Personal Injury Lawyer
Fort Wayne·Indianapolis, Indiana

William Shatner TV Spokesperson

Fort Wayne(260) 424-0954
Fort Wayne(260) 424-0954
Indianapolis(317) 636-5211
Indianapolis(317) 636-5211

Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

We don’t back down. Our law firm can stand up for your rights.

Motorcycle crashes caused by other drivers happen far too often. Worst of all, many motorcyclists are often wrongly blamed for such accidents. When this happens, it’s important for injured motorcyclists to file a claim or take other legal action to protect their rights. Otherwise, they might not get the money they deserve after a bad motorcycle accident.

Motorcyclists can count on Glaser & Ebbs after their accident. For more than three decades, our team of trial lawyers has been fighting for the rights of injured motorcyclists in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and throughout Indiana. We know the law. We understand how the legal system works. We’re also fully aware of the unique challenges motorcyclists often face after an accident. We’re here for you and can aggressively investigate your case.

What should I do after my crash?

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver, it’s important to take certain steps right away to protect your health and your rights, including:

  • Call the police and tell them you have been in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver. Ask the police to respond to your accident. If they don’t respond, there might be some questions later about who was at fault and caused the collision. Later, make sure you obtain a copy of the police officer’s official accident report. That way, you can verify that the information contained in your Indiana Officer's Standard Crash Report is accurate.
  • If you are healthy enough to do so, get the driver’s name, address, phone number and insurance information. Feel free to give the same information to the driver who caused your motorcycle crash.
  • Do not discuss your accident with the other driver. Anything you say could be used as evidence against you later to reduce or deny your injury claim. This is especially common in cases involving motorcycle accidents, where the at-fault driver’s insurance company is often looking for any excuse to dismiss your claim.
  • If someone saw your accident, make sure you or someone else gets the witness’s full name and phone number. If a police officer is at the scene of the accident, ask the police to interview the witness so their statement is part of the official accident report.
  • If you are healthy enough to do so, take photographs of your accident. Make sure to take pictures of the damage to your motorcycle, the other vehicle, accident debris on the road and anything else that could be important to investigators. This may include stop signs, speed limit signs, traffic lights or skid marks on the road at the crash site.
  • After your accident, contact your insurance company soon after to tell them you have been in an accident caused by another driver.
  • If the other driver’s insurance company contacts you, do not talk to them. Again, anything you say could potentially be used to reduce or deny your motorcycle accident claim.
  • Even if an EMT or another medical professional examined you immediately after your accident, schedule a follow-up appointment with your doctor. Many motorcycle accident injuries take several days to develop.
  • Talk to a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. The sooner you have an attorney investigating your motorcycle crash, the better.

Make sure you take your motorcycle crash seriously right from the start. Make sure you schedule an appointment with a Fort Wayne motorcycle accident attorney in your area with extensive experience handling complicated crashes.

What makes motorcycle accidents so complicated?

Motorcycle accidents are often among the most complicated motor vehicle accidents. Part of that has to do with the severity of the injuries sustained by injured motorcyclists. Because motorcyclists do not have a vehicle protecting them, they often have severe injuries, including traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), spinal cord injuries, broken bones and other internal injuries.

Another reason why collisions involving motorcycles can be complicated is because motorcyclists often get blamed for causing crashes – even when they didn’t do anything wrong. Why does this happen? Because some drivers think all motorcyclists are reckless thrill-seekers. Worst of all, insurance companies often agree with them. That way, they have an excuse to deny your accident claim.

We know the truth. We know that most motorcyclists are safe and follow the rules of the road. Instead, it’s other drivers who are often to blame for collisions involving motorcycles. That’s why we take great pride in working with motorcyclists and helping them set the record straight.

Who’s liable for paying for my accident expenses?

Like many other motor vehicle accidents, the at-fault party is responsible for paying for your accident-related expenses after your motorcycle accident. This is especially true in Indiana, which has a fault-based insurance system.

As a result, anyone deemed to be at fault or legally responsible for your crash in some way can be held liable, meaning they must pay for your accident expenses, including:

  • The at-fault driver
  • The at-fault driver’s insurance company
  • The bar or package store that sold the driver alcohol, especially in cases involving drunk driving accidents
  • The manufacturer of the vehicle that caused your crash, particularly in the case of mechanical problems or defective car parts, including tire blowouts and defective brakes

The bottom line is you should not have to pay for your accident expenses if someone else caused your crash. Even so, Indiana’s insurance system can be confusing. You may not get all the money you rightfully deserve due to insurance liability limits. That’s why it’s critical that you consult with an attorney right away after your crash.

Should I accept a settlement claim?

After your motorcycle accident, the at-fault driver’s insurance company may contact you and offer to settle your accident claim for a specific amount of money. It may be tempting to accept a settlement offer to pay for your accident-related expenses.

Your settlement offer – especially one made soon after your motorcycle crash – likely won’t come close to covering all your expenses. That’s because insurance companies often only consider short-term expenses. In addition, what you might not realize is once you agree to accept a settlement offer, you often cannot ask for any additional money in the future, even if you have significant additional expenses. Future expenses may include:

  • Additional medical procedures due to on-going medical problems
  • Replacement income if you cannot return to work due to a permanent disability
  • In-home medical care if you cannot perform certain tasks due to your motorcycle injury

Always make sure to carefully consider any settlement offer before agreeing to accept it. If you are not sure what to do, talk to a lawyer who can help you review your offer and negotiate a better settlement on your behalf with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Make your motorcycle accident matter. Contact our law firm.

The stakes can be very high when it comes to a serious motorcycle accident. You or your family could be dealing with serious injuries sustained by you or a loved one. Your expenses can quickly add up to thousands of dollars or significantly more. Insurance companies know this. That’s why they often do everything they can to pay injured motorcyclists as little as possible.

They don’t intimidate us. We know how to thoroughly investigate motorcycle accidents. We know what evidence to look for, including how to analyze accident reports and medical records that clearly show that the driver caused your motorcycle crash.

We also know how to negotiate effectively with insurance companies. Many agree to cooperate and negotiate in good faith once they realize we know how to handle complicated legal cases. If not, we will not hesitate to file a lawsuit or take other legal action on your behalf.

Get the law firm that gets results in Indiana. Contact us and schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys. We have offices in Fort Wayne, Indianapolis and other locations in Indiana.

Locations
Fort Wayne

132 E Berry St
Fort Wayne, IN 46802
(260) 424-0954

Indianapolis

845 S Meridian St #1000
Indianapolis, IN 46225
(317) 636-5211

Decatur

103 N 2nd St
Decatur, IN 46733
(260) 728-9997

Warsaw

107 E Market St
Warsaw, IN 46580
(574) 269-3634

Kendallville

812 N Lima Rd
Kendallville, IN 46755
(260) 242-5253

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