At Masella Law Firm, P.A., our Columbia personal injury attorney understands that motorcyclists are not bad, reckless people. In our firm's experience, the majority of motorcyclists are more conscious about safety compared to drivers of motor vehicles.
However, there are a few bad apples in the bunch that have a negative impact on the public's impression of motorcyclists as a whole. So when bikers suffer injuries in motorcycle accidents, they are typically at a disadvantage due to the overriding bias motorcycles have against them. Bias against motorcyclists is often experienced every step of the legal process.
The following are the common source of unfair judgments against bikers:
- Police officers
- Insurance companies
- Jurors
- Witnesses
- Paramedics
- Doctors
- News media
For example, witnesses who associate loud sounds from the engine with uncontrolled acceleration. Doctors and news media will speculate as to the cause of an accident in reports by implying the biker was injured in an apparent reckless driving accident.
Overcoming Bias to Recover Compensation
The best way to tackle these preconceived notions is to let the evidence speak for itself. While car accident police reports are typically reliable, motorcycle accident police reports are more susceptible to improper police investigations and police reports based on poor reasoning.
If that is the case, our Columbia legal team can conduct our own investigation, examine all of the available evidence, and build a strong case to protect your rights and help you recover the compensation you deserve. While evidence is important in all cases, it is critical in motorcycle injury and wrongful death claims.
When an insurance carrier believes they can use the fact that a crash victim is a motorcyclist as a means of convincing the jury of the reckless nature of motorcycles, it can affect the final settlement amount. However, if we can convince the insurance carrier that we can prove to the jury that the motorcyclist was not at fault and the other driver was in the wrong, it can lead to the insurance carrier making a reasonable and significant offer to make the case disappear.
For more information, contact us and request a consultation today.