Orange County California is undoubtedly one of the most desirable locations to be a motorcycle owner. Who wouldn’t want to jump on a bike and take a ride along the Pacific Coast or take a day trip up into the nearby mountains? For true motorcycle enthusiasts, there is simply nothing like the freedom you feel on your bike. Sadly, that freedom is interrupted all too often by motorists who pay no attention to bikes and cause collisions. Despite efforts in recent years to educate drivers about the presence of motorcycles, accidents continue to happen. In fact, motorcycle fatalities may be increasing not decreasing. According to a recent report by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (HNTSA), fatalities per million miles traveled for motorcyclists have almost doubled from 1997 to 2004.
According to motorcycle accident attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates, the Orange County statistics aren’t much better. For the year 2008 – the latest year for which records are available – there were 801 injury accidents involving motorcycles and 35 fatalities according to the California Highway Patrol. With almost 60,000 motorcycles registered in Orange County, it is not surprising that they are involved in collisions; however their involvement is disproportionate to the percentage of all vehicles driven in the county. Motorcycles represent about 2.5% of all vehicles registered in the county, yet they are involved in almost 7% of all injury accidents. Statistics also tell us that the vast majority of the time, the motorcyclist wasn’t at fault in the accident.
So how do you know what your Orange County motorcycle accident case is worth if you have been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault? There is no exact formula, however the value of your case will be a combination of economic and non-economic damages. Under California law, you are entitled to be compensated for all out of pocket expenses (economic damages) such as medical bills, damage to your bike and lost wages from missing work. You may also be entitled to compensation for your non-economic damages. These are the damages that people commonly refer to as “pain and suffering”. Non-economic damages actually cover a variety of non-quantifiable damages such as disfigurement, grief, loss of enjoyment of life and humiliation. These damages are much more difficult to put a number on as they are very case specific. In certain cases, punitive damages may also be applicable. Once all of these damages have been determined by you and your attorney, a demand will be made to the responsible party’s insurance provider. If a settlement amount that is acceptable to you is not reached, then you will take your case to a jury trial and they will decide how much you will be awarded
As every motorcycle accident case presents a slightly different set of circumstances, the best thing you can do is consult with an experienced Orange county motorcycle accident attorney to get an idea of exactly what your case is worth. For a free and detailed evaluation of your Orange County motorcycle accident case, please call Attorney Emery Ledger of Ledger & Associates r 1-800-300-0001 or visit www.ledgerlaw.com
