Warwick Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcyclists are vulnerable road users. They travel with limited protection and often face severe injuries when involved in an accident. Their vulnerability continues when they file an injury claim.

Stereotypes follow bikers–they are perceived as “rebels” who drive recklessly, and this perception can affect their ability to secure fair compensation. The default position is often to blame them for accidents and the resulting consequences.

Gemma Law has been committed to helping injured Rhode Islanders–including Rhode Island motorcyclists–for over 45 years. If you need representation for a motorcycle accident claim, connect with a Warwick personal injury lawyer from our firm.

We are on your side from the start. You can count on your Warwick motorcycle accident lawyer to fight for the justice you deserve.

Common Motorcycle-Accident Injuries

Motorcycle accident victims can sustain injuries that change their physical abilities, affect their emotional well-being, and damage their financial health. These injuries may compromise mobility or cognition, lead to depression and isolation, change relationships and roles within a family, and prevent victims from working and supporting themselves and their families. Potential injuries include:

• Road burns, which can lead to dangerous infections
• Broken bones, and though some may heal fully with surgery, time, and rehabilitation, others leave permanent damage
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Damage to the nerves, muscles, tendons, or other soft tissue that can leave victims in chronic pain or with permanent mobility issues
• Internal organ damage
• Damage to the eyes

A Warwick motorcycle accident lawyer can help you sue for compensation and explain how fault is determined in a motorcycle accident claim.

A Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Warwick Can Make a Major Difference in Your Case

An experienced attorney knows how and why the burden of proof matters in an injury claim and, with early access, can investigate the accident and collect extensive evidence to meet that burden. You might also wonder, “How long does a motorcycle accident lawsuit take?“

Connecting with a Warwick motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident can make a major, positive difference to your case outcome. It also ensures you file your claim with the court within the three-year statute of limitations established in Rhode Island’s Courts and Civil Procedure Title 9. Failing to meet this deadline could prevent you from getting justice–but even if you are afraid too much time has passed, some cases allow for exceptions, so you should still reach out to Gemma Law for a free case review.

Under Rhode Island’s pure comparative negligence fault system, victims can hold at-fault parties accountable for compensating them (the victims) for damages sustained in the accident. However, victims must prove that the at-fault party’s negligence caused the accident and caused the injuries and damages.

Under this system, if victims hold a percentage of fault, their compensation is reduced by that percentage. For example, if a motorcycle rider violates Rhode Island Motorcycle Laws, and that violation contributed to the accident, they may be assigned 20% of the blame and collect 80% of their total calculated compensation amount.

A skilled motorcycle accident lawyer in Warwick can challenge unfair claims of fault against the victim, protecting them from a decrease in much-needed compensation.

Devastating Effects of Motorcycle Accidents

The reality of the dangers facing motorcyclists bears out in statistics. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), motorcycles comprise only 3% of registered vehicles and 0.75% of all vehicle miles traveled (VMT) nationwide. However, they accounted for 14.6% of all motor vehicle crash fatalities and 3.5% of all injuries during the most recent year of data collection.

Over a recent decade, fatalities increased by 32%, and the fatality rate per 100 million VMT increased by 13%. For the most recent year, there were 6,218 deaths, representing 26.26 fatalities per 100 million VMT. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), this is the highest number of deaths seen since 1975.

Riders also lack significant protection upon collision. Motorcycle helmet laws in Rhode Island only mandate helmet use for riders under age 21 or those holding a license for less than a year and passengers. Though helmets provide much-needed protection, there are some crashes they simply cannot stand up against.

The NSC also carries state-by-state motorcycle data. For the same year, lists Rhode Island as one of four states (plus Washington D.C.) that saw fewer than 20 motorcycle accident fatalities, with a total of 10 deaths.

Despite this low number, motorcycle riders are still dying or sustaining devastating losses from motorcycle accidents, and when those accidents are the fault of another party, a motorcycle accident attorney in Warwick can help victims pursue fair compensation. 

Manage Your Case the Right Way with Gemma Law

Trust Gemma Law to manage your case the right way. We want justice for you and will pursue it ethically and aggressively. When you suffer life-changing injuries because of someone else’s negligence, you need substantial compensation to help you adjust to those changes and provide you with the highest quality of life possible. 

Our skilled negotiators will meet with the at-fault party’s representatives, presenting convincing evidence to support a fair settlement demand.

Those negotiators are also exceptional trial attorneys, ready to fight for you in court if the other side refuses to cooperate. Wherever your case leads, you can trust us to work diligently to bring you the best possible result.