Motorcycle Accidents and Lifelong Disability
Motorcycle accidents are some of the most dangerous and damaging types of accidents on the road. Motorcycles lack many of the protective features found in other vehicles. Additionally, when a motorcycle accident occurs, the rider is nearly always thrown from their bike. Sadly, this frequently results in catastrophic injuries for the motorcyclist.
Catastrophic injuries are those that have serious, long-term effects for the injury victim. Most frequently, catastrophic injuries affect the spinal cord or brain. In many cases, catastrophic injuries don’t just result in long-term side effects, but in lifelong disabilities.
Victims of motorcycle accidents that caused lifelong disability can work with Longview, TX attorneys G.R. (Randy) Akin and Greg Burton to learn more about their legal rights. If an accident was caused by the reckless or negligent actions of another driver, that person may be held liable for all accident damages, including the cost of lifelong medical treatment.
What Is Lifelong Disability?
When people hear the term “disability,” they often imagine a person who has been paralyzed in an accident. While paralysis is certainly an example of a lifelong disability, not all debilitating injuries are as obvious.
Any person who suffers from injuries that will impair his or her physical or mental ability to perform normal work or non-work activities for the remainder of his or her life is classified as suffering from a lifelong disability.
Injuries that Could Result in Lifelong Disability
Motorcycle accidents frequently result in injuries that have the potential to cause lifelong disability. Injuries that are most likely to permanently alter a person’s way of life include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Nerve damage
- Crushed limb
- Loss of limb
- Severe burns
- Vital organ damage
Seeking Damages for Lifelong Disability
Even if fault is clear in a motorcycle accident that results in lifelong disability, victims need to be sure their rights are protected.
It is common for insurance companies to offer quick settlements. Their goal is to close cases before the full extent of accident damages becomes apparent to the victim. Although an initial settlement offer may sound generous, it often does not consider the true cost of a lifelong disability.
It is important for victims of motorcycle accidents resulting in lifelong disability to work with experienced attorneys who will fight for adequate compensation. Our attorneys consider all the ways in which lifelong disability will have an impact on our client’s life, and seek compensation accordingly.
Damages that should be accounted for in cases such as these include:
- Medical expenses
- Cost of future medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Therapy
- Cost of any necessary medical equipment
- Diminished quality of life
- Present and future pain and suffering
- Loss of income
- Loss of wage-earning potential
Only by considering all of these potential losses can we calculate the true cost of a lifelong disability and fight for the compensation our clients deserve as they move forward and adjust to their new way of life.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, let our attorneys assist you in getting the financial compensation you are due. Contact us online at your earliest convenience or call (903) 297-8929 to schedule a personal consultation with one of our attorneys.