Personal Injury Lawyer

Potholes are responsible for $3 billion in damage to vehicles every year. Tire punctures, bent wheels, and damaged suspensions all require repairs.

For motorcycle riders, however, potholes represent a danger that goes beyond property damage. A rider who hits a pothole risks losing control of the bike. Crashes caused by potholes can lead to broken bones, facial scarring, joint injuries, road rash, torn muscles, and other serious injuries. Even the best motorcycle helmets leave riders vulnerable to traumatic brain injuries.

The state, county, or city government that owns a road has an obligation to maintain it. Local governments that don’t want to raise taxes tend to forego necessary repairs. When they do fix potholes, they often do a shoddy job. Filling a pothole with sand or loose gravel can be just as dangerous for motorcyclists as making no repair at all.

Motorcycle accident lawyers help motorcyclists recover compensation when they are injured because of the government’s failure to repair potholes. Lawyers can provide valuable advice about the deadline for making a claim. Riders need to be aware of the statute of limitations that sets a deadline for filing suit, but they also need to know about the deadline set by laws that require a notice of claim to be presented to the government before a suit can be filed.

When to See a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident Caused by a Pothole

The starting point in seeking compensation for motorcycle accidents caused by a pothole is to see a doctor. Motorcyclists need to prove they were injured before they can collect injury compensation. That proof is usually supplied by medical records.

There is no fixed time limit for seeing a doctor, but there are good reasons to see one immediately after the accident occurs. Delayed treatment delays healing. Motorcycle riders might be tempted to “walk it off” after they injure a knee or ankle, but joint injuries can become permanent injuries if accident victims continue to use the damaged joints. If an injury needs a cast or a walking boot, failing to treat it promptly can lead to long-term woes.

Head injuries that may not seem to need treatment could prove to be fatal. Any concussion can cause bleeding or swelling of the brain. A neurologist or other doctor who has been trained to examine brain injuries should rule out the need for immediate intervention. By the time a swollen brain produces more pain than a mild headache, it may be too late to save the victim’s life.

Reasons to See a Doctor Promptly After a Motorcycle Accident Caused by a Pothole

In addition to improving treatment outcomes, seeing a doctor soon after an accident improves settlement outcomes. Government claims managers and insurance adjusters base injury settlements on medical records. The more carefully an injury is documented, the more likely they will be to offer a reasonable settlement.

When motorcyclists do not visit a doctor soon after the accident, claims managers jump to the conclusion that a later accident must have caused the injury for which treatment is provided. A lawyer, like a motorcycle accident lawyer, may be able to prove that the pothole accident caused the rider’s injuries, but that proof becomes much more difficult when the rider delays a visit to the doctor.

For the same reason, it is important for motorcycle accident victims to continue their treatment until they are discharged. Failing to keep or reschedule appointments sends the message that the injury must have healed. If the accident victim argues that the injury is still painful when it is time to settle, the claims manager will not believe that the pain is real unless the victim has consistently followed a doctor’s treatment advice. Accident victims hurt themselves financially as well as physically by failing to follow a doctor’s orders.

Thank you to the experts at Butler Law Firm for their input into motorcycle accidents and the law.