The entire world can turn upside down when you get hurt in a motorcycle accident. Serious injuries, costly treatment, and long recovery disrupt your everyday activities, affect your relationships, lead to issues at work, and much more.
To get your life back on track, you need financial support. It’s often possible to get it by filing a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Since it may be tough to deal with legal action while recovering from serious injuries, consider hiring a lawyer.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is an award-winning team of motorcycle accident attorneys in Williston. We are always here to fight for the money you deserve.
Why Choose Us
When you file a lawsuit against the person whose negligence caused your injuries in a motorcycle accident, you may need legal support. Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers has many years of experience helping motorcycle accident victims from North Dakota, Wisconsin, and Minnesota recover fair damages.
Here is what our Williston, North Dakota, motorcycle accident lawyers can do for you:
- Conduct an investigation. When you get hurt in a motorcycle accident, it’s important to determine who is at fault for your injuries. To do that, attorneys conduct an in-depth investigation that involves going back to the accident site, speaking to witnesses, requesting camera footage, and more.
- File the paperwork. Filing a lawsuit is more than filling out a form. It involves significant paperwork. Motorcycle accident attorneys from Nicolet make sure all the documents are in order.
- Gather evidence. Evidence is the driving force behind your lawsuit. You need as much strong evidence as possible to prove your right to a sizable compensation. Our attorneys can help you find, gather, and present the evidence in the most convincing way possible.
- Speak to witnesses. Motorcycle accident witnesses can play a major role in helping you determine the at-fault party’s negligence. Attorneys use police reports and camera footage to find people who can testify about the circumstances of your crash.
- Conduct negotiations. Motorcycle accident cases rarely proceed to trial. Usually, they settle during negotiations with the at-fault party’s legal team. Our attorneys are strong negotiators who know exactly how to achieve top results for their clients.
- Go to trial. If the at-fault party doesn’t agree to a reasonable settlement, you may need to proceed to trial. If this happens, our experienced trial attorneys go all the way to maximize the chances of the desired outcome.
Without legal expertise, recovering damages in a personal injury case is complicated. With our Williston motorcycle accident team in your corner, you have an opportunity to maximize the payout.
At Nicolet, we take a personalized approach to each client. Our attorneys limit their caseload specifically to ensure sufficient attention to existing cases.
Before we start working together, our Williston motorcycle accident attorneys are ready to provide a free case evaluation. If you are too hurt to drive to our office, don’t worry. We are happy to arrange a remote video conference at a convenient time.
Injured in Williston? Get Nicolet.
Motorcycle Accident Compensation
Since motorcyclists don’t have a lot of protection against injuries, crashes usually lead to serious health problems, including traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, and much more.
The costs of treatment and recovery can be overwhelming. For example, the lifetime costs of treating a TBI can reach $3 million. A long bone fracture could end up costing you $1,000 to $12,000.
Unless you pay for higher-tier premiums, your PIP insurance only covers $30,000. To recover the rest, you would need to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. Here are several factors that affect the size of your settlement.
The Severity of Your Injuries
The more hurt you are, the more money you need to cover medical bills. Some of the most serious injuries could require life-long treatment.
People who sustain severe injuries in motorcycle accidents can sue for higher amounts and count on a higher compensation than people whose injuries heal quickly.
The Strength of Your Evidence
When you sue the at-fault party for damages, you have to back your claims with evidence.
Some of the most common evidence that motorcycle accidents attorneys work with includes:
- Medical bills
- W-2 forms
- Prescriptions, x-rays, CT-scans
- Doctors’ reports
- Employer testimony
- Family member testimony
- Photos and videos of injuries
- Personal journals
- Expert witness testimony
The more strong evidence you can present to the court, the more likely you are to recover a higher compensation. At Nicolet, we don’t just help our clients collect the necessary evidence. We evaluate the potential of each piece of evidence to make sure it can help your case.
Pain and Suffering
Injuries you sustain in a motorcycle accident don’t just cost a significant amount of money to treat. They reduce your quality of life. Some people start suffering from chronic pain. Others can’t participate in the same activities they did before the crash.
If this happens, you can sue the at-fault party for pain and suffering (also called non-economic damages). The amount of economic damages is often higher than the amount you can recover for economic damages (medical bills, lost income, etc.).
At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we help clients determine if they are eligible for non-economic damages. Our attorneys help gather evidence to prove your right to recover this type of compensation.
Choice of Attorney
When it comes to building a strong case and proving it in court, you need legal expertise. Only a few motorcycle accident victims have the experience, expertise, and emotional resources to participate in legal action alone.
An experienced motorcycle accident attorney doesn’t just consult you on the personal injury case nuances. The legal team maximizes your chances of getting fair compensation.
A motorcycle accident attorney from Williston is a better choice than out-of-city specialists since they have experience with local insurance companies and know the state court system.
Motorcycle Accidents in Williston, North Dakota
On average, a motorcycle crash in North Dakota occurs once in two days. More than 90 percent of these crashes involve injuries. Around 4 percent are fatal. According to statistics, more than 60 percent of motorcyclists in the state don’t wear helmets. That’s one of the reasons why severe injuries are common.
Many motorcycle accidents in Williston occur on Route 85B. However, some can also happen on rural roads. In many cases, motorcyclists feel safer on smaller roads than on highways. Unfortunately, the feeling of safety is deceptive. Some of the biggest crashes happen on smaller roads.
A big share of accidents also happens at the intersections of Route 2 and smaller roads. Many drivers don’t pay enough attention to the necessary speed reduction.
Motorcycle Accident Laws in Williston
When filing a lawsuit after a motorcycle accident, you need to know the local laws related to your case. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we consult our clients about all the legal nuances of filing such lawsuits. Navigating them without assistance could be complicated.
No-Fault State
North Dakota is a no-fault state. It means that when an accident happens, your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance should cover your accident-related expenses.
In reality, such insurance only covers $30,000 of the following damages:
- Medical and rehabilitation expenses
- Lost income (but not exceeding $150 a week)
- Survivor’s income (but not exceeding $150 a week)
- Funeral and burial expenses up to $3,500
It doesn’t cover pain and suffering or property damage.
However, you have an opportunity to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party if one or both of the following statements is true:
- Your medical expenses exceed $2,500.
- You sustain a severe and permanent injury or disability that lasts longer than 60 days.
Since injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents are often severe, the majority of victims have the right to file a lawsuit.
Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations regulates how much time you have to file a lawsuit after an accident occurs. In North Dakota, you have six years from your accident to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party.
If you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit (in case your loved one died in a motorcycle accident), you only have two years to do it.
Missing the filing deadline usually means case dismissal. That’s why it’s important to start legal action as soon as possible.
If you choose to work with Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we can give you all the necessary information about local filing guidelines, relevant laws, and legal nuances. Our attorneys make sure you don’t miss any deadlines.
Common Injuries in Motorcycle Crashes
Injuries in motorcycle accidents are rarely light. When a heavier vehicle crashes into a bike, the motorcyclist is almost unprotected from the impact.
Even if neither of the participants was going at high speeds, injuries may be extensive or even fatal.
- Broken legs, knees, calves, ankles, and feet. The driver’s lower extremities are in the highest danger since they don’t have any protection. The heavy motorcycle often lands on the rider’s legs and crushes them. This results in painful injuries that may lead to disabilities.
- Road rash. When the rider is trying to get away from the accident, they often end up dragging a part of their body alongside the road. This may cause severe road rash on different parts of the body. Skin abrasions could lead to serious aesthetic issues, infections, and long-term treatment.
- Internal organ damage. A blunt trauma to the rider’s body could affect the heart, lungs, liver, and other parts of the person’s body. Collapsed lungs and thorn aortas are common crash consequences. Both are medical emergencies.
- Spinal cord. Since motorcycle riders get thrown around in the crash, they risk breaking the spine. Spinal cord injuries could lead to permanent disabilities.
The most serious injury a motorcycle rider can suffer is a head injury. These injuries vary from mild concussions to serious brain traumas. Such injuries require long-term treatment and complex recovery.
How Can You Protect Your Rights After a Motorcycle Crash?
The most reliable way to protect your rights and interests after suffering injuries in a Williston-area motorcycle accident is to contact a skilled attorney who can evaluate your situation and explain your rights. The sooner you have an experienced lawyer in your corner, the better your chances of securing maximum payment for your losses.
To make connecting with a knowledgeable legal professional as easy as possible, Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers offers a free case consultation to injured motorcycle crash victims and their loved ones.
In the meantime, you can also help safeguard your interests by following these tips.
Always Seek Medical Attention
Never brush off or ignore your injuries after getting into a motorcycle accident. Instead, always seek immediate medical attention, even if you feel okay. Research has shown that you can’t trust how you feel in the aftermath of a crash because stress and shock can mask the pain of potentially severe injuries (like internal bleeding or brain trauma). Additionally, you might not exhibit immediate symptoms, so don’t gamble with your health—ask a doctor to check you over right away.
Seeking medical attention also protects you legally. Your medical records can serve as powerful evidence of your injuries and the compensation you deserve to receive for them. They can also protect you against accusations from insurance companies or defense lawyers that you failed to take reasonable care of yourself.
Never Trust a Quick Settlement Offer
If someone offers you a quick payment to settle your motorcycle accident claim, beware. An insurance company or at-fault party is probably trying to trick you into taking a fraction of the amount you deserve. If you accept that kind of offer, you could end up sacrificing your rights to demand additional compensation in the future.
Don’t get involved in negotiating a settlement of your claim. Instead, leave settlement discussions in the hands of an experienced lawyer who knows the ropes and has the skill to get you the full amount you need to pay your bills and rebuild after a motorcycle crash. At Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers, we routinely obtain settlements and judgments for our clients that are far higher than what someone initially offered them.
Speak to an Experienced Williston Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
Williston Motorcycle Accident Attorney, North Dakota
If you sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident, you can seek compensation. Recovering fair damages without legal assistance can be problematic. That’s why many motorcyclists choose to work with Williston personal injury lawyers.
Nicolet Law Accident & Injury Lawyers is always available to help Williston community members fight for the money they deserve. Don’t wait until full recovery to start legal action. You could miss lawsuit filing deadlines. Contact our team at 1-855-NICOLET for a free case evaluation at any convenient time.