As much fun and enjoyment as people get from riding motorcycles, there is always the potential for an accident. When a motorcycle rider has an accident, the rider and passenger’s injuries can be catastrophic.
An accident between two cars might be labeled as a “fender bender” with no injuries to the occupants, but rarely does the rider of a motorcycle escape without a hospital trip for treatment of fractured bones lacerations, or even more severe injuries.
If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, the compensation you ultimately receive from a negligent driver depends on the experience and skills of the motorcycle lawyer you hire to represent you.
This article gives you the information you need to make an informed decision and help you find an attorney capable of getting you the maximum compensation for your injuries.
What to Consider When Hiring a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The process of becoming an attorney is an arduous one. After graduation from law school, an applicant wishing to practice law must pass the bar examination to demonstrate an applicant’s legal knowledge.
There is also a background check and an investigation to determine if the applicant is of good moral character. Individuals who complete the process are admitted to the bar, which means they are legally entitled to practice law within the state.
Anyone admitted to practice law is authorized to appear in court to defend someone charged with committing a crime or represent a motorcycle accident victim. What sets some attorneys apart from others is their experience handling cases in a specific area of the law.
For example, anyone can take on a personal injury case, but if you are seriously injured in an accident, you want the attorney handling your claim to have insight into the negligence laws and the courtroom and trial skills that can only be developed through years of experience representing accident victims.
How to Find a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The pool of attorneys from which to choose a few to interview to select the motorcycle accident lawyer to handle your claim is enormous. There are approximately 1.3 million lawyers in the U.S., with almost 170,000 of them practicing in California. Of course, only a small percentage of them handle motorcycle law, but who do you call? There are a few ways to narrow your search, including:
- Friends and Relatives: Chances are that someone you know, either a member of your family or a close friend, has used the services of a motorcycle accident lawyer.
- Lawyer Referral: The lawyer who represented you in the purchase of your home or the one representing your business might not handle motorcycle accident claims, but they should be able to recommend an attorney who does.
- Bar Associations: Most state and local bar associations have lawyer referral services you can contact for the name of local motorcycle accident lawyers. For example, The State Bar of California provides a statewide list of local attorney referral services organized by county.
- Google Search: Everyone seems to rely upon Google when searching for something, so typing “motorcycle accident lawyer” and your location into the search box will bring results. One limitation of a Google search is you must sort through the results by looking at websites to determine which of the many firms and attorneys you want to call.
- Lawyer Directories: Another source from which you can obtain the names of lawyers and law firms is one or more of the online lawyer directories. A lawyer directory allows you to find a local lawyer based upon his or her area of practice. Some of the directories, such as Martindale-Hubbell and Avvo, offer client and peer reviews and ratings of the attorneys. Popular directories include:
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