Altoona Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycles are a common sight around Altoona. If you were injured while riding one, then you should find out whether you have a legal right to compensation. Contact Baer Law Office today to discuss your case with an experienced lawyer.

Our legal team has decades of experience and was ranked for 9 consecutive years as the best local law firm. Our office offers free consultations to anyone hurt in a wreck. Call to schedule a time to discuss your crash with an experienced Altoona motorcycle accident lawyer.

Motorcyclists Are At Risk

Unlike people seated in a car, motorcyclists are exposed to the elements, and they can suffer life-altering injuries in any collision. Nothing acts as a buffer between the rider and a car. Instead, you are likely to suffer a direct blow to your body, so injuries tend to be severe.

We have helped men and women struggling with:

Head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, brain bleed, and cracked skulls.
Neck injuries, such as whiplash or cervical fracture.
Chest injuries, including collapsed lung and rib fracture.
Broken bones anywhere on the body.
Catastrophic injuries, such as amputation, paralysis, or serious brain damage.
Road rash and other abrasions.
Biker’s arm and other nerve injuries.

Five Reasons to Hire Us

Accident victims should begin their search for a lawyer soon after the accident. Insurance companies are more likely to take your claim seriously if you hire a legal team to represent you.

We can find evidence of fault. With this evidence, we can reconstruct clearly what happened and who is to blame. That allows us to negotiate confidently on your behalf.
We fully analyze your injuries. Our clients should receive full compensation for all damages. We know how much insurance companies have offered other victims, and we seek an equivalent amount.
Our team has tackled all sorts of motorcycle accidents. We are rarely surprised by any argument a defendant might make.
You should focus full-time on your physical and emotional recovery. Let us do all the heavy lifting to win a settlement as you rest.
Our team knows how to settle, but we also aren’t afraid to march into court and protect your rights before a judge. This litigation experience works to your advantage, because the defendant’s insurance company will take our arguments seriously.

Want to learn more about how we can help? Schedule a free consultation with our office today to meet with an Altoona motorcycle accident attorney.

Assigning Fault for an Altoona Motorcycle Accident

Accidents happen for a variety of reasons. In many cases, a negligent motorist crashes into a motorcyclist and causes the wreck due to:

Distraction
Fatigue
Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
Failure to observe surroundings
Drug or alcohol use
Illegal turns and lane changes
Running a red light
Tailgating

In fewer cases, some other reason causes the crash. For example, a road defect could cause a motorcyclist to lose control, or a defect on a car could make it unmanageable. Suppose a driver’s brakes fail when they approach a red light and crash for that reason. The driver was careful—but their vehicle failed to work properly.

It’s critical to meet with our Altoona motorcycle accident lawyer to discuss the crash. We need to pinpoint why the accident happened so that we seek compensation from the correct person.

Iowa’s Statute of Limitations

Iowa wants to encourage accident victims to seek compensation within a reasonable amount of time. For that reason, they have adopted a statute of limitations. This law identifies the maximum amount of time an injured victim has to file a lawsuit

In Iowa, a motorcycle accident victim has at most two years. Should you exceed the deadline, then you will likely lose the ability to sue. That’s a tragic result—so call Baer Law Office today. We can check whether the deadline is approaching and file a lawsuit to preserve your ability to litigate a claim.

How Comparative Negligence Affects Your Motorcycle Claim

We generally seek financial compensation for:

Repairs to your motorcycle or other damaged property;
Travel expenses (such as car rental costs);
Medical costs to treat your accident injuries;
Ongoing treatment expenses, such as the cost of physical therapy or psychological counseling;
Income or wages loss (when your injuries prevent you from working);
Loss of earning capacity;
Mental anguish and depression;
Pain and suffering.

Iowa Code § 668.3 is the comparative fault law. It states you can seek compensation even if your own negligence contributed to a crash—provided your fault wasn’t greater than the defendant’s share. That’s good news. Essentially, you can seek compensation so long as you are 50% or less, but not more.

Any compensation is reduced by your share of fault, however. So if you were 40% to blame, you receive only 60% of your damages.

Injured Passengers Have Rights Too

Baer Law Office can represent someone who was hurt while riding as a passenger on a motorcycle. You can still seek compensation. You might make a claim against another driver who caused the wreck or the person operating your motorcycle. We will need to prove why the accident happened.

You should hire your own attorney. The lawyer hired by the person driving the motorcycle represents them—not you. And you might need to seek compensation if they were driving the bike dangerously, such as weaving in and out of traffic.

Contact an Altoona Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Baer Law Office brings a passionate commitment to victims’ rights to every case we accept. Call us today if you’d like to meet with an experienced lawyer. We can discuss how the accident unfolded and provide a preliminary assessment of fault. We can also review your medical condition and discuss possible compensation.

We never charge a fee unless we win your case. Instead, we only accept a portion of a settlement or court award if we are successful. You should not delay calling (515) 279-2000 to schedule your free initial consultation.