Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Hilo Serving Throughout The Big Island
Over a recent five-year period, deaths among motorcyclists were the fifth leading cause of accidental deaths in Hawaii. The highest rate of motorcycle fatalities statewide was here in Hawaii County. Riding motorcycles can be fun, exciting and economical ways to get around, but they can also be debilitating or deadly in a collision with a motor vehicle. Motorcycle riders know how to ride safely and defensively, but this ability cannot always protect them from negligent, reckless and aggressive drivers. Hilo motorcycle accident lawyer Louis Mendonca stands up for the rights of injured motorcycle riders and their families and helps them hold negligent drivers accountable while recovering a full and fair amount of compensation to help them deal with their injuries.
Motorcycle Riders are at Risk of Serious Injury in Motorcycle Accidents
Unlike motor vehicle occupants who are encased in a metal frame, restrained and protected with airbags in the event of an accident, motorcycle riders have little to protect them other than the clothes on their back. The best riding leathers and helmet only go so far, leaving motorcycle riders vulnerable to severe injury or death in serious motorcycle accidents. In fact, studies have shown that motorcyclists are nine times more likely to be injured than the occupant of the motor vehicle, and anywhere from 25 to 33 times more likely to be killed.
Common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Driver makes a left turn in front of an oncoming motorcycle
- Driver fails to check blind spots before executing a turn or lane change
- Driver drives aggressively around the motorcycle
- Driver fails to scan the road for the presence of motorcycles
- Driver is distracted and fails to notice a motorcycle
- Driver misjudges the speed or distance of a motorcycle
Recovering Compensation after a Motorcycle Accident can be Challenging
Motorcycle riders are generally not covered by Personal Injury Protection (PIP) no-fault insurance, and must instead go after the at-fault negligent driver for compensation after an accident. This may involve negotiating a settlement with the driver’s insurance company or taking the driver to court. In either case, it is the rider’s job to prove that the driver was negligent, that such negligence caused the accident and the rider’s injuries, and that the injuries are serious and justify a significant amount of compensation to cover medical costs, rehabilitation, lost wages due to missed work or disability, pain and suffering, and other legal damages.
Motorcyclists must also often face the bias against motorcycles held by insurance companies or jury members. It is easy to paint the biker as aggressive or reckless and somehow at fault in the accident. Hilo attorney Louis Mendonca works hard to overcome these stereotypes and produce real facts and evidence that prove the defendant driver’s responsibility, while at the same time protecting his clients from being unfairly allocated any blame for the accident which does not belong to them.
Get Help after a Hawaii Motorcycle Accident from a Knowledgeable and Experienced Hilo Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured or worse in a Hawaii motorcycle accident, call Louis P. Mendonca at 808-961-6690 for a free consultation with a skilled and experienced Hilo personal injury attorney.
