Ann Arbor Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
- More than 3,000 motorcycle accidents occur on Michigan’s roadways each year.
- Motorcycle crashes, even when a helmet is worn, can result in devastating injuries.
- Common causes of motorcycle accidents include distracted driving, speeding, poor road conditions, and motorists failing to yield to bikers.
- Consulting with a knowledgeable Ann Arbor motorcycle accident attorney can help you recover compensation to cover your medical bills, lost wages, bike damages, and other losses.
Riding a motorcycle is an exciting and freeing feeling as one drives along Michigan’s scenic roads, feeling the wind blow. The last thing anyone wants to think about is an accident, but sadly, more than 3,000 motorcycle crashes occur in the state each year, with approximately 170 fatalities.
Suffering a motorcycle accident injury can be catastrophic because bikers do not have the same protective elements other motorists on Michigan’s roadways do. As a result, devastating injuries, permanent disabilities, and fatalities occur.
If you or a family member are injured in a motorcycle accident, the aftermath may be full of confusion and uncertainty. The compassionate personal injury attorneys at Matz Injury Law are here to help you through this difficult time. Schedule a no-obligation, free consultation by calling our law firm at 1-866-22Not33.
Why Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Working with an attorney offers the opportunity to have a skilled advocate negotiate with the insurance companies to obtain fair compensation. Lawyers can take on the insurance companies, investigate, and build a case to fight for you with the goal of winning a settlement offer to cover damages.
The attorneys at Matz Injury Law commit themselves to pursuing the maximum compensation our clients are eligible to receive. This way, you can be certain that financial resources to cover current and future medical and other accident-related expenses are available.
Related Article: Matz Injury Law Obtains $2.35M Settlement After a Michigan Motorcycle Accident
Our Ann Arbor Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Can Help You With Your Claim
Insurance companies may present themselves as wanting to help, but their goal is to pay as little as possible on a claim. It can be difficult for injury victims to deal with insurance companies while trying to recover. The attorneys at Matz Injury Law dedicate themselves to assisting Michigan motorcycle accidents and other injury victims. Our process entails:
- Meeting with you in person or a virtual meeting to discuss your case and explain the legal process
- Gathering evidence to help build a strong case in your favor, including identifying all the at-fault parties
- Helping you find the providers you need to make a full recovery
- Looking for all potential sources of compensation, including your no-fault insurance policy, the other driver’s liability insurance policy, and any other relevant insurance coverage
- Seeking full compensation for your case, our attorneys will communicate and work with insurance companies, insurance adjusters, healthcare providers, and anyone else involved
- Resolving your case for the maximum value of your claim, we will be transparent and communicative throughout this process.
- Going to trial if our attorneys cannot reach a fair settlement with the other parties
Throughout the process, you will not have to worry about the insurance companies or logistics; we will handle them.
Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Are Highly Awarded
Matz Injury Law is well-known for its advocacy of personal injury victims. Over the decades, our law firm and its attorneys are proud recipients of Martindale-Hubbell’s AV Preeminent rating, Super Lawyers, Michigan’s Top Attorneys from Crain’s Detroit Business, AVVO rating of 10.0, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and other awards.
Why Clients Partner With Matz Injury Law
Matz Injury Law is a personal injury law firm with extensive knowledge of Michigan laws and experience handling motorcycle accidents and other types of injury cases. Clients often select Matz Injury Law to provide legal representation because of our strong reputation of putting our clients’ needs first.
If you entrust Matz Injury Law to represent you in your accident case, you can expect honesty, compassion, understanding, transparency, and communication. Your attorney will keep you up-to-date on your case.
The attorney-client relationship is very important to us at Matz Injury Law. We fully dedicate ourselves to guiding our clients through the legal process to achieve favorable outcomes, serving as your voice as we tirelessly advocate on your behalf with a client-first approach to work toward securing fair compensation.
Testimonials
“Steve was very helpful, answered any questions I may have had, and took care to get things done I’d recommend him absolutely” – Cindy.
“Steve Matz is very knowledgeable. When working with me, he explained clearly what information is needed, what to expect and helped me prepare. He puts you at ease and helps you in making decisions of what needs to be done. I strongly recommend him as your attorney. He is a pleasure to work with.” – Susan.
“Mr. Steve Matz helped me 12 years earlier when I was struck while riding my motorcycle. He always said after our victorious case was completed, that if I ever needed help, don’t hesitate to call him, that he would help me, well years later, my home insurance didn’t want to pay for all the items that were destroyed by a lightning strike. I didn’t feel that was fair, so I called Steve, and the first words out of his mouth were, “I told you I would always help you”. He helped me without charging me a single cent. He got involved, and the insurance company paid another 5 thousand dollars for items that they had directly told me that they would not pay for. I have so much Respect for Steve as a Lawyer, and as a Human Being. He is a great Soul who Truly believes that he has an obligation to Help People, and that’s what he does. Words cannot express how grateful, and proud I feel to know him. As a Proud American, and a Veteran, I can say I Trust Steve Matz, and I wouldn’t think of hiring anyone else but Steve for legal help, he’s a Man of his Word, and is the definition of a True Friend. Thank you Steve for Always being there to help me and my family.” – Dan.
Types of Compensation Our Ann Arbor Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Can Help You Recover
Matz Injury Law has extensive experience pursuing different types of compensation for its clients, including both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, funeral bills, and other bills you are responsible for paying.
Non-economic damages are losses not assigned a dollar amount but still cause damage. Examples include pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, PTSD, loss of consortium, disfigurement, and other losses.
How Much You Can Get in a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Ann Arbor, MI
Each case is different when it comes to compensation and will heavily depend upon an individual’s circumstances post-accident. Considerations taken into account are severity of injuries, impact on earning capacity, degree of fault, and available insurance coverage.
Injured in a Motorcycle Crash in Ann Arbor?
Over the decades, our attorneys have traveled hundreds of thousands of miles throughout Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsulas to meet with our clients. To date, Matz Injury Law has won over $300 million for clients. If you have been injured in an accident recently, contact our firm to see how we can put our experience to work for you.
To schedule a free consultation, call Matz Injury Law at 1-866-22Not33 or fill out our online contact form.
Frequent Answered Questions
Michigan sees its fair share of motorcycle crashes (over 3,000 per year). Throughout the state, roughly 70 percent of motorcycle accidents occur at intersections, and 84 percent happen on city streets, not highways. This means motorcyclists traveling on Ann Arbor roads are more likely to experience a crash than those on interstates and other major roadways.
Individuals suffering from a crash at the scene of a motor vehicle accident often feel angst, pain, and fear. Amidst the confusion, it might be hard to know what to do. The following are important steps to take.
- Seek medical attention
- Report the accident to law enforcement
- Gather evidence at the scene of the accident (e.g. photos, video, eyewitness contact information, etc.)
- Notify insurance company
Additionally, it is essential to consult with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer. When you are dealing with pain, paperwork, and other legal considerations, it can quickly become overwhelming. Your lawyer will protect your legal rights and handle the details while you focus on recovery.
Motorcycle riders often face the stigma of wrongdoing when an accident occurs, but oftentimes, it is car and truck drivers causing crashes. Factors contributing to these collisions include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Motorcyclists cut off when changing lanes
- Vehicles turning left into a motorcycle’s path
- Aggressive driving
- Drunk driving
- Illegal lane splitting
- Running traffic signals and signs
These and other causes of bike accidents can tragically lead to severe injuries or fatalities in Ann Arbor and other areas of Michigan.
Motorcycle riders do not have protective elements surrounding them. As a result, injuries tend to be more serious. Common injuries occurring in bike accidents include the following.
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Road rashNeck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
- Broken and fractured bones
- Foot and leg injuries
- Hand and arm injuries
- Abdominal injuries
- Burns
Michigan law dictates that injury victims must follow an order of priority for filing with insurance companies, but motorcycles are not considered motor vehicles.
Generally, the process can become quite complex. It is a good idea to consult an experienced motorcycle accident attorney who can help investigate the accident and prove fault.
If insurance does not cover the costs of your losses, you can potentially pursue compensation from the at-fault driver.
Under Michigan Law, you have one year from the date of the accident to file a PIP claim with your insurance company. To file a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party, you have three years from the accident date.
Michigan’s no-fault laws apply differently to motorcycles. Since motorcycles are not classified as motor vehicles, riders cannot carry personal injury protection (PIP). However, they must carry liability coverage for their motorcycles; other coverages are optional. If another motorist driving a car, van, or truck is responsible, a motorcyclist’s injuries may be covered under the at-fault party’s PIP benefits.
In the event an at-fault driver lacks sufficient insurance coverage to cover a motorcycle rider’s injuries, the rider can use the optional uninsured motorist (UM) coverage if they purchased it. This type of insurance can help pay for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. Consulting with an experienced Michigan personal injury lawyer is a good idea to explore other options.
Michigan operates under comparative negligence laws. This means multiple parties might be at fault. Even accident victims can collect if they are held partially at fault, so long as they do not have more than 50 percent of the blame for a crash. If they have less than 50 percent blame, compensation will be reduced by the percentage of blame they are assigned.
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