Did someone hit you as you were riding your motorcycle in Atlanta? That person could owe you money for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, but their insurance provider would rather keep their profits than pay you fairly. That’s why you need an experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer to guide you through the claims process and fight hard for fair compensation.

Our team has over five decades of combined legal experience and a record of over $300 million recovered for accident victims. Firm founders Frank Bayuk and Bradley Pratt’s experience as senior partners for some of the country’s top defense law firms showed them firsthand how insurers fight accident claims. Now, they use their knowledge and insight to craft winning strategies for motorcycle accident victims in Atlanta – and they’re ready to start work on your case today.

Don’t wait another moment to demand what you’re owed. Contact Bayuk Law for a free, no-obligation consultation and case review. An Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney from our firm will discuss your legal options for recovering compensation.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Atlanta?

Motorcycle accidents are common in Atlanta, and motorcycles are significantly overrepresented in crashes involving injuries and fatalities. According to data from the Georgia Department of Driver Services, motorcyclists account for only about 2 percent of registered vehicles. However, motorcycle riders account for nearly a tenth of traffic fatalities.

Per mile travelled, motorcyclists are nearly 28 times more likely than occupants of passenger vehicles to die in a motor vehicle crash and five times more likely to be injured. Over 40 percent of all motorcycle crashes in Georgia occur in or around the Atlanta metro area, most likely due to the area’s high traffic volume and extensive highways.

Does Wearing a Helmet Make a Difference if You Are in a Motorcycle Crash?

Yes, wearing a helmet can affect the outcome of a motorcycle accident in Georgia. Motorcycle helmets significantly reduce the incidence of head injuries in a collision.

Georgia has universal motorcycle helmet laws requiring all motorcycle drivers and riders to wear head protection, regardless of age or riding experience. If you get into an accident without a helmet and sustain head or neck injuries, you might be judged partially at fault. Under Georgia’s comparative negligence laws, shared fault can reduce the amount you receive in any settlement or jury verdict.

Whether or not a helmet would have prevented an injury depends on the type of injury. If wearing a helmet would have reduced injury severity, such as with traumatic brain injuries, it’s more likely insurers will try to hold you at least partly at fault. You may still be able to recover compensation for injuries not affected by wearing a helmet. Wearing a helmet while on your motorcycle can reduce the risk of serious injury and preserve your ability to recover the maximum compensation after a motorcycle accident.

An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can review the specific details of your accident and discuss your right to pursue a motorcycle accident claim.

What Are the Motorcycle Laws for Atlanta and Georgia?

Knowing Georgia’s motorcycle laws matters because noncompliance can impact your ability to recover financial damages after a motorcycle wreck. If you violate Georgia motorcycle laws and get into a collision, your non-compliance with the law could make you ineligible to pursue a personal injury claim for your losses. There are several essential motorcycle laws you should know and follow to protect yourself from accident liability:

License Requirements – You must have a Class M motorcycle license or permit to operate a motorcycle in Georgia legally. Riding without a valid license is a misdemeanor and can result in a fine of up to $1,000.
Helmet Laws – OCGA 40-6-315 states that all riders and passengers on a motorcycle must wear a DOT-approved helmet. All riders must wear eye protection or have a windshield on their bikes. Violating helmet laws is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000.
Motorcycle Insurance Requirements – All riders in Georgia must carry at least $10,000 in property damage liability coverage, $15,000 in injury liability coverage per person, and $30,000 in injury liability coverage per accident.
Lane Splitting – Lane splitting, or riding between lanes of slow or stationary traffic, is illegal in Georgia, per OCGA 40-6-312. The penalty for lane splitting is a fine and three points on your license. However, two motorcycles can ride side by side in a single lane.
Traffic Laws – Motorcyclists are subject to the same traffic rules as other drivers. They must obey traffic signals, follow the speed limit, signal before turns, and yield the right-of-way when required.
Equipment Laws – To be street legal, a motorcycle must be equipped with a side mirror, handlebars that are less than 15 inches above the seat, and working headlights and taillights.

Benefits of Hiring an Atlanta Attorney for Your Motorcycle Accident Claim

By hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer in Atlanta from Bayuk Pratt, you’ll have the freedom to focus on your injury treatment and rehabilitation while we work on your claim.

Our motorcycle accident lawyers will:

Investigate the crash to secure evidence
Identify liable parties and avenues for compensation
Negotiate for a fair out-of-court settlement
Take your case to trial if the insurer won’t play fair

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident

Following an accident on your motorcycle resulting from someone else’s negligence, you can put yourself in a favorable position to seek financial recovery and justice for your injuries by:

Reporting the accident to law enforcement and requesting a copy of the police crash report
Notifying your motorcycle insurance provider about the accident
Seeking prompt medical attention and following your doctor’s treatment plan
Obtaining copies of medical records of your treatment and rehabilitation
Gathering copies of pay stubs or income statements if you miss time from work or earn less than before the crash
Keeping all bills, invoices, and receipts of your expenses

Finally, remember to contact an Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney from Bayuk Pratt as soon as possible to start pursuing the financial resources you need to put your life back on track.

How We Investigate Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Cases

At Bayuk Pratt, our legal team thoroughly investigates motorcycle accidents to recover all available evidence. Having a complete picture of a crash allows us to identify all at-fault parties and evaluate our clients’ legal options for financial compensation.

Some examples of evidence we use in investigating motorcycle crashes include:

Police accident reports
Accident scene photos or videos
Surveillance and traffic camera footage
Dashcam and helmet cam footage
Eyewitness testimony
The driver’s cell phone records

The driver’s post-crash alcohol and drug test results
Vehicle computer data logs
Repair and maintenance records
Post-accident vehicle inspections
Accident reconstruction expert reports and testimony

Compensation You Could Recover in an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Claim

You may have a claim to obtain financial recovery for expenses or losses you incur due to injuries suffered in a motorcycle collision.

Your motorcycle accident compensation can provide you with money for your:

Repair or replacement costs for other damaged property, such as your motorcycle helmet
Medical treatment and rehabilitation expenses
Costs of long-term disability care and support services, such as housekeeping
Lost wages or income
Loss of future earning capacity and job benefits if you suffer permanent disability
Physical pain and anguish
Emotional trauma and distress, including reduced quality of life caused by disabilities or permanent disfigurement from your injuries
Motorcycle repair expenses or reimbursement for the value of your bike if the accident totaled it

How a Motorcycle Accident Differs from a Car Accident

Injured motorcycle riders face certain challenges in pursuing financial compensation that victims of other motor vehicle accidents do not.

Some of the factors that can make motorcycle accident claims different from car accident claims include:

More Severe Injuries – Because motorcycle riders typically suffer severe injuries in a crash, motorcycle accident claims can involve substantial amounts of compensation that may make insurance companies fight harder to minimize their financial liability.
At-Fault Drivers May Lack Sufficient Insurance – Some drivers purchase the minimum liability insurance required by law. However, these basic policies frequently do not provide full compensation to injured riders, which may require them to turn to other sources of financial relief.
Anti-Motorcyclist Bias – Drivers may rely on popular stereotypes of motorcycle riders as “outlaws” to claim that a rider did something careless or reckless that caused the accident. When a driver tries to shift blame for a crash to the rider, the rider may need additional evidence to prove that the driver caused the accident.

What Happens If Someone Dies as a Result of an Atlanta Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycles have a significantly higher fatality rate in accidents than passenger cars. Many motorcycle claims involve wrongful deaths. When someone dies in a motorcycle accident due to negligence or wrongdoing, their spouse or children may have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit (OCGA 51-4-2). Through a wrongful death lawsuit, they can recover the “full value of the life of the decedent,” which includes economic and non-economic losses, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Any proceeds from a wrongful death lawsuit are split equally between the surviving spouse and any children.

If the deceased has no spouse or children, then their parents can file a wrongful death lawsuit. Suppose the motorcycle accident victim has no surviving spouse, children, or parents. In that case, the deceased’s personal representative can bring a wrongful death lawsuit and hold the proceeds for the deceased’s next of kin.

Testimonials

Frank and the entire team at Bayuk Pratt LLC, were an absolute pleasure to work with. Their professionalism, attentiveness, empathic demeanor, and overall knowledge were beyond anything I could have hoped for. Being out of the state, I thought the process may be difficult for me, but Frank and his team were able to make the entire process smooth and stress free. I highly recommend Bayuk Pratt LLC for any of your legal needs.

- Billy Adkins

Having worked with Bayuk Pratt on a number of personal injury cases, and having tried cases with Attorney Bayuk, I can personally attest to their exceptional legal skills and dedication to client success. With Bayuk Pratt, you receive top-notch, high-powered representation on the level of the biggest corporate clients. They demonstrate a profound understanding of personal injury law and provide insightful guidance and strategic advice. Their communication is clear and consistent, making sure clients and referring attorneys are well-informed at every stage of the process. Bayuk Pratt’s commitment to achieving the best possible outcome for their clients is unmatched. I highly recommend this law firm.

- Bethany Schneider

Frank’s resume speaks for itself. It’s unusual to find a big law attorney who leaves the dark side to help real people. Without a doubt, Frank is one of the best trial lawyers in Atlanta.

- Hunter Garnett

Christy Lambden is a thorough and thoughtful attorney. He truly cares about his clients and fights to get the best result possible.

- Marissa Torgerson

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Parties Who Could Be Held Liable for a Motorcycle Wreck in Atlanta

In most cases, a driver who hits a motorcyclist will bear liability for the rider’s injuries. However, other parties may share responsibility, as well. For example, the driver’s employer may also share liability for your injuries and losses if the accident occurs during the at-fault driver’s working hours.

The owner of the at-fault driver’s vehicle may also share responsibility for a motorcycle accident if the owner negligently entrusted their vehicle to the driver. An owner may negligently entrust their vehicle when they know or should know that the driver poses a substantial risk of causing an accident, such as when the owner lends their car to a visibly intoxicated driver.

Under Georgia’s dram shop law, a bar, restaurant, or other establishment might bear liability in a motorcycle accident claim. This may apply, for example, if they furnished alcohol to a person under 21 or a visibly intoxicated person when the establishment knew the person would soon drive. Contact our Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer today for a free case review.

Do you have injuries from a motorcycle accident in Atlanta? Motorcycle accidents can cause severe injuries that are expensive to treat and that leave you unable to work. If another driver’s negligence or wrongdoing caused your injuries, you may file an insurance claim and demand compensation for your medical bills, lost work income, and other losses.

At Bayuk Pratt, we can handle the entire process of filing an injury claim, from the initial investigation to final negotiations. We understand how difficult life can be with motorcycle accident injuries. Let us take the legal burden off your shoulders, allowing you to focus on your health and recovery. Contact Bayuk Pratt to speak to a motorcycle accident attorney in Atlanta, GA.

Could You Recover Compensation if You’re Partly to Blame for a Motorcycle Accident?

Drivers frequently try to avoid liability for a motorcycle accident by shifting blame for the crash to the rider. However, under Georgia’s comparative negligence laws, you can still recover compensation even if you share some fault for causing the accident.

The statute states that you can still pursue a claim if your share of responsibility for causing the crash does not equal or exceed the other party’s share of fault. However, any fault you bear for the accident can reduce your financial recovery in your motorcycle accident case in proportion to your percentage of fault.

Comparative negligence can complicate a motorcycle accident claim. That’s because liable parties often try to push as much of the blame onto victims as possible to try to save themselves money. This is one reason why having a skilled Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney from Bayuk Pratt on your side is so crucial. Our lawyers can use the evidence we collect in our investigation to craft a solid case demonstrating why you deserve maximum compensation.

How Long Do You Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit in Georgia?

Under the statute of limitations in Georgia, you typically have two years after a crash to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit to recover compensation for injuries. However, if you file your lawsuit after the applicable limitations period expires on your claim, you may lose the opportunity to pursue financial recovery from the at-fault parties.

By talking to a motorcycle accident lawyer in Atlanta as soon as possible after a collision, you’ll preserve your right to compensation, because they’ll make sure your claim is filed on time.

How Do You Prove the Other Party’s Negligence Caused My Accident?

Liability in motorcycle crash cases typically depends on demonstrating that the other driver did not follow traffic laws and caused the accident as a result of their negligence. Proving that the other driver was negligent requires establishing three key elements:

Duty – The driver must have a duty of care to the accident victim. Drivers generally have a responsibility to operate their vehicles safely and take steps to reduce risk to others on the road, including motorcyclists.
Violation – The motorist failed to fulfill their duty of care, either through action or inaction. Common violations while driving include speeding, ignoring traffic signals, driving while intoxicated, or sending text messages while driving.
Causation – You must show that your injuries occurred as a result of the driver’s disregard for safety or negligent actions. It is not enough that you have injuries.

Proving these elements is the central challenge of any motorcycle accident lawsuit. During the initial stages of the claims process, your Atlanta motorcycle accident lawyer will need to investigate to gather evidence proving the other driver’s fault. Evidence that can support your claim includes:

Photographs of the accident scene
Video footage of the accident, such as surveillance camera video or dashcam footage
Medical records documenting your injuries and medical bills
Eyewitness accounts
Expert testimony and accident reconstruction reports
Police accident reports

One of the reasons that insurance companies often deny claims is that the claimant does not provide enough evidence to prove the extent of their injuries or the other motorist’s fault. An experienced car accident attorney with Bayuk Pratt knows how to gather evidence to develop a compelling Atlanta motorcycle accident claim. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators and can resolve many motorcycle accident claims without the need for trial.

Can a Passenger on a Motorcycle File an Injury Claim?

Most motorcycle accident claims focus on the rider or operator, but motorcycle accidents frequently result in injuries to passengers. Passengers on motorcycles have the same rights as passengers in automobiles. If you sustain injuries as a motorcycle passenger, you may be entitled to file a claim against the at-fault party and seek a fair settlement.

If the motorcycle operator and another motorist share fault for the accident, you could file a claim against both for your injuries. An Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney can help you assess your options for seeking compensation as a passenger in a motorcycle collision during a free consultation.

What Factors Can Affect the Value of My Atlanta Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit?

It is difficult to generalize about the value of a motorcycle accident case in Atlanta. Multiple factors can affect the value of personal injury lawsuits, including:

Injury Severity – The more severe your motorcycle injuries, the higher the financial stakes.
Medical Bills – Injuries that require extensive medical treatment and long-term rehabilitation generate higher medical expenses and can produce higher-value insurance settlements.
Lost Income – A motorcycle accident claim can seek compensation for lost income from missing work as well as reduced future earning potential.
Insurance Limits – The insurance policies available to provide compensation, as well as their limits, will affect the value of any settlement.
Shared Fault – In Georgia, sharing fault for a motor vehicle accident can reduce the amount of money you can recover in a financial settlement.
Quality-of-Life Reductions – Settlement values also account for the extent of your pain and suffering and how your injuries have affected your life.

Motorcycle accident claims in Georgia can range from thousands of dollars to hundreds of thousands of dollars or even higher. Georgia has no statutory limits on compensation in motorcycle accident cases. An experienced Atlanta motorcycle accident attorney with Bayuk Pratt can fight for the maximum compensation you need.

How Long Does an Atlantic Motorcycle Accident Take to Settle?

Timelines for motorcycle accident cases vary depending on several factors. Accidents involving severe injuries or long-term injuries typically take longer to litigate due to more involved medical treatments and higher claim values. Accidents involving multiple vehicles and overlapping causal factors are more challenging to investigate.

In the best-case circumstances, you can resolve a motorcycle accident claim in a few months. It’s essential to wait until you have completed medical treatment and your medical expenses are known or predictable before settling a case. Complex cases can take more than a year to resolve, especially if litigation is involved.

An experienced motorcycle accident attorney may seek to settle a case while being prepared to go to trial if an insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation.

Do You Have Limited Time to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim?

Yes, you have limited time to file a lawsuit related to a motorcycle accident. Under Ga. Code § 9-3-33, a two-year time limit applies to all civil claims for negligence. Once the two-year filing deadline passes, you will lose your legal right to seek compensation for the injuries sustained by you. In most cases, the two-year limit is measured from the day you sustained your injuries. In the case of hidden injuries, the filing deadline may be extended to two years from the date you discovered your injuries or reasonably should have found them.

These time limits are strict, so it’s in your best interest to get started by contacting a personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options. The attorneys at Bayuk Pratt have over 50 years of combined experience in personal injury law and have recovered over $300 million for our clients. As battle-tested litigators, our motorcycle injury lawyers can pursue your motorcycle accident case efficiently and fight back against attempts by insurers to minimize or deny your claim.

A single motorcycle accident can completely change your life and introduce many new challenges. Our law firm can provide the legal support you need to seek a full recovery and establish a financial foundation for rebuilding your life. Your health and recovery are our concern. Our legal team will do everything in its power to assist you through this trying time. Here is what one satisfied client had to say about our work:

“Frank and the entire team at Bayuk Pratt LLC were an absolute pleasure to work with. Their professionalism, attentiveness, empathic demeanor, and overall knowledge were beyond anything I could have hoped for.” – Billy A.

Contact the law offices of Bayuk Pratt online or call today for a free consultation with a motorcycle accident attorney in Atlanta. We are available 24/7. Please call us at your convenience. We look forward to hearing from you and discussing how we may assist you.

Common Types and Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Atlanta

Common examples of the types of accidents that motorcycle riders can get into include:

Rear-end collisions
Sideswipe collisions
T-bone collisions

Head-on collisions
Underride accidents
Single-vehicle crashes (“wipeouts”)

Many motorcycle crashes occur due to the negligence of other motorists who do not properly share the road with motorcyclists. Common causes of motorcycle accidents in Georgia include:

Speeding drivers
Reckless driving, including excessive speeding or swerving in and out of traffic
Tailgating or following too closely
Passing a motorcycle without moving over to an adjacent lane
Opening the door on a street-parked vehicle in front of an oncoming motorcycle
Failing to yield the right of way

Running red lights or stop signs
Turning or changing lanes without signaling or checking mirrors and blind spots
Driving while distracted
Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Driving while drowsy or fatigued

Other factors may also cause or contribute to motorcycle accidents, such as adverse weather conditions or poorly maintained road surfaces.

Typical Injuries Resulting from a Motorcycle Collision

Motorcycle riders frequently suffer catastrophic injuries in crashes due to their exposed position on a motorcycle and the fact that bikes lack the safety equipment that other vehicles have, such as airbags or seatbelts.

Injuries that can occur in a motorcycle wreck include:

Lacerations
Abrasions (road rash)
Dislocated joints
Ligament, tendon, and muscle strains, sprains, or tears
Broken bones
Nerve damage

Herniated spinal disc injury
Internal trauma and bleeding
Traumatic brain injuries
Burns
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
Facial injuries
Traumatic amputation or limb loss

Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Atlanta Today

If you’ve suffered life-altering injuries in a motorcycle crash, you deserve to hold the driver who hit you accountable. Let our motorcycle accident law firm fight to recover the compensation and accountability you deserve after a catastrophic crash.

Contact Bayuk Pratt today for a free, no-obligation claim evaluation to discuss how we can help you pursue the compensation and justice you deserve.

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