Portland Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Motorcycle accident cases often end in serious injuries or death. Motorcycles do not have a protective frame as a car does. So when there is a crash, the motorcyclist is in a very vulnerable position. Even with the best protective gear, motorcycle accident victims often suffer spine and brain injuries as well as broken bones and internal injuries. When the injured motorcyclist attempts to get justice, they often find that the justice system treats them differently than had they been driving a car. Insurance companies take the attitude that the motorcyclist has some blame for being on a motorcycle in the first place. You need an experienced Portland motorcycle accident attorney to help you fight the insurance company and recover financially. Call motorcycle accident attorney Chad Stavley for a free and confidential consultation.
Just how vulnerable is a motorcyclist on the roadway?
In 2017 there were 927 reported motorcycle crashes in Oregon. In those reported crashes there were 917 injuries. That is a whopping 98.9% injury rate. In those 927 reported crashes, there were 56 fatalities. That means that 6% of all motorcycle crashes ended in a fatality. If you compare these statistics to car accidents, you get a clear picture of the danger. In non-motorcycle crashes statewide the fatality rate is less than 1%. The map below shows a geographic breakdown of Oregon motorcycle crashes, injuries, and fatalities by county.
2017 Oregon Motorcycle Crash Statistics Map
Help from an experienced Portland motorcycle accident lawyer
Motorcycle cases are not like any other car accident case. The laws that apply can be different. More importantly, the way insurance adjusters, insurance defense lawyers, judges, and juries view these cases is different. Unlike an Oregon car crash case, you may not have PIP insurance on your motorcycle policy. You may need help figuring out how to get medical care. You may be dealing with an insurance representative that does not understand motorcycles and motorcycle accident cases. Having an experienced Portland motorcycle accident attorney can help get your case resolved faster and for more money. Chad Stavley has handled many motorcycle accident cases throughout Oregon and most often in Portland. Motorcycle accident cases require a lawyer to have a good understanding of the mechanics of riding, so it is helpful to have a lawyer who also rides.
Don’t be a victim twice – beware of the insurance adjuster
Insurance companies and their adjusters know that motorcycle cases often end in serious injuries. They know that right after your crash, you will likely feel overwhelmed and uncertain about what you should do. That is when they want to discuss settlement. If possible, they want to settle your case before you are even aware of the extent of your injuries, your financial losses, and the value of your case. The insurance adjuster may even be very friendly on the phone and seem concerned about your well being. They are doing a job. They are trying to minimize the amount of money they will have to pay due to their insured driver’s negligence. You should consult with an experienced Portland motorcycle accident attorney before you talk with the insurance company. Don’t go into this conversation without understanding your rights.
Common causes of Oregon motorcycle accidents
There is a common view that most motorcycle accidents are the fault of the reckless or inattentive motorcyclist who is not obeying traffic laws. Statistically, that is not true. The most recent Oregon Department of Transportation statistics indicate that approximately half of all crashes involving a motorcycle are the fault of the other driver. What are the most common causes of motorcycle crashes?
What to look for when choosing a Portland motorcycle accident attorney
When you are choosing a motorcycle accident attorney to handle your case, you will have a lot of options. We think you must consider the experience of the motorcycle accident lawyer, above all else. Has the lawyer handled motorcycle accident cases? Does the lawyer understand motorcycles because they ride themselves? Does the lawyer have the courtroom experience you’ll need if the insurance company does not make an acceptable offer?
Someone who has done this before
Don’t let your case be some lawyer’s first attempt at handling a motorcycle injury claim. You should look for a motorcycle accident attorney who has successfully handled many cases just like yours. We have taken on and successfully resolved motorcycle cases every year since 2008.
Someone who rides
The best way to ensure that your lawyer understands what happened to you is to choose a Portland motorcycle accident attorney who has been in the same situation. Hiring someone who also rides is a good idea. Chad grew up riding dirt bikes and has spent days riding across large parts of the country.
Someone with strong courtroom experience
Chad has tried over 100 cases including more than 75 jury trials. Most Oregon personal injury lawyers will not try that many cases in their entire career. Courtroom experience makes all the difference when selecting a motorcycle accident lawyer. If your case has to go to trial, you should have someone with experience by your side.
We can help win your motorcycle accident case
We treat every case as a trial case until the insurance company gives us a fair offer. That means getting every possible witness and piece of evidence necessary to win your case and get a large verdict. Our investigators will search for witnesses and interview them. They’ll interview police officers and other professionals who responded to emergency calls. If there is a video of the crash, we will do everything possible to get our hands on it before it can be destroyed. If experts are necessary to prove the facts of your case, we will hire them. We make sure we understand everything about your injuries so that we can present that information to a jury if it comes to that. Once your case is completely worked up, we negotiate with the insurance company from a position of strength. If they want to see what a jury will say, we will be ready. In motorcycle cases particularly, there is a lot of bias against the motorcycle rider. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney will know how to counter that.
We’ve helped many others, let us help you
We are very proud of the fact that our former clients take the time to review us online. Their reviews might help you decide who to hire after your motorcycle accident. Attorney review sites such as Google can you get a feel for the personality of any lawyer. We invite you to read our Google reviews. We also encourage you to look at our Results page to learn about the other cases we have handled. If you would like a free and confidential consultation with motorcycle accident attorney Chad Stavley.
We Fight Anti-Motorcycle Bias
Victims in motorcycle cases are often mistreated from the very beginning as they seek compensation for their damages. The insurance adjuster may undervalue your case because he or she thinks you are unsafe for simply riding a motorcycle. They’ll bank on having jurors who feel the same way if you take your case to trial. So they think they can afford to be cheap. If you file a lawsuit, the insurance company’s lawyers will also likely be biased against you. They’ll attempt to hold you to a higher standard than a driver of a car. At the Law Office of Chad Stavley, we fight against this bias. We have successfully recovered substantial damages for injured motorcyclists in spite of unfair defense tactics.