Whitby Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

After a drastic increase in motorcycle accidents in Whitby just a few years ago, the frequency of these accidents had started to fall. However, motorcycle accidents still sometimes happen.

These accidents can leave victims severely injured, and with few options for compensation, which is why consulting a Whitby personal injury lawyer is important. If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle accident, you need to learn about what you can do as soon as possible to pursue a claim, and why it is so important to speak to a Whitby motorcycle accident lawyer.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Just like any other vehicle on Whitby’s roads, there are a number of causes of motorcycle accidents in the city. The most common cause, however, is that drivers of larger vehicles simply do not see the motorcycle and drive into their path.

This most often happens when a car is trying to turn left at an intersection. They may not see an oncoming motorcycle and so, they crash into it or the motorcycle crashes into them. Drivers also often miss motorcycles when they are changing lanes, and so they cut the motorcycle off or side-swipe them.

Speeding is another common cause of motorcycle accidents, both on the parts of the motorcyclist and drivers of other vehicles. Even if the motorcyclist was speeding, they may still be able to file a lawsuit to claim partial compensation if the other driver was also at fault. In these cases, it becomes even more important that injured victims speak to a Whitby motorcycle accident lawyer.

No-Fault Insurance in Ontario

Ontario is a no-fault insurance province. This means that Whitby drivers and motorcyclists must go through their own insurance company in order to claim accident benefits.

These benefits have been drastically cut in Ontario recently, with the limits on them slashed to just a fraction of what they used to offer. This has left fewer options for both catastrophic and non-catastrophic injury victims.

While the limits on these benefits have been cut dramatically, insurance companies still do not want to pay out the full amount on them in any accident. A Whitby motorcycle accident lawyer can speak with the insurance company on a victim’s behalf in order to help them get the full amount possible.

A lawyer can also help victims file a personal injury claim when compensation from the insurance company is not enough.  Although Ontario is a no-fault province, victims are still able to sue the at-fault party for pain and suffering, lost wages and health care expenses not covered by OHIP.

Typical Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcyclists are often injured when they collide with another vehicle, but it is most often the secondary injuries that are the most severe. These occur as a result of the motorcyclist being thrown from their bike after impact and onto the surrounding pavement or into other vehicles.

When this occurs, fractures to the legs are the most common injury. These fractures can be severe enough in some cases to warrant amputation. Also, because the arms will often be thrown up in order to cushion the blow and/or protect the face, these limbs often become broken in a motorcycle accident as well. Broken limbs can be so severe in motorcycle accidents that surgery or even amputations are sometimes necessary.

Road rash is a condition that is a result of the skin coming in direct contact with the pavement and often sliding or skidding on its surface. While road rash is really just a network of cuts and bruises, they can be quite deep and severe and can lead to more severe injuries such as infection.

Of course, the worst injury that could occur in a motorcycle accident is wrongful death. When this is the case, family members that were directly related or dependent on the victim may file a wrongful death claim.

Talking to a Lawyer

The statute of limitations on both wrongful death claims and other personal injury claims in Ontario is two years. While that may sound like a lot of time to file a claim, it is not. If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident, speak to a Whitby motorcycle accident lawyer.