Month: July 2022

Many motorcycle accidents are caused by other drivers on the road, and when a passenger car or truck collides with a motorcycle, the bike rider almost always suffers more.

The National Safety Council reports that motorcyclists experience 14% of all traffic fatalities, a number which has increased in recent years. Car and truck drivers are more distracted than ever due to the rise of handheld and in-vehicle technology, and watching for smaller motorcycles in traffic becomes more difficult when their attention is elsewhere. 

Motorcycles only make up 3% of all registered vehicles in the US, and this rarity means drivers could be dangerously unpracticed at sharing the road.

If you or a loved one has been injured on a bike, the injuries and losses can be catastrophic—life-altering or life-ending. The attorneys at Falcon Law Firm in New Jersey can help you access the financial resources you will need to pay for medical care and rebuild your life. Contact us at (732) 660-1200 as soon as possible to explore your legal options and claim the full compensation you deserve.

What Is the Average Payout for a Motorcycle Accident?

The short answer is “It depends.” It depends on who caused the motorcycle accident, how bad the injuries are, who has insurance, and the cap on the coverage amounts. A personal injury lawsuit can make up the difference between what insurance covers, and the actual cost of your injuries.

You can seek two main types of damages in a personal injury suit: economic and non-economic. 

Your motorcycle accident lawyer can pursue every avenue for compensation by thoroughly investigating your crash. This could mean negotiating with your insurance company and the other driver’s insurance reps, suing car manufacturers for faulty vehicles, filing against municipalities for unsafe roads, or taking the driver who hit you to court.

The amounts awarded in personal injury lawsuits vary depending on the damages done, the causes of the injuries, and the state where the accident happened. Falcon Law Firm represents plaintiffs in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and our dedicated experience with local law can make all the difference in maximizing the resources you need.

What Is the Most Common Major Motorcycle Injury?

As you might expect, there are a lot of injuries that can happen when riding a vehicle with essentially no protection for your body. Even those wearing crash-rated helmets and full safety gear can still be severely injured in a collision.

The most common major motorcycle injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Spinal injuries, including whiplash
• Broken bones and lacerations
• Amputated limbs
• Damage to organs
• Internal bleeding

Serious injuries such as these may require specialist treatment, long-term physical therapy, or life-long changes to a person’s mobility needs. A successful lawsuit can help ensure there are funds available to you for optimal care, rehabilitation, and dignity.

The amount of compensation you accept as a settlement should reflect the severity of your injury. If a settlement amount offered is not enough, your lawyer from Falcon Law Firm will not hesitate in taking your case to trial. You deserve no less.

Who Is At Fault in Most Motorcycle Accidents?

Studies show that most motorcycle accidents happen when other drivers violate the rider’s right of way. A driver may look for oncoming traffic but fail to actually see a motorcycle approaching or in their perimeter in traffic. This happens commonly enough that it is called “looked but failed to see” (LBFTS) by law enforcement but does not negate the driver’s responsibility for the accident.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation recommends that drivers take extra precautions to watch for bikes since over half of all motorcycle fatalities involve another vehicle. Drivers are also more likely to miss recognizing a motorcycle when they are distracted by using their cell phones.

Even though some motorcyclists may engage in risky behaviors that can result in collisions, it is usually other motorists on the road who are at fault in most motorcycle accidents.

A recent study showed that bans in the US on the use of handheld devices by drivers resulted in an overall 8.8% reduction in motorcycle fatalities.

How Do Most Motorcycle Deaths Occur?

Most motorcycle accidents lead to some kind of serious or even catastrophic injury. Deaths at the scene often occur due to head injury or blood loss. Riders also may pass away later on due to internal bleeding, organ damage, or shock.

Common types of accidents that lead to death include:

• Front-end crashes
• Rear-end collisions
• Intersection crashes (including left-hand turns and t-bone collisions)
• Distracted driving
• Unsafe lane changes
• Speeding or reckless driving
• Drunk driving

So many fatal accidents are 100% preventable with the proper safety, training, and conscientiousness of other drivers on the road. After an accident has occurred, the priority is securing what you need to move on, and holding any reckless or responsible parties fully accountable.

Contact Falcon Law Firm for Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Many motorcyclists prize their bikes and operate with abundant safety knowing how dangerous a crash can be to life and limb. When another driver or entity causes an accident that significantly impacts or irrevocably changes your life, you deserve justice.

The motorcycle accident lawyers at the Falcon Law Firm have successfully represented injured individuals and their families for decades. With exceptional litigation skills and powerful legal representation, our attorneys have recovered millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients.If you or a loved one have been in a motorcycle accident due to someone’s negligence, turn to Falcon Law Firm to learn more about what damages you could seek in a motorcycle accident lawsuit. Contact us today using our convenient online form or call (732) 660-1200 for a free consultation.

Large commercial trucks are a crucial part of our economy, delivering products throughout the country 24 hours a day. However, they are also heavy and tricky to maneuver in highway traffic. Truck drivers are under pressure to complete their routes as quickly as possible, meaning they can overwork themselves or cut corners to travel faster. Mistakes they make can mean severe injuries from a collision involving you and your loved ones. When this happens, you need experienced help to access full compensation and justice.

If you need to speak with an attorney right away, call Falcon Law Firm directly at (732) 660-1200, or schedule your free consultation online. We are headquartered in New Jersey, and have nationwide reach when it comes to large trucking companies and corporations. 

Read on to learn what a settlement could cover in a truck accident case, and the top 3 reasons to hire a proven truck accident lawyer. 

An Attorney Can Help You Recover Non-Economic Damages

A lawsuit can cover both economic damages (financial losses) and non-economic damages (emotional, psychological, or quality of life losses). Here are some examples of each:

Economic Damages

Most survivors of truck accidents face large medical bills, the loss of their vehicle, and the potential of lifelong disability. It’s important to keep a record of all expenses to share with your attorney. 

Economic damages are often proven with documents such as:

• ICU or ER bills
• Medication or medical device prescriptions
• Hospital and surgery bills
• A record of lost wages when you can’t work
• A calculation of loss of income potential if you’re disabled
• The cost of property damage to your vehicle
• Home health care receipts
• The time and monetary cost of travel for medical treatment
• Home disability accommodation expenses if you are severely or permanently disabled

Every case is unique, and your lawyer can advise you on your specific claim. Reach out to Falcon Law Firm at (732) 660-1200 to discuss your specific recovery needs and circumstances.

Non-Economic Damages

Although medical and other bills pile up quickly when you’ve been injured, other factors impact your life in less tangible ways. 

These are called non-economic damages, and they include:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of companionship with your family and friends
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium with your partner or spouse
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Emotional trauma
• Isolation due to scarring or disfigurement

A skilled attorney knows how to translate these intangible harms into terms a court can consider and decide on. The lawyers at Falcon Law Firm work with medical and financial experts to make sure that all of your losses are accounted for, not just the ones that come with receipts.

Another form of compensation may come from a wrongful death claim, if you are the surving family member of someone who lost their life due to a truck accident. Wrongful death lawsuits account for both economic losses (like loss of income), and non-economic losses (the loss of a person’s unique companionship and guidance).

Top 3 Reasons to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer

Pursuing legal action may seem overwhelming at first, but the work of a lawsuit is your attorney’s job—not yours. Here are the top 3 reasons to hire a truck accident lawyer to represent you after a crash:

1. Trucks and Trucking Companies Are a Lot Bigger Than You

First, trucks are larger, heavier, and harder to handle than cars in bad weather or heavy traffic. They’re so enormous they can cause low-speed accidents on city streets. Add inexperienced or poorly trained drivers, and you have a recipe for severe damage.

After a truck accident, you face the trucking company if you pursue a claim against them. These nationwide and sometimes international organizations have deep pockets, but rest assured that trucking companies are not immune from the law.

You do not have to pay upfront to file a lawsuit against a trucking company. Our personal injury lawyers work on contingency fees, which means that we invest our time and resources into your case first, and are only compensated after we’ve achieved a victory for you and your family. We do this because we understand the financial difficulties faced by our clients after sudden, catastrophic accident injuries. We are here to relieve your burdens, not add to them.

2. Insurance Companies May Not Offer Enough Compensation

Dealing with an insurance representative is a negotiation, and since insurance companies are businesses, it’s their job to avoid paying out money if they can help it. Bringing your own representative to the table takes the pressure off you to prove your worth to an adversarial audience. Your attorney from Falcon Law Firm will prepare for negotiations as thoroughly as we prepare for a full trial.

If a fair settlement cannot be reached, the case proceeds to trial. In some instances, requesting a trial can be an intimidation tactic by the other side, and individuals without representation worry about the cost and time of going to court. However, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), only 4-5% of personal injury cases go to trial, meaning that 95-96% of cases are settled pre-trial or before a verdict is reached (mid-trial).

Your attorney from Falcon Law Firm will see your case through no matter what the opposing counsel attempts to do. You need not be intimidated with our lawyers on your side.

3. There Could Be More to the Case Than Just a Mistake by the Driver

Unlike auto accidents between passenger cars or family sedans, commercial trucking vehicles can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and measure up to 70 feet in length. While there are numerous causes of driver error, such as fatigue and distracted driving, there may be other factors that cause a truck crash, including:

• The truck: Trucks have thousands of parts and materials that can malfunction or leak. Even the most conscientious driver cannot predict when a tire may blow, sending the vehicle out of control.
• The cargo: Trucks haul large, heavy, and often hazardous materials. Freight could be flammable, toxic, or even alive (farm animals or active bacteria). When loads are unbalanced or shift during transport, flying debris can be deadly.
• The environment: Unsafe roads and traffic debris could be responsibility of a city or county, while crashes caused the actions of other vehicles may include the responsibility of the other driver.

While it’s common to seek damages from the driver or trucking company, you can also file against other parties, such as product or vehicle manufacturers. You could also pursue cargo vendors who loaded their product incorrectly or another driver whose reckless behavior put the truck driver in a dangerous situation.

Your priority after a truck accident should be your personal health and the well-being of your family. Let our attorneys handle the legal work so you can heal in peace.

Contact the Truck Accident Lawyers at Falcon Law Firm 

Once a truck accident has impacted your life, the goal is to rebuild and make your life whole again. A settlement or damages verdict helps you move on by providing for high-quality medical care and financial stability for you and your loved ones.

Our truck accident lawyers at the Falcon Law Firm have successfully represented injury victims for decades. Our experienced attorneys have recovered millions in settlements and verdicts for our clients and their families.

Contact us today using our convenient online form or by calling (732) 660-1200 for a free consultation. We are ready to handle every aspect of your case so that you can move on to a better future as quickly as possible.