Motorcycle accidents are somewhat different than other motor vehicle accidents for obvious reasons, in terms of the physical nature of a motorcycle versus a car. The bodily injuries are usually so significant, that having to prove them is not a challenge. It’s important to have a motorcycle accident attorney who understands these issues. Jim Leonick, the leading Personal Injury Attorney at Leonick Law, located in Commack, New York, has been riding for years. He understands not only how motorcyclists think and react on road, but also how motorists react to them. And, more importantly, how insurance companies and jurors perceive motorcyclists when they bring accident cases.
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, one of the most important things is to see whether you have insurance coverage for medical bills and wages. Some motorcycle policies do, and some don’t. If you don’t then the automobile that was involved in the accident with you does not have to provide no fault coverage to you. That’s a big issue, particularly because when motorcycles getting involved in accidents with other vehicles, the injuries to the rider are usually significant. We don’t get neck and back spring cases with motorcycle accidents. We get broken bones and surgeries from these cases. That’s a Big difference. The injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident are far more life threatening, compared to a common car accident.
When you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, and you have injuries it is important to have health insurance available to pay for your medical bills. It’s also important to see if you have disability insurance that would reimburse you for wages if you have time out of work. Again, there is not no-fault coverage to pay for these things.
New York State’s no-fault law does not apply to motorcycles. This is a pro-insurance industry provision of the law and was negotiated by the insurance carriers and state lawmakers when the no-fault law was enacted.
It’s important to have someone who understands these issues, someone who rides and understands what you’ve been involved in. It’s also important to know that the average juror who might be listening to your case someday may not be a friend to motorcyclists- unless they have people in their family who ride. Typically, when jurors hear that there was a motorcycle accident, they automatically assume that the motorcyclist is at fault. They may assume the motorcyclist was doing wheelies, zipping in and out of traffic and probably was the cause of the accident. And in the juror’s mind, that rider shouldn’t be entitled to recover anything. As we know, the people who ride recklessly like that are few and far between, but they’re the ones who stand out the most. Those type of riders are the ones that the average person thinks of when they think of someone on a motorcycle- not the people who are law abiding. Most motorcyclists ride in groups, ride when there’s less traffic and follow the rules of the road just like everybody else does.
I ride and, I’m on your side. If you’ve had a motorcycle accident or you know someone who has had a motorcycle accident, please think of Leonick Law.
The experienced Personal Injury Lawyers at Leonick Law have over 30 years of experience handling accident cases as a local attorney. The lawyers at Leonick Law have experience practicing in all of the courts on Long Island, including both Suffolk and Nassau counties. Leonick Law is based in Commack, New York.
