statute.
How Can a Grand Island Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Help Me?
Insurance companies often actively undermine or undervalue claims to protect their bottom line. Instead of leaving your case in their hands, hiring a lawyer helps protect you from common insurance company tactics. Your attorney from Steffens Law Accident Injury Lawyers will do the following:
- Handle all communication with the defendant and their insurance company
- Conduct an independent investigation into the accident to compile clear and concise evidence of the at-fault party or parties’ liability by examining the police report and evidence from the accident scene, scrutinizing photo and video evidence, interviewing eyewitnesses, and consulting with accident reconstruction specialists
- Carefully calculate the total past and future damages caused by the accident
- Send the evidence and a list of damages to the appropriate insurer
- Negotiate with the insurance company to obtain the maximum compensation available to you through a settlement agreement
Only about 4% of injury claims require litigation in court; however, insurers commonly hold bias against motorcyclists, making it crucial to have tireless legal representation on your side.
Contact Steffens Law Accident Injury Lawyers About Your Motorcycle Crash In Grand Island
When we represent your best interests in a motorcycle accident claim, obtaining a favorable outcome is nearly as important to us as it is to you and your family. Call or contact Steffens Law online today so we can begin strategizing your financial recovery while you focus on your physical recovery.