A motorcycle ride can go from fun and exciting to devastating in the blink of an eye. Along Interstate 41, for example, you may have a much higher overall risk of suffering serious injuries in a motorcycle accident. Milwaukee’s rural roads can also pose considerable dangers, particularly since they may have poorer lighting and more twists and turns than highways and interstates.
Did you suffer injuries in a Milwaukee motorcycle accident? Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers to learn more about your right to compensation.
Injured in Milwaukee? Get Nicolet.
Award-Winning Legal Help for Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident Victims
Many people will start trying to deal with a Milwaukee motorcycle accident claim on their own. They may assume they do not need a lawyer to help handle their claim or that the insurance company will offer the advice and insight they need to successfully file a motorcycle accident claim in Milwaukee.
Unfortunately, insurance companies often make the process more difficult than necessary. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we have the experience to help you fight even the big names in motorcycle or car insurance, which can ultimately increase the odds that you will recover the compensation you deserve.
Built on Family
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers has a family-focused approach. Our family, including our extensive team of lawyers, understands the difficulty your family may face as you deal with the devastating aftermath of a motorcycle accident. We aim to help you lay out those challenges for the insurance company and aggressively pursue the full compensation you deserve for any injuries you may have sustained in the accident.
Focused on Helping
When we interact with our clients, we take a focused, comprehensive approach. We want to help you deal with the often devastating aftermath of a motorcycle accident. You may have substantial medical bills and a lot of losses related to your accident. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we focus on providing our clients with the resources they need to overcome those many challenges.
Dedicated to Winning
When you have to take on the big names in insurance after a motorcycle accident, you may find yourself struggling to get the insurance company to acknowledge the extent of your losses and provide you with the compensation you deserve. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we remain dedicated to your claim and helping you maximize the compensation you can recover. We will use the investigative strategies and resources at our disposal to uncover the evidence related to your motorcycle accident, put together a compelling claim, and fight for the resolution you need.
With 13 offices throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota, including an office directly in Milwaukee, we offer convenient access to our legal team. We start with a free consultation to go over the conditions that led to your accident and give you a better idea of how to take your next steps. Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers today to start your injury claim after a motorcycle accident.
Injured in Milwaukee? Get Nicolet.
Compensation after a Milwaukee, Wisconsin Motorcycle Accident: What to Expect
After a Milwaukee motorcycle accident, your losses can feel extreme. Whether you went to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center or Ascension St. Francis Hospital, medical treatment can prove extremely expensive. As your bills continue to mount, you may wonder how much you can obtain in compensation for your Milwaukee motorcycle accident injuries.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we cannot guarantee the compensation you can recover.
Many factors may contribute to your motorcycle accident claim and the compensation you may ultimately receive.
- Who caused your accident?
- What insurance policy covers the liable party?
- What injuries did you suffer?
- What other financial losses did you have because of the accident?
Having a lawyer on your side can make an immense difference as you move forward with your injury claim. A Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer can help fight for the full compensation you deserve after your accident, increasing the odds that you will recover compensation for the damages you sustained. Without a lawyer on your side, your settlement may ultimately prove much lower.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we work with our clients to identify the actual losses related to motorcycle accident injuries.
What medical bills did you have after the accident?
Motorcycle accidents often cause substantial injuries. Whether you suffered your accident on I-41 or sustained injuries in an accident on the many rural roads throughout Wisconsin, you may have sustained injuries like traumatic brain injury, back and neck injuries, multiple broken bones, or severe road rash. As a result, you may have a long road to recovery, complete with substantial medical bills.
Talk to your lawyer about the injuries you sustained and the treatment you needed for your motorcycle accident injuries. Did you need to spend considerable time in the hospital after your accident? Did you have a long period of rehabilitation ahead of you? Multiple therapy sessions? Considerable procedures? You can include compensation for all those bills as part of your motorcycle accident claim.
You may also, in some cases, expect to have increasing medical bills due to other procedures in the future. Talk to your lawyer about future anticipated medical bills and how they may factor into your claim. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we want to make sure you receive compensation for all the damages you can, so we want to include those damages as part of your motorcycle accident claim.
Did you have to miss time at work because of your motorcycle accident?
Dealing with high medical bills and other expenses can prove difficult enough. In many cases, your motorcycle accident may also have caused you to miss out on much-needed income. Your employer might not allow you to return to work until you have a chance to recover from your injuries due to the danger you could pose to yourself and others.
You might need extensive time off before you can even think about completing the tasks you did before your motorcycle accident. Talk to your lawyer about that missed time, including any vacation or sick time you may have needed to use to cover that missed time at work so that you can include it as part of your claim.
What suffering did you face because of your motorcycle accident?
Talk to your lawyer about your unique circumstances after your motorcycle accident. What suffering did you face? How did your accident impact you? Most motorcycle accident claims will include compensation for pain and suffering alongside the compensation for tangible costs related to the accident. Share with your lawyer at Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers the suffering you faced, including the loss of your independence or any activities or opportunities you may have missed out on because of your accident.
Milwaukee Motorcycle Accidents
Across Wisconsin, motorcycle accidents and motorcycle accident deaths have increased in recent years. Many of those accidents also involve drivers who choose not to wear adequate safety gear, which can raise the odds of devastating injury in those accidents. Wisconsin sees an average of 2,090 motorcycle crashes each year. More than 1,800 of those crashes will involve some type of injury to the motorcycle rider.
Wisconsin law does require motorcycle riders to wear a helmet. Failure to wear a helmet may dramatically increase the risk of face and head trauma, neck injury, or death. It does not give other drivers the right to crash into and injure you. Lack of helmet use does not absolve another driver of their negligence.
If you suffer injuries in a Wisconsin motorcycle accident, you may have up to three years after the accident to pursue compensation for the damages you sustained in the accident.
Causes of Milwaukee Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents can occur for many reasons. They often happen because either the motorcycle rider or another driver becomes distracted.
However, several factors can increase the risk of a devastating Milwaukee motorcycle accident.
- Riding in inclement weather. While most motorcycle riders put their bikes away for poor weather conditions or in winter, some may try to take their bikes out even in less than perfect weather. Poor conditions on the road and decreased visibility can increase the likelihood that another vehicle loses control and hits a motorcycle.
- Heavy traffic, including tourists coming to Milwaukee to spend time in the city enjoying sports and other events, may raise dangers for motorcycle riders.
- Winding rural roads in the wider area outside of the Milwaukee metro may create a higher overall risk of a devastating accident.
Fighting the Insurance Company After a Wisconsin Motorcycle Accident
When another driver causes a Milwaukee motorcycle accident, you may have the right to pursue compensation for your injuries. Generally, that means pursuing compensation from the liable driver’s insurance company. However, dealing with the insurance company may prove more difficult than you think. Many insurance companies have an intrinsic bias against motorcycle riders. The insurance company may fight hard to prove that you caused the motorcycle accident or that you do not deserve compensation for the accident due to your own errors.
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we understand the challenges that an insurance company can throw in your way as you deal with a devastating motorcycle accident claim. We fight to help our clients reach a positive resolution to their claims, including seeking evidence that can more clearly establish the negligent actions of the other driver involved in the accident.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Milwaukee
You suffered injuries in a Milwaukee motorcycle accident. You reported the accident and got the medical attention you needed.
However, getting the compensation you deserve for those injuries may not prove as simple as calling the insurance company to report the accident and asking for compensation for your injuries.
- Review the police report. Some police officers may have the same bias against motorcycle riders that you may face when dealing with the insurance company. Address any inaccurate information on that police report promptly.
- Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers as soon as you can. The longer you wait to contact a lawyer after your motorcycle accident, the more challenges you may face. A lawyer can help you address all the key elements of your claim from the beginning.
- Keep up with your medical treatments and any other recommendations issued by your medical care provider. In some cases, you may have specific restrictions that you may need to follow or steps that you may need to complete as you pursue treatment. If you fail to follow those instructions, it could reduce your ability to recover compensation for your injuries.
- Document everything. Keep track of your medical bills, your lost time at work, and the suffering you have faced because of your injuries. The more detail you can include in your claim, the greater the likelihood that you will end up missing out on the compensation you may deserve.
Working with a lawyer can prove beneficial at every stage of your Milwaukee motorcycle accident claim. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we offer compassionate support as we help guide you through the process and offer essential insights about how to maximize your ability to recover compensation.
Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident FAQ
Can I file a motorcycle accident claim if I suffered a brain injury, but did not have a helmet on at the time of my accident?
Wisconsin law does require you to wear a motorcycle helmet every time you get on a motorcycle. If you do not have a helmet on at the time of your accident, it can dramatically increase the risk of severe injury or death.
However, even if you chose not to wear a motorcycle accident, if another driver’s negligent actions led to your accident, you may still have the right to file a claim. Talk to your lawyer about the circumstances that led to your motorcycle accident and the compensation you may deserve, even if you chose not to wear a helmet.
Who has to pay my medical bills after a Milwaukee motorcycle accident?
Regardless of who caused your accident or what circumstances may have led to it, you, as the injured party, will need to make arrangements to pay any medical expenses you may face after a Wisconsin motorcycle accident. You may win an injury claim that provides you with compensation for those medical costs, but they will not require the liable driver’s insurance company to pay your medical bills directly. Instead, you will receive compensation for those costs, which you can then use to cover the cost of your medical treatments.
However, you may have some options that can help alleviate those medical costs and make your expenses easier to deal with.
Do you carry MedPay insurance?
Wisconsin does not have no-fault auto accident laws, which means that you do not have to carry PIP insurance to cover the cost of medical treatment after an accident. However, many Wisconsin drivers do choose to carry MedPay insurance. MedPay insurance helps offer coverage for the cost of medical treatments related to injuries sustained in any type of auto accident.
If you have MedPay coverage, you can use it to cover the initial cost of medical treatments after a motorcycle accident. The coverage you have may depend on the specific policy you chose.
Do you have personal health insurance?
Personal health insurance can provide a great deal of assistance when it comes to covering the cost of medical treatment after a motorcycle accident. Your health insurance can also help cover the ongoing cost of medical treatment when you sustain injuries that may have a long-term impact and require treatment long after the initial incident.
If you find yourself with medical bills you cannot pay after your accident, you may have your lawyer issue a letter of protection, which will state your intent to pay after you recover the funds from a motorcycle accident claim.
Do I need a lawyer to handle a motorcycle accident claim in Wisconsin?
If you have a motorcycle accident that only involves property damage, you may have little trouble going through the insurance company yourself and recovering the compensation you deserve. However, if you sustain any type of injury in your motorcycle accident, you may need a lawyer to help guide you through the claim process and raise the odds that you will recover reasonable compensation for your injuries.
Insurance companies often have a strong bias against motorcycle riders. After a motorcycle accident, they may fight to minimize the compensation they have to pay out to you, or even to hold you liable for the motorcycle accident. If you suffered any type of injury in the accident, you need to make sure that you receive the compensation you deserve. A motorcycle accident lawyer can help fight on your behalf.
When should I call a Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer?
You should call a Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer as soon after your Milwaukee motorcycle accident as possible. The longer you wait to get in touch with a motorcycle accident lawyer, the more difficult it may prove to recover reasonable compensation for your injuries. Evidence can fade faster than anticipated after a motorcycle accident, including a natural degradation of witness memory that can make it more difficult for you to get an accurate report of what led to the accident or what the witness observed.
Furthermore, working with a Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer from the early days after your accident can significantly decrease the odds that you will end up pressured to accept a low settlement offer. A motorcycle accident lawyer can help guide you through the entire claim process and alleviate some of the challenges the insurance company may throw in your way. Furthermore, the motorcycle accident lawyer may offer vital advice that can help with every element of the claim.
What should I do if I get a low settlement offer after my Milwaukee motorcycle accident?
When the insurance company first contacts you about a settlement, you may feel relieved. After all, the compensation from your motorcycle accident claim can make it much easier for you to pay your medical bills or handle the many financial challenges that may come your way after your accident. However, in many cases, a fast settlement offer may not offer the relief you had really hoped for. Instead, the insurance company may issue an early settlement offer that includes only a small percentage of the damages you really sustained in the accident.
Now what?
Take the settlement offer to Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers. We can help you review the compensation the insurance company has offered, then give you a better idea of how it compares to the compensation you really deserve for your injuries. We can also help you determine whether you should realistically accept a settlement offer or continue to fight for additional compensation.
You do not have to accept a settlement offer that does not fit your needs, and you do not have to make a fast decision. You have time to review the offer with a lawyer and decide how it compares to the damages you actually sustained, then determine what you may need to do next.
How long does it take to get compensation for motorcycle accident injuries in Milwaukee?
While a motorcycle accident claim that involves only property damage may settle relatively quickly, a claim that involves a serious injury may take much longer to settle. If you sustained injuries that will require a long recovery period, it may take even longer before you can put together a claim that realistically reflects the losses you suffered.
Not only that, a complex claim may take longer to investigate since you may need more information in order to clearly establish the compensation you deserve. It can take months to fully resolve a motorcycle accident claim. Having a lawyer on your side as soon as possible can help streamline that process and get the compensation you deserve in your hands faster.
Contact a Milwaukee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
Did you suffer injuries in a Milwaukee motorcycle accident? Working with a Milwaukee motorcycle accident lawyer can help you navigate the legal system and give you a better idea of how to protect your right to compensation. Contact Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers at (414) 260-2220 for your free consultation.