Content reviewed by:
Alex Shulman
Motorcycle accidents can cause disabling injuries that result in months, years, and even a lifetime of medical care and rehabilitation. The threat of financial ruin and an uncertain future loom large when you are unable to work in the face of overwhelming medical bills. The last thing you need is a fight with an insurance company that refuses to treat you fairly.
When you have our compassionate Staten Island motorcycle accident lawyers on your side, you will never have to fight alone. We are ready to take on your battle while you focus on recovery. We will handle every step of your claim and stand with you in your fight for justice. As a community-centered law firm with decades of combined experience standing up to insurance companies, we have the resources and expertise to get you the compensation you deserve.
Choose Shulman & Hill For Your Motorcycle Accident Case
Our Staten Island personal injury lawyers understand the financial and emotional toll a motorcycle accident can take. As a client-centric law firm, we care about what you are going through and are dedicated to making the legal process as easy as possible. When you choose Shulman & Hill, you are more than just a client—you are family.
We have recovered over $700 million in compensation for our injured clients, including numerous verdicts and settlements over $1 million. While every case is unique, our winning track record underscores our ability to stand up to insurance companies and get the compensation our clients deserve. Recently, we recovered $100,000 full policy tender for a motorcyclist who was hit by a vehicle attempting to make a right turn in front of his bike on a rainy day, resulting in our client waking up in the hospital with multiple injuries.
Our motorcycle accident lawyers are standing by to ensure you know your full legal rights and options. We offer free consultations and operate on a contingency fee, meaning you pay nothing unless we win.
What Is the Value of My Staten Island Motorcycle Accident Case?
The value of your motorcycle accident could range from a few thousand to over a million dollars. Every motorcycle accident claim is unique, and multiple variables can affect your case value. Our knowledgeable Staten Island car accident attorneys will consider the following factors when evaluating your damages:
- The severity of your injuries.
- The cost of your medical care.
- Whether your injuries affect your ability to work.
- The length of your recovery.
- Your lost earning capacity compared to before the accident.
- The degree of your pain and suffering.
- Personal or domestic services you need.
- The impact on your lifestyle and daily activities.
- The strength and clarity of evidence against the liable parties.
- Who the liable parties are.
- Available insurance coverage.
The experience and ability of your motorcycle accident lawyer will also impact how much compensation you recover. You can count on our skilled legal team to fight for the maximum compensation available under the law.
What Types of Damages Will My Motorcycle Accident Compensation Include?
Compensation in a motorcycle accident claim may include economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are compensation for the financial costs of your accident, such as medical expenses, motorcycle repair or replacement, lost wages, and lowered earning capacity. Non-economic damages are compensation for intangible losses, such as pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
You may also qualify for punitive damages, which are awarded not to compensate you for your losses but to punish the responsible party and deter future misbehavior. Punitive damages may be available if the responsible party’s conduct was intentional or grossly negligent.
How Shulman & Hill Can Help You Recover Maximum Compensation
We are dedicated to providing top-tier legal representation and maximized results. If you choose us to handle your claim, you can count on us to:
- Investigate your accident, potentially with the help of accident reconstructionists and forensic experts.
- Gather evidence to support your case, including witness statements, video footage, photographs, and forensic data.
- Help you obtain medical exams and records to prove your injuries.
- Identify all liable parties and file claims against each.
- Send a demand letter to responsible insurance companies and negotiate the settlement you deserve.
- Take your case to trial if settlement negotiations fail to yield full and fair compensation.
Determining Liability in a Staten Island Motorcycle Accident
We dig deep to identify all responsible parties after an accident, increasing available routes toward compensation. The following parties may be liable for your motorcycle accident:
- Negligent drivers
- Vehicle owners
- Vicariously liable employers
- Trucking companies
- Government entities responsible for maintaining safe roads
- Manufacturers of defective cars, motorcycles, or parts
Insurance Challenges After a Motorcycle Accident
In most cases, New York’s no-fault insurance system allows car accident victims to file a personal injury protection (PIP) claim regardless of fault. However, motorcyclists are excluded in this system. Instead, when you are injured in a motorcycle accident, you can must seek compensation through a fault-based auto liability claim or lawsuit.
Insurance companies often take advantage of people injured in motorcycle accidents. They may ignore your calls, delay the process, blame you for the accident, and minimize your injuries.
Even when an insurance company accepts responsibility, it may offer a premature settlement, especially if you are not represented by a skilled attorney. As a condition of accepting the offer, you must sign away your right to seek additional compensation later when the money runs out. Early settlement offers almost always undervalue your claim and fall short of meeting your needs.
Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Staten Island can counter the company’s underhanded tactics and fight for fair and full compensation.
What to Do If You Are Partially at Fault for the Accident
Under the New York pure comparative negligence law, partial fault does not bar you from recovering compensation. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your share of the fault. For example, if you are 20 percent at fault for the accident and your damages are $1 million, your compensation will be reduced to $800,000.
Insurance companies have a strong financial incentive to blame you since doing so can reduce their payout, but you do not have to accept their finding as final. Even law enforcement may get it wrong. Never admit fault without seeking legal advice, no matter what law enforcement or insurance companies tells you. Instead, contact our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers.
The Bias Problem With Motorcycle Accidents and How a Lawyer Can Help
Motorcyclists are often stereotyped as reckless, even when blamelessly injured in accidents. Police officers, insurance adjusters, and investigators may assume you are irresponsible simply because you ride a motorcycle. Even in the courtroom, jurors may be quietly biased against riders. For example, they may assume loud engines are evidence of speeding or aggressive driving.
Having a dedicated motorcycle accident attorney on your side is crucial to overcoming unfair bias in settlement negotiations and the courtroom. Our skilled lawyers will stand with you throughout your case as your allies and partners in justice.
Time Limits for Filing a Motorcycle Accident Claim in New York
The New York personal injury statute of limitations generally requires you to file your motorcycle accident claim within three years after the accident. However, exceptions could shorten the time limit. For example, if the liable party is a government entity, you must file a Notice of Claim within 90 days of the accident, and you have a year and 90 days to file a lawsuit. If your loved one was killed in a motorcycle accident, the wrongful death statute of limitations gives two years from the date of the accident.
The statute of limitations sets the maximum time you have to file but not how long you should wait to contact an attorney. It is crucial to reach out to an experienced motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible so they can gather evidence before it disappears and build a strong case before the correct filing deadline passes.