Des Moines Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
Representing Riders Injured or Killed in Collisions
In the event of a motorcycle crash caused by another motorist, the motorcyclist often suffers devastating and catastrophic injuries, as motorcycles offer no external protection against the forces involved in a collision.
At LaMarca Law Group, P.C., an experienced Des Moines motorcycle accident lawyer can review your case and devise a course of action if you or someone you love has been in a motorcycle accident. Our experienced team of attorneys knows what it takes to successfully represent motorcycle accident victims and their families, and we can help ensure that your family obtains the compensation it deserves.
If you have been injured in or lost a loved one to a motorcycle accident, a Des Moines motorcycle collision attorney from our Iowa law firm has the experience, resources, and dedication you are seeking.
For a free consultation, contact us today at (515) 705-0233 to schedule a consultation. There is never any fee or expenses unless we obtain a recovery for you.
Motorcycle Accident Lawsuits
A motorcycle accident can cause catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, paralysis, and death. Often, motorcyclists involved in a collision find that they are unable to work or provide for themselves as a result of the injuries they have sustained. If you have suffered life-altering injuries or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, an attorney from our law office can help ensure you obtain just and fair financial compensation to meet present and future needs.
At LaMarca Law Group, P.C., serving Polk County and beyond, you can trust that our attorneys will provide a full evaluation and assessment of your needs. This assessment will incorporate your losses, expenditures, pain and suffering, and emotional distress, as well as your future financial needs for medical care or lost wages. Our attorneys have extensive experience dealing with the investigations and inherent complexities related to motorcycle accidents. With our support, you can recover the compensation that you deserve and need in order to move on with your life.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Unfortunately, many people are indifferent to the presence of motorcycles on the road, and they create unreasonable risks for motorcyclists as a result of their carelessness.
You may be entitled to obtain financial compensation if you or someone you love was involved in a motorcycle accident as a result of one of the following common causes:
- Following a motorcyclist too closely
- Driving recklessly and speeding in the vicinity of a motorcyclist
- Failing to check for motorcycles while merging or making a lane change
- Pulling in front of a motorcycle from a driveway, parking lot, or intersection
- Making a left turn in front of a motorcycle
- Misjudging the speed or distance of a motorcycle due to its smaller size
At LaMarca Law Group, P.C., a Des Moines motorcycle crash lawyer can review and investigate your case free of charge and determine your claim eligibility. If we believe that you have a case, we will work diligently to hold the liable party accountable for their actions and ensure that you are justly compensated for your losses and expenses. There is no fee or expense unless we obtain a recovery for you.
How is Fault Determined in a Motorcycle Accident?
If you were seriously hurt while riding your motorcycle, you do not have to suffer the pain and financial costs of the accident alone. You may be able to take legal action to hold the person who caused the accident responsible for their actions. When a biker is hurt in an accident, fault may be determined by figuring out if you were hurt due to someone’s (often another driver’s) negligent or reckless actions. If that person failed to properly look out for you, failed to follow applicable traffic laws, and failed to take all reasonable measures to avoid the accident with you, they may be held liable for the accident, and you may be eligible for compensation.
What Type of Compensation Might I Be Owed?
A serious accident inevitably comes with a steep physical and financial cost to the injured party. If someone else is found to be responsible for your injuries, you may be eligible to recover compensation for your medical bills, wages that you lost due to missed work, therapy expenses, medical device expenses, and additional damages for your pain and suffering. While this financial compensation will not reverse time and prevent the accident from happening, it often goes a long way to helping you piece together your life and move on from the accident.
Do I Need an Attorney?
If you have been hurt on an accident on your motorcycle, it’s likely you will be forced to deal with many important things following the accident, the most pressing of which is recovering from the accident. You will likely be dealing with mounting medical expenses while worrying about when you can return to work to continue earning a living for your family. You may also be concerned about the damage to your motorcycle, and how you’re going to pay to repair or replace it. During this difficult time, it is essential to hire an attorney to help you. An experienced attorney can help explain your legal options following an accident and can pursue compensation to make sure that you do not pay out-of-pocket for an accident that was not your fault.
Don’t Let Time Run Out on Your Motorcycle Accident Claim
Unfortunately, motorcycle accident victims do not have an unlimited amount of time in which to file a lawsuit to pursue compensation for their losses. Motorcycle accident claims are governed by the statute of limitations, which is the amount of time in which an accident victim can file a lawsuit. Once this time limit passes, an injured individual will no longer be able to file a lawsuit, no matter how serious their injuries happen to be.
Contact a Des Moines Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
To schedule a free initial consultation, investigation, and case review with a Des Moines-area motorcycle accident lawyer, contact LaMarca Law Group, P.C. today. An attorney from our firm can suggest a course of action and determine the best way to proceed with your claim. All claims must be brought within a certain time or they are lost forever, irrespective of the merits, so you should promptly call an attorney after any type of motorcycle injury or death.
We understand motorcycle accidents have a significant impact on your health and financial security. The attorneys of LaMarca Law Group, P.C. are here to help you recover the compensation that you need to recoup financial losses, heal from your accident, and move on with your life.
For a free consultation with a member of our legal team, call us today at (515) 705-0233.
Iowa Motorcycle Accident Statistics
To give Iowans a concrete idea of the severity and frequency of motorcycle accidents statewide, the Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) provides comprehensive statistics each year. The state uses these statistics to understand why these accidents occur, so that they can prevent them in the future. While more motorcyclists than ever ride on Iowa roads, crashes and fatalities, on a per capita basis, are much lower than they have ever historically been.
The most recent traffic incident data from Iowa DOT provides the following information from 2016:
- 60 fatalities for a fatal crash rate of 3.1 per 10,000 registered motorcycles
- 915 crashes involving injuries, for an injury crash rate of 55 per 10,000 registered motorcycles
- 272,857 registered motorcycle license holders, the highest ever for the years in which data was recorded
With the advent of new safety technology on vehicles and motorcycles in addition to helmet use, the number of fatal crashes has been on an overall downward trajectory for the last 50+ years. The fatality rate in Iowa has improved from a fatal crash rate of 10.1 in 1966 to as low as 1.9 per 10,000 registered motorcycles in 2011. However, as fatal crashes remain common, greater awareness and continued improvements in road and vehicle safety are necessary to save even more motorcyclists’ lives.
The fact remains: Riding a motorcycle, while safer than in years past, remains a risky activity on Iowa roads, especially with distracted drivers. The vast majority of fatal motorcycle crashes on Iowa roads take place during warmer months, roughly from April to September, with a peak in August and September. The majority of, and for some years all, fatal crashes involved those not wearing helmets.
For 2018, the most recent year for which complete data is available, fatal crashes statewide in Iowa were as follows:
- January & February: No fatal crashes
- March: 2 (1 with no helmet)
- April: 2
- May: 5 (3 with no helmet)
- June: 9 (6 with no helmet)
- July: 8 (6 with No Helmet)
- August: 12 (10 with no helmet)
- Sept: 2 (all with no helmet)
- October: 2 (all with no helmet)
- November and December: No fatal crashes
Given that the vast majority of fatal crashes occur without a helmet, helmets are essential for maintaining safety while on a motorcycle. If a loved one died in a motorcycle accident, you might be eligible to file a wrongful death claim. To learn more about your legal options, speak with an attorney as soon as possible after the incident.
Do You Have to Wear a Motorcycle Helmet in Iowa?
Currently, in Iowa, there isn't a helmet law in place for motorcycle riders. They can choose to wear one or not. Iowa, Illinois, and New Hampshire are the only three states that don't have any enforced motorcycle helmet laws. Riders and passengers in Iowa are also not required to wear eye protection while riding. However, as the statistics above show, wearing a helmet and other protective gear is paramount to your safety
We have dedicated our lives to protecting the rights and futures of injured Iowans. We work to ensure that your case is handled while you focus on your recovery.
