Iowa Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Here are three things that make motorcycle cases different from car accident cases:

1. Increased Likelihood of Catastrophic Injuries: The injuries are usually much more severe in motorcycle crashes, meaning higher medical bills, longer recoveries, and permanent disabilities. This could all dramatically increase what your case is truly worth.
2. Different Evidence and Collision Causes: In car accidents, we often look for skid marks and vehicle damage. In motorcycle crash cases, we need to prove that the driver had a legal duty to look for you and failed. Lawyers need to examine driver sightlines, lane positioning, and whether the driver checked their mirrors and blind spots.
3. The Bias Against Motorcyclists: Insurance companies and juries often have bias against motorcycle riders. They may assume you were speeding or reckless even if you did nothing wrong. This prejudice can slash settlement offers by thousands of dollars.

Yes, especially if your medical bills are more than $5,000 or you’ve needed treatment for more than five months. You may have never been in this situation before, but we have many times and know what to expect.

Disputing Bias Against Motorcyclists: Motorcyclists often face unfair assumptions about their safety and responsibility. At RSH Legal, we know how to fight the bias that riders face. Our attorneys fight hard to overcome these prejudices and emphasize the facts of your case and your injuries.

Identifying Treatment Gaps: Our lawyers can help identify treatment gaps that could be used against you by insurance companies. If a more conservative medical treatment isn’t working for you, our attorneys will encourage you to reach out to your doctor and seek the type of treatment that best addresses your pain and other symptoms.

Proving What Happened in a Crash: If a driver says, “I didn’t see you,” that could be an admission that they failed their legal duty. Proving that requires immediate investigation, expert witnesses, and aggressive representation from skilled attorneys.

In Iowa, you typically have two years from the date of the motorcycle crash to file a lawsuit. However, the statute of limitations is not the whole story, and you need to act quickly with motorcycle crash claims. Many things are happening while you’re deciding what to do next.

Traffic camera footage is often recorded over after just seven days. People can start forgetting important details about what happened as their adrenaline fades. Damaged vehicles get repaired. Witnesses can move away.

Every day that you delay taking action makes your motorcycle accident claim easier for insurance companies to pick apart. It’s best to speak with an Iowa motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.

Hit-and-runs happen more often with motorcycles than with other automobiles. If you are involved in a hit-and-run crash, taking these steps can protect your health and your legal rights in Iowa.

Speak with an Iowa motorcycle accident attorney about your legal options as soon as possible. Our lawyers will attempt to locate the hit-and-run driver using security footage, traffic cameras, your recollection of the collision, and eyewitness testimony. If we cannot locate the driver, you may still have a claim depending on your insurance coverage.

Call 911 and cooperate with first responders and authorities when they arrive.

Take photographs of the motorcycle, the location the crash occurred, and make sure to take wide shots of the area so we can evaluate what you would have seen and what the other driver would have seen.

Go see a doctor even if you feel okay, get checked out, and get the treatment you need. Do not refuse the ambulance ride if it’s offered to you. This is something the insurance company will try to use against you later.

Notify your own insurance provider about what happened. Stick to the facts: the date the crash happened, what time it occurred, and the vehicle involved.

Jot down notes about how the crash happened. Keep a recovery journal to document your pain levels, treatments, and a day-to-day record of how your injuries affect your life.

Yes, motorcyclists should check their UIM coverage just in case. In Iowa, the minimum insurance coverage for bodily injury to one person is just $20,000. Since motorcycle accidents tend to cause catastrophic injuries, $20,000 will not be enough to cover your medical bills and long-term healthcare needs.

UIM coverage can protect motorcyclists who’ve been hit by drivers who do not have sufficient insurance in place even if they follow the minimum 20/40/15 liability coverage.