The Brown Law Firm can help you after a motorcycle accident leaves you injured in Juneau. There’s nothing quite like taking a ride around Juneau, but that can change to pain in an instant when you’re in an accident. We can help you through it. Set up a free consultation today.
Does a Lawyer Make Sense After a Motorcycle Accident?
As great as riding a motorcycle around Juneau is, it doesn’t take much for things to go wrong. And the challenges don’t stop with your injuries and recovery—even though those are major.
Insurance companies typically look at motorcycle accident claims differently than others because of the risks that come with riding. When you’re facing all of that, talking to our motorcycle accident lawyers starts to make more sense. We’ll help you by
- Figuring out how the accident happened and who might be responsible
- Getting information and evidence before it’s lost
- Handling the back-and-forth with the insurance company
- Tallying the full value of your claim and going to court if need be
After a motorcycle accident, your priority should be getting better, not fighting with an insurance company. We take on the claims side of things, and give you the space you need to focus on getting back to full strength.
What Helps Build a Strong Motorcycle Accident Claim?
Motorcycle accidents happen in a split-second, but the aftermath is almost always extremely painful and confusing. The building blocks of a potential claim often start right there at the scene.
The very first thing you should do, though, is call 911 and report the accident. Everything else flows from getting medical help and a police response.
Then, if it’s safe and you’re able, try to get a few basic things like:
- Pictures and videos of the accident scene, your motorcycle, and your injuries
- Contact information for any witnesses who saw what happened
- Insurance and driver’s license information from everyone involved
- Wide-angle shots showing road conditions, standing water, gravel, potholes, or other hazards
That information gives you a solid starting point. But some of the strongest evidence doesn’t become available until later, including:
- Medical records that link your injuries and treatment to the accident
- The official police report
- Traffic camera, dashcam, or surveillance footage from nearby businesses or homes
- Repair estimates and photographs showing the damage to your motorcycle
- Documentation showing any income you’ve lost while recovering
What this information really does is paint a full picture about the accident. But this information alone isn’t necessarily enough for a strong claim. The better way to think of it is as a solid foundation. From there, it’s about the details.
Where Motorcycle Accidents Are More Common Around Juneau
It might be easy to see how motorcycle accidents happen across Juneau, especially when you factor in the carlessness of other people. But what that doesn’t tell you is where they typically happen around the city. Here’s a few of the common problem areas:
- Egan Drive, where traffic moves quickly, lanes merge, and drivers have to make sudden turns or changes in direction.
- Glacier Highway can create similar problems, especially with heavy traffic, intersections, driveways, and drivers entering or exiting the roadway without paying enough attention.
- Mendenhall Loop Road is another area where turning vehicles, changing traffic patterns, and sudden stops can create problems for motorcycle riders.
- The Juneau-Douglas Bridge can be particularly challenging because traffic is concentrated through a limited corridor, and there isn’t much room for riders to avoid a sudden problem.
- Douglas Highway brings its own set of hazards, including curves, intersections, changing road conditions, and stretches where drivers may be traveling at higher speeds.
And once you get farther outside the more developed parts of town, you have loose gravel, slick spots, unpaved paths, and a lot of other problems to deal with. This all adds up to factors that are hard to control. But you shouldn’t be left paying for someone else’s carelessness, and that’s where the question of responsibility comes in.
How Responsibility Works With a Motorcycle Accident
The question of responsibility is a big one with a motorcycle accident. Insurance companies like to make it seem as if accidents are inevitable. And yes, it’s true that riding is risky. But again, just because riding a motorcycle is risky doesn’t mean you’re solely responsible if you get hurt in an accident.
The fact of the matter is that responsibility in a motorcycle accident comes down to negligence. That means the same thing as it does in other types of accidents, that someone:
- Was careless, which led directly to the accident and your injuries.
Most of the time, this is going to fall on a driver that:
- Turned left in front of an approaching motorcycle
- Changed lanes without checking their blind spot
- Failed to yield the right of way
- Followed too closely
- Pulled into traffic without enough room
- Drove while distracted by a phone or other device
However, another driver isn’t always the only person or group that might be responsible. You have to take everything into account, and that sometimes brings in:
- A government agency responsible for a dangerous roadway condition, such as a pothole, uneven pavement, loose gravel, poor road design, or missing warning signs.
- A company that made defective tires, brake parts, or some other part of the motorcycle that failed and led to the accident..
This is also a good place to mention comparative fault. Motorcycle accidents are different because there can be a lot of focus on you, the rider, after an accident. Under Alaska law, if you are partly responsible for your injuries, your eventual damages can be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault. But the main takeaway is that it doesn’t prevent you from filing a claim or getting damages.
Getting Damages After a Motorcycle Accident in Juneau
After a motorcycle accident, there’s a lot of tough realities you have to deal with now. Doctor’s appointments, surgeries, physical therapy, bike repairs, and time away from work are all challenging. Then the insurance company starts asking questions before you’ve had much of a chance to figure out what’s going on yourself.
That’s why the claims process is important. It gives you access to financial help—called damages— that’s meant to address all of your losses. To actually get them, though, you have to either:
- File an insurance claim outside of court
- File a personal injury lawsuit
Insurance is usually quicker and less formal, but the downside is that the insurance company controls the process. Most of the time, they’ll offer a settlement that sounds reasonable at first but doesn’t fully account for everything the accident has cost you.
If that’s what happens, you can go forward with a lawsuit. That doesn’t automatically mean you’re headed to trial. Most cases settle before ever reaching a courtroom. Instead, it usually means both sides exchange evidence, take depositions, and take a much closer look at the facts before trying to resolve the case. Either way, you’re going after financial help for your damages that are amde up of your:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Motorcycle repairs or replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Funeral and burial expenses in a fatal motorcycle accident
In Alaska, the general statute of limitations for a personal injury or death claim is two years from when the claim accrues. There can be exceptions depending on the circumstances, so it’s important not to assume you have unlimited time to act.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a claim if the insurance company says it was my fault?
Yes, you can. The insurance company doesn’t get to decide who’s at fault for the accident—the facts do. Even if they claim you were partly responsible, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t file a claim. If someone else’s negligence caused your motorcycle accident, you may still have a case.
What should I do after a motorcycle accident?
If you’re able, call 911 and get medical attention first. After that, try to document what happened. Photos, witness information, and the police report can all help later. It’s also a good idea to avoid giving a recorded statement to the insurance company before you talk to us.
What kinds of injuries are common in motorcycle accidents?
Motorcycle accidents can lead to serious injuries because riders have far less protection than people inside cars. This can mean broken bones, head injuries, road rash, spinal injuries, and other problems that require ongoing medical care and long recovery times.
Free Consultations After a Motorcycle Accident in Juneau
A motorcycle accident can turn your life upside down in an instant. You’re dealing with painful injuries, mounting medical bills, time away from work, and an insurance company that’s already trying to protect its bottom line.
Our Juneau motorcycle accident lawyers at The Brown Law Firm can explain your legal options, deal with the insurance company, and help you get the help you need to move forward. Reach out today to set up your free consultation.
Injured in
an accident?
Get your free case review today.
"*" indicates required fields