Rochester Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

In terms of serious accidents, motorcyclists are the most vulnerable drivers on the road. Without the protection of a vehicle surrounding them, bikers can suffer catastrophic injuries both upon initial impact with another vehicle and on secondary impact with the road’s surface. As if that’s not devastating enough, drivers and insurance companies after a crash often try to pin the blame unfairly on motorcyclists.

The Rochester motorcycle accident lawyers at Belluck & Fox have more than two decades of experience successfully fighting for riders’ rights. We’re determined to hold negligent and careless drivers accountable for failing to watch for motorcycles, and we’re proud to have recovered more than $1 billion over the years for personal injury victims and their families.

Contact us today at (585) 285-4070 to schedule a free consultation on your motorcycle accident injury claim. Our attorneys are available to travel to meet with you in your home, in the hospital or wherever else is convenient for you.

How Our Top-Rated Lawyers Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Rochester

After a motorcycle crash, you and your family need to focus on your recovery. You don’t need the added pressure of arguing with insurance companies and their aggressive attorneys.

Let our award-winning legal team shoulder that burden. Trust our respected trial lawyers to:

Take over all communication related to your case. We make sure that no insurance adjusters hound you while you’re trying to heal.

Identify and pursue every potential source of compensation. Our team will explore all legal options related to your situation. Under some circumstances, there may be multiple parties responsible for compensating you.

Thoroughly assess what your full and fair compensation should be. We take into account your current medical bills as well as future expenses you may face for medical treatment. We also calculate for all other losses, including pain and suffering, that you have endured because of the crash.

Fight tenaciously both in settlement negotiations and at trial, if necessary. Our skilled lawyers often are able to negotiate maximum settlements for motorcycle accident victims without going to trial. However, if the at-fault party refuses to make a fair offer, our respected litigation team will be ready to go to court on your behalf.

If you’d like to learn more about what a knowledgeable Rochester motorcycle accident lawyer can do for you, please call (585) 285-4070 to schedule a free case consultation. Belluck & Fox does not charge any fees to start work on your case, and you won’t pay us a cent unless and until we recover money for you.

Fighting for Maximum Compensation After a Rochester Motorcycle Accident

During your free case review, a Rochester motorcycle accident lawyer at Belluck & Fox will explain the types of compensation you may be entitled to receive, depending upon your circumstances. Here is a sampling:

• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity (if you must take a lesser-paying job because of your injuries, or if you are unable to return to work altogether)
• All past and future medical expenses related to your injury, including the costs of rehabilitative treatment, surgeries, medications, assistive medical devices such as wheelchairs, and ongoing care
• Damage to your motorcycle
• Physical, emotional, and psychological pain and suffering
• Punitive damages, which a jury may award in extreme cases

If you have lost a loved one in a tragic motorcycle accident in Rochester, our lawyers also can discuss your right to compensation through a wrongful death claim. Call (585) 285-4070 or fill out our online form to arrange to speak to a knowledgeable attorney about your case.

Statute of Limitations on Motorcycle Accident Claims in Rochester, New York

The clock begins ticking on how long you have to file a personal injury claim as soon as an accident happens. Motorcyclists in New York generally have three years to file an injury claim after a motorcycle crash. However, this can vary. In accident claims involving a fatality, plaintiffs have two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit in New York. In other instances, the time limit may be as short as 90 days.

Building a strong claim for compensation after a motorcycle accident takes time and resources, and evidence can disappear as time passes. The sooner you talk to an experienced Rochester motorcycle accident attorney, the better your case will be.

What to Do If You Are in a Motorcycle Accident in Rochester

After a serious crash, you may have many worries clouding your mind as you try to think about what to do next. However, there are some clear steps to take to protect yourself and your legal right to compensation:

1. Call 911. Law enforcement officers will fill out an accident report, which can later be used as evidence.
2. Seek immediate medical attention. You need to get treated for obvious injuries and fully examined for internal injuries that may not be readily apparent. Seeing a doctor without delay also begins documenting the extent of your injuries.
3. Get information about the other driver. If you can, try to get the driver’s name, license number, address and insurance policy number. Your lawyer can follow up later.
4. Write down contact information for witnesses. These people may be able to give statements to help support your claim for compensation.
5. Take photos and notes. If you’re able, take pictures of your injuries and the vehicles involved, as well as any relevant evidence such as street signs, skid marks and so on. Also write down details of the crash while they are fresh in your mind. Include the time, date and location, plus road and weather conditions.
6. Contact an experienced Rochester motorcycle accident attorney. Your lawyer will collect medical records, speak to witnesses, obtain police reports and work with accident reconstruction experts to build your case. Your attorney also will manage all negotiations with the insurance company.

Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Accidents in Rochester

Questions are common after a motorcycle accident, especially when dealing with an insurance company. Our Rochester motorcycle accident attorneys are here to help by empowering our clients with the knowledge they need to make smart decisions about their personal injury claims.

Some of the questions our motorcycle accident lawyers in Rochester frequently answer include:

Should I talk to the insurance adjuster or give the insurance company a statement?

Understandably, you need to notify your own insurance company about the crash and speak with law enforcement officers. But you do not need to report anything beyond the basic facts. Never give a recorded statement, and do not apologize for anything.

Insurance adjusters might appear kind, but they are trained to get crash victims to make statements that can hurt their cases. The best thing is to have your attorney manage all communication with the adjusters instead.

I took photos and got contact information from witnesses. What should I do with them?

Please send all photos and any other information you have gathered to our lawyers. In addition, keep any accident-related paperwork, such as doctors’ bills and motorcycle repair bills. Also note all the time that you have missed work. Starting a journal to track how your life has changed on a daily basis since the accident also can be helpful.

The driver’s insurance company has made me a settlement offer. What should I do?

Adjusters base their initial offers on what statistics show other people like you have accepted. An insurance company’s goal is to pay you as little as possible, not take into consideration the true costs you are facing because of your accident.

Our skilled Rochester motorcycle accident attorneys will review the settlement offer and explain what full compensation should include. Our law firm does not get paid unless you do. We won’t charge anything for this initial consultation to review a settlement offer. Contact us today.

What if I am partly to blame for my motorcycle accident injuries? Do I still have a case?

Yes. The courts in New York determine each party’s fault in percentages and apportion blame accordingly. This is what’s known as a “pure comparative fault” state.

A knowledgeable Rochester motorcycle accident lawyer understands how to prevent the other party from pushing an unfair portion of the blame onto you, thus reducing your amount of eligible compensation.

Can I still pursue compensation after a crash even if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?

Yes. An at-fault driver’s attorneys may try to argue that your injuries are more severe because you weren’t wearing a helmet, however. If they are successful in their argument, this would reduce the amount of compensation you’re able to recover.

Talk to one of our knowledgeable personal injury attorneys to learn more about your rights if you weren’t wearing a helmet but were seriously harmed in a motorcycle wreck.

What if the other driver didn’t have insurance? Will my insurance company cover medical expenses and lost wages?

Motorcycles are not considered motor vehicles under New York State’s “no-fault” law. That said, bikers can elect to carry coverage for uninsured or underinsured motorists (UM or UIM coverage), or supplemental underinsurance motorist coverage (SUM coverage).

Our lawyers are available to review your insurance policy and discuss your case in detail to identify all your options for pursuing compensation.

How much is my case worth?

The amount of compensation for which you are eligible depends on the severity of your injuries, the circumstances of your accident and the related property damage. Our attorneys will thoroughly document economic damages such as bills and monetary losses, as well as noneconomic damages (intangible losses such as pain and suffering).

Given the scope of obtaining a full understanding of how your injuries affect you now and into the future, an immediate estimate of what your case is worth would not be accurate.

How much does it cost to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer in Rochester?

Our law firm works on a contingency-fee basis. That means we do not charge any fees upfront to start working on personal injury or wrongful death claims. Instead, our legal fees are contingent upon whether we secure money for you, and our payment comes as a percentage of your compensation, usually one-third. You don’t pay us unless we win your case.

Contact Our Trusted Rochester Motorcycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation

If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt in a motorcycle wreck due to another driver’s negligence, contact our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys in Rochester today.

To set up your free consultation, please call Rochester personal injury attorneys at (585) 285-4070 or fill out our online form. You’re also welcome to visit our office at 150 Linden Oaks Drive, Suite D, Rochester NY 14625, or arrange for us to travel to meet you.

Belluck & Fox’s dedicated legal team is ready to fight for justice for you.