Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Decatur
Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Decatur
Fighting For Your Recovery
It’s that first nice day of the year. Sunny skies, crisp air, a perfect day for a ride through town. But the driver turning left into the shopping center didn’t see you. That missed moment destroyed your bike and upended your life. It didn’t matter that you braked as fast as possible, dropped the bike, and bailed. They hit you all the same. Now it’s hospital beds, bills, and a fear of ever getting on your pride and joy ever again. Normal seems well behind you, and there’s nothing but worry ahead. You want answers. You demand justice. You just don’t know where to turn.
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Why Choose Montlick for Your Motorcycle Accident Attorney?
Our Experience Pays! ®
Montlick has provided determined representation for injured motorcyclists for over 40 years. We know how to win.
You’re Our Priority
Every case is personal. We know how life-altering this experience is so we promise to pursue full compensation for our clients.
At these pivotal moments, trust the Decatur motorcycle accident lawyers at Montlick. Our attorneys know first-hand what happens when driver negligence meets motorcyclists. The physical injury, the emotional toll, and the financial devastation can sink a person. That’s why we fight for our client’s maximum compensation under the law. When hope seems lost, find us.
Many times, a motorcycle accident is severe. A driver’s split-second lapse in judgment can transform a motorcyclist’s life. The physical injuries might be extensive, compounded by the required costs to address them. They may even be so severe that life before the accident is out of the question.
After a life-changing injury, people want to do everything right; this doesn’t feel like a time to take chances. But people don’t expect filing an insurance claim to be a false step. Unfortunately, the insurers have one thing on their mind—their bottom line. They’ll doubt an injury’s severity before the victim leaves the hospital. Up against indifference like this, you deserve fierce representation to roll through recovery with you.
Decatur Trusts Us
When clients meet with Montlick’s motorcycle accident lawyers in Decatur, they leave with a plan. Our attorneys listen to their client’s side of the story, taking in every detail to develop a comprehensive course of action. They know you have questions, so they’ll make themselves available to answer every single one.
A reputation for winning isn’t given. It’s earned. Our Decatur motorcycle accident attorneys earn that reputation whenever they stand up for a client’s rights. Fiercely defending our clients like family has been our guiding light through our 40 years of service. Our clients feel that determination from the first call through their case’s journey. We know that a motorcycle accident has devastating—even deadly—consequences. That’s why we fight for every cent it takes to restore justice.
Standing up for You
Our Decatur motorcycle accident attorney pursue maximum compensation to help you. If you’re in Decatur, Georgia and need a Auto Accidents lawyer, Call 1-800-529-6333 or dial #WIN® (#946) from your mobile phone.
Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit Decatur
Common Causes of Motorcycle Injuries
Riding down an open road on a motorcycle can be one of the greatest joys of owning a chopper. Statistically speaking, it’s safer too. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, urban areas are more dangerous than rural areas by nearly 2:1. It’s no surprise that most of Georgia’s motorcycle accidents occur in the Atlanta metro area, with Dekalb County at second in the state for most fatal accidents.
With Georgia sadly reaching record numbers of motorcycle involved crashes, drivers must know the risks and the consequences. Crashes into objects other than cars might be the most frequent cause of motorcycle accidents. Still, many times that’s the result of a driver forcing a motorcyclist to make evasive maneuvers. Some common causes of motorcycle accident lawsuits include:
Distracted Drivers
Distracted driving is more than checking a text while driving. Distracted driving is an array of destructive behaviors people display behind the wheel of a two-ton monster. Even with GA Code § 40-6-241 (2023), Georgia’s hands-free law, distracted driving still occurs. Whether a person is looking at the house to their left, another thinking about the errands they’re running, or a third adjusting their audio, they’re all distracted drivers who can all fail to notice they’re about to hit a motorcyclist.
Dangerous Drivers
Distracted driving is dangerous, but there are hazardous maneuvers drivers make with total awareness. An especially dangerous action for motorcyclists is tailgating. Following a motorcyclist too closely accounts for nearly 1 in 5 multi-vehicle crashes affecting motorcyclists in Georgia alone. But above all is the failure to yield. Either because they didn’t see the motorcyclist or they didn’t care, failing to yield to a motorcyclist accounts for nearly half of motorcycle accidents in Georgia.
Drunk Drivers
Drivers who are impaired by drugs or alcohol have slower reactions and make poorer decisions. They might drive distractedly and make risky maneuvers without regard for other drivers. Drunk driving is always dangerous, even more so when these drivers happen across motorcyclists. Holding these drivers accountable is essential because of the lack of care for others on display.
Motorcycle Accident Aftermath
The unfortunate truth is that motorcycle accidents are on the rise with no decrease in their severity. Many motorcycle accidents require hospitalizations to stabilize and treat injured victims. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, recovery should be the only concern at this moment. For so many injured victims, that’s not possible. There are questions over unpaid bills, missed hours at work, and how to afford essential medical care. Contacting a Decatur motorcycle accident attorney can free up time to focus on health. You can recover while they fight for your rights.
The Only Priority is Health
Motorcycle accidents leave catastrophic consequences in their wake. Typical injuries from a motorcycle accident include:
- Road rash: A euphemistic term for severe burns that impact motorcyclists.
- Head injuries: Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, or even open head wounds can occur as a result of a motorcycle crash. These are often made worse by no or inadequate headgear.
- Broken bones and internal injuries: Without airbags or other safety features common to cars, motorcyclists can suffer horrific, life-altering injuries when crashes occur.
Given the severe nature of these injuries, recovery demands every ounce of focus and determination a person can give. Always seek medical treatment after a motorcycle accident, even if you feel you made it out lucky. Sometimes, injuries like whiplash or internal bleeding aren’t felt for days.
The Blame Game
Motorcyclists drive manual vehicles that require constant attention to the task. Despite motorcyclists’ focus on driving, biker bias exists and drivers can attempt to blame motorcyclists for accidents they didn’t cause. This isn’t just morally problematic; it has financial impacts as well. In the moments right after an accident, there might not be a chance to exchange words, but once you can speak, limit your conversations to you and your Decatur motorcycle accident attorney. This will avoid opportunities for insurance companies to blame you for the accident and deny payment.
Steer Clear of Runners
An injured victim may get harassed by a shady attorney before reaching the hospital. It’s a sad but common occurrence that’s given life to the term “ambulance chaser.” These less-than-scrupulous attorneys exist, and injured victims should stay as far from them as possible. These attorneys may pay medical staff, tow-truck drivers, and other emergency responders to push their firm onto seriously injured victims at their most confused and vulnerable. Avoid these untrustworthy attorneys who promise big and fail to deliver. Instead, trust your friends, family, and neighbors to point you towards a reputable Dekalb County motorcycle accident attorney.
Documenting the Accident
Compiling evidence of the accident needs to be done almost as soon as an accident occurs. That’s why bringing in an ally—a veteran in motorcycle accident lawsuits in Decatur—can make the difference. While you recover, they can visit the accident scene, speak to witnesses, secure video footage, and recreate the event. Bringing together multiple evidential sources can strengthen a claim.
Filing a Claim
After speaking with a Decatur motorcycle accident lawyer, the next logical step is filing the insurance claim. It’s recommended that an injured victim waits until they speak with a lawyer before filing the claim to prevent giving harmful statements to the insurance company. Having representation puts the insurance companies on notice that they can’t intimidate and bully.
Insurance Companies Aren’t in Your Corner. We Are.
At first, it seems unthinkable. You’ve just spent days in the hospital stabilizing and planning for the road ahead. Juggling various tasks isn’t easy but with loved ones at your side you’re starting to gain a little ground. Then, the biggest setback you never saw coming.
The insurance adjuster thinks this life-altering accident isn’t worth what your bills, hardship, and trauma say it is. They know that a motorcycle accident lawsuit might be a substantial drain on their profits. At Montlick, our Decatur motorcycle accident attorneys deal with insurance company tactics like this every day, so they stand ready to fight on behalf of their clients.
Insurance companies aren’t interested in your struggle. The less they hear about you, the easier it is for them to ignore your claim and preserve their bottom line. They’ll use every lever at their disposal against a seriously injured victim. Standing alone against this machine might jeopardize your recovery. Call Montlick instead. We’ll hear your side of the story during a free consultation.
Do I Need an Attorney?
Experienced legal representation at your side can change the course of recovery because insurers will intimidate injured victims into accepting less than their claim is worth. A veteran motorcycle accident attorney knows what a claim is worth and how to fight for it.
When people go to file an insurance claim after an injury, they do so in the hopes of recovering the costs of medically necessary treatment. What they often are not aware of, are the other forms of compensation that may be owed after an accident. This is where Montlick’s motorcyle accident attorneys matter. They fight for maximum compensation for their clients to help them recover to the fullest extent possible. Here are some of the main forms of compensation that exist after an injury.
Medical Expenses
Compensation for medically necessary expenses may include hospital visits, doctor’s appointments, tests, exams, and physical therapy associated with your recovery. Seeking medical care in the immediate aftermath of an accident—even when there’s no pain—helps show that care received was medically necessary in the wake of the accident.
Lost Wages
A motorcycle accident can keep injured victims away from work for protracted amounts of time. They may be unable to work for so long that employer-provided benefits, if there were any, dry up. Going without a paycheck for any length of time puts enormous staring on a household, so Montlick’s motorcycle accident lawyers in Decatur fight to put that money back in their client’s pocket.
Pain and Suffering
Unlike the other forms of compensation mentioned, pain and suffering doesn’t have a bill in the mail you can point to for compensation. Courts can provide compensation for the physical discomfort and emotional distress that the accident causes a victim. Winning back compensation for pain and suffering is aided by experienced legal representation because GA Code § 9-10-184 (2023) enables attorneys to pursue pain and suffering damages. A veteran Decatur motorcycle accident attorney can explain to a judge or jury how life-altering the accident was, and why that victim needs compensation for it.
Disability
When injuries temporarily or permanently change how a person earns a living, pursuing damages for disability becomes a necessity. After a motorcycle accident a person may not be able to work the same job, the same hours, or both. A Dekalb County motorcycle accident attorney will fight for compensation to make up the difference between work before and after the accident.
Funeral Expenses
We are deeply saddened to hear of a motorcycle accident resulting in the death of your loved one. Know that we take all claims to heart and will fight for the justice and funeral expenses your family deserves.
Punitive Damages
When the behavior that caused an injury displays “willful misconduct, malice, fraud, wantonness, [or] oppression,” O.C.G.A. § 51-12-5.1 enables attorneys to pursue punitive damages. These are damages over and above the financial loss that a victim faced and demonstrate that the state won’t tolerate similar conduct from other motorists.
The Montlick Way
Choosing the right representation for you isn’t an everyday decision. It’s a situation we never want to be in and one that’s filled with confusion, doubt, and insecurity. What makes a law firm reputable doesn’t fit on a billboard, and you can’t get from a social media ad. It’s in the DNA of the firm and you should know it from the first phone call. So, what makes a great firm?
- Experience: A firm that’s been around for a long time is exceptional but what gives confidence is experience in your case’s particulars. Every case is different, so having robust experience with similar cases is critical. A firm that’s won motorcycle accident lawsuits in Decatur or the Atlanta area is significant.
- Resources: Look at how well resourced the firm is next. Impressive offices are just that, impressive. When you’ve been injured, you need consequential resources. The split-second nature of motorcycle accidents can leave little evidence. Whatever evidence does remain, can be gone just as fast. A law firm that has the resources to track down all available evidence, secure it, and bring it to bear in a trial is essential.
- Established Plans: When you’re looking for a Decatur motorcycle accident attorney, you’re at a moment when little seems certain. The next day is hazy as the moment of the accident and questions abound. A client’s first conversation with an attorney should establish a plan. It won’t have any guarantees, but it will lay out what to expect and what alternative paths exist.
- Clear Fee Structure: Besides a clear plan, the initial consultation should establish what to expect in the fee structure. At Montlick we lay this out in writing for you to reference at any time. Our contingency fee structure means we don’t get paid until you win.
- Contact Information: Many times there’s a journey from consultation to compensation. It shouldn’t be a hassle to speak with the attorney helping you get there. At Montlick, our reputation for treating our clients like family means we make it easy to reach us whenever a question arises.
Even if you’ve already spoken with another firm, it’s never wrong to get a second opinion. Always remember that your attorney works for you and if they’re not living up to your expectations, you can always reassess and choose another firm.
Decatur Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Can I Still Recover Even if I’m Partially At Fault?
Sometimes an insurance company may insist you were at fault for your injuries with nothing to substantiate it. Other times, there may exist compelling evidence that fault for both parties played a role. In either case, there may still be compensation available to you for your accident.
In Georgia, if you were part of the cause of your own injuries, you can still recover compensation as long as a court finds you to be less than 50% at fault. According to O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33, judges or juries can assess damages based on the negligent partie’s percentage of fault. This is known as a modified form of “comparative negligence.” Under the modified comparative negligence doctrine, an injured person who is 20% responsible for his or her injuries can still collect 80% of the damages.
Suppose a motorcycle accident claim is worth $100,000. A court determines that the victim was 20% responsible for their injuries. This would mean an injured victim could collect $80,000 from the motorist that caused their injuries. However, if you are 50% or more liable for your own injury, you cannot collect anything under Georgia law.
Georgia’s Helmet Law
One important factor in assessing fault is Georgia’s helmet law which requires all operators and passengers of motorcycles to wear a helmet. They must also wear protective eyewear, if their motorcycle doesn’t have a windshield. Not wearing a helmet can have deadly consequences and all riders of any age and experience should comply with this law. Failure to wear a helmet could prevent recovery of damages in the event of an accident.
Georgia’s helmet law notwithstanding, insurance companies may use comparative negligence to their advantage. They may try to convince an injured victim that their offer is the best they can hope for. They’ll assert that a court will deny their compensation because the injured victim was over 50% at fault. Without knowledge of the law, it’s easy to panic and accept a low-ball offer from an insurance company. When insurance companies know this tactic won’t work when an injured victim has experienced legal representation in their corner.
We Know What it Takes to Win®
Getting back up after a devastating motorcycle accident isn’t easy. The pain is much deeper than the severe physical injuries. There’s debt, an uncertain future, and a forever changed relationship with your passion for riding. Gritting your teeth and accepting what the insurance company offers might put normalcy forever out of reach. You need an aggressive ally to fight for your justice.
At Montlick, our team of Dekalb County motorcycle accident attorneys are ready to help our clients recover. We know how challenging and fraught this moment is, so we rely on our decades of experience to reassure our clients and prepare them for the road ahead. We’ll track down every source of compensation and pursue it relentlessly for our clients.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Decatur or been affected by the tragic loss of a loved one, call 1-404-529-6333 or dial #WIN® (#946) from your mobile phone.
We don’t get paid until you do. Call today for a free consultation and we’ll tell you how we can help.
Your Questions Answered
Decatur Motorcycle Accident FAQs
Representing Motorcycle Accident Victims Nationally
Serving all of Decatur and Beyond:
Avondale Estates (30002)
Clarkston (30021)
Stone Mountain (30083)
Tucker (30084)
Lilburn (30047)
Atlanta (30303)
Scottdale (30079)
North Druid Hills (30329)
North Decatur (30033)
Chamblee (30341)
Doraville (30340)
Pine Lake (30072)
Lithonia (30038)
Conyers (30012)
Snellville (30078)
Lawrenceville (30046)
Norcross (30071)
College Park (30337)
We Win More than Settlements.
We win the peace-of-mind you need to get your life back.
At Montlick, we believe comprehensive legal representation is a right, not a privilege. That’s why we provide our services on a contingency fee basis. You only pay when we win.
Because we can’t stop accidents from happening, we do what we can to help minimize their long-term impact. We put more money in your pocket, where it belongs.