Motorcycle Accidents Can Result in Substantial Compensation for West Virginia Victims

Motorcycle accidents can cause victims to experience substantial injuries. These injuries can necessitate costly medical treatment and can cause significant financial loss.  When a victim is able to demonstrate that someone else was responsible for the accident, the victim or his family members can be compensated for both economic damages and for non-financial damages.

In many situations, the compensation available for motorcycle accident injuries can be significant due to the severity of injuries.  Just recently, West Virginia Public Broadcasting reported on a victim who was riding his motorcycle when he was involved in a collision. The victim pursued a legal case and won a large jury verdict.

The case reported on by West Virginia Public Broadcasting arose when a man was riding his motorcycle and crashed because of a lumber spill. The victim sued the driver of the lumber truck, as well as the insurance company representing the driver.

The victim had to undergo multiple surgeries and was forced to miss work as a result of the severe injuries he had sustained in the accident. The insurance company did not accept responsibility for the accident, despite the fact the spilled lumber had been a direct contributing factor which led the motorcycle rider to crash his motorcycle.

The case went to trial and the jury determined that the truck driver should, in fact, be held liable for the crash and for resulting losses. The injured motorcyclist was awarded $500,000 in compensation for the damages he had experienced.

The compensation available to motorcycle accident victims can vary based on many different factors. In some cases, victims can arrange negotiated settlements with insurance companies and when this happens, the insurer will usually pay only up to policy limits.

If the accident involves a commercial truck, there is likely a much larger amount of insurance available than when only a passenger car is involved in the crash with the motorcyclist. Trucks are required to have at least $750,000 in liability coverage, but may be required to have as much as $5 million in coverage when they are transporting hazardous material.

Other factors can also affect compensation available to crash victims, in addition to insurance policy limits. For example, the costs of actual medical treatment and the value of lost wages and reduced earning potential are both factored in when determining how much compensation motorcycle accident victims should receive. The more severely someone was hurt, and the higher the medical bills or more work missed, the larger the amount of compensation which should be available following motorcycle accidents.

It is up to the victim to prove the extent of losses, so victims should be sure to carefully document time missed from work, actual medical expenses, and the pain they endure due to their accident injuries.