The Hidden Costs of a Motorcycle Accident: What Your Insurance Company Won’t Tell You

Motorcyclists do not have the safety protections around them that car occupants have, which means that injuries in motorcycle crashes are often especially severe. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and other catastrophic injuries are not uncommon in motorcycle accidents. These kinds of physical injuries can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars or even into the millions in medical treatment and rehabilitation over a lifetime.

Many insurers try to pay as little as possible for injury accidents. They offer low-ball settlements that do not take into account the long-term physical and emotional trauma of motorcycle crashes. They would prefer that you simply sign on the dotted line and go on your way, saving them money and time.

Experienced personal injury lawyers understand the immediate, long-term, and hidden costs of debilitating motorcycle accidents and fight to get seriously injured riders the true compensation they need.

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Immediate Medical Expenses Beyond the Initial Hospital Stay

You were probably transported to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital following your serious accident. You may have undergone surgeries to stabilize you and had additional medical procedures and treatments during your stay.

After being released from that initial hospitalization, there is other expensive medical care you may require depending on injury severity. You may be immediately admitted to an expensive inpatient rehabilitation facility, where you could spend days or weeks. One study showed that the average inpatient rehabilitation cost for patients with traumatic brain injuries, as an example, was $1,600 per person per day. You could also face the expense of:

• Additional surgeries
• Months of physical therapy treatments
• Pricey prescription drugs to manage pain and injuries
• Frequent visits to your doctor to check your progress
• Equipment such as a wheelchair, walker, or crutches to assist you with mobility while you recover.

Immediate expenses are usually very high. Added to them are the long-term financial impacts of serious injuries.

The Long-Term Financial Impact

You may require ongoing and regular medical treatment. You may be unable to work while you recover and lose wages and benefits. You could be permanently disabled and unable to work at the same capacity, or ever be able to work again. People with catastrophic injuries can require long-term care in a skilled nursing facility.

The financial cost of severe injuries can extend far into the future and even for a lifetime. However, the insurance company probably won’t tell you about the long-term impacts. They may factor only your immediate medical care and property damage to your bike into their payment offer and hope you will accept it so they can quickly get you off their books. By pursuing long-term and hidden costs in your claim, you can help ensure you are adequately compensated.

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Other Hidden Costs in a Motorcycle Accident Claim

In addition to the long-term costs, there are other “hidden costs” that should be included in a claim to help ensure you receive appropriate payment. Hidden costs can include payment for:

• Pain and suffering—You can ask for payment for your chronic pain and the emotional trauma you have experienced due to the frightening accident and your new physical reality.
• Mental health therapy—You may need psychological counseling to help you deal with depression, anxiety, and emotional distress from your injuries.
• Lost enjoyment of life—If you can no longer participate in the recreational activities and hobbies you once enjoyed, you may be able to get compensation for those losses.
• Assistance in the home—this could include housekeeping and childcare, or even basic tasks of daily life such as eating, dressing, and bathing.
• Transportation to medical providers—The initial ambulance ride and payment for transportation to medical appointments can be included here.
• Home remodeling—If you have a long-term disability and are in a wheelchair, your home may need modifications to add ramps, widen doorways, and otherwise accommodate your needs.
• Prosthetics—Motorcycle accidents can result in lost limbs.
• Medical equipment—This can include electric wheelchairs, in-home hospital beds, ventilators, and other specialized equipment you may need.

As you can see, there can be many hidden costs of a motorcycle accident. The hidden costs you sustain should be factored into your insurance claim.

What Your Insurance Company Should Be Doing

Here is what the insurance company should be doing. The insurer should give you a fair payment after your motorcycle accident when you were the victim of another driver’s negligence. The insurer should take into account your current and future losses and expenses when it comes to medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and other hidden damages. Unfortunately, too often, insurance companies underestimate the true costs of motorcycle accidents. Some insurance adjusters may even perceive motorcyclists to be reckless daredevils who must somehow be responsible for their own crash and injuries, even if evidence shows otherwise.

The good news is that you do not have to accept the first settlement offer the insurance company makes, which is typically low. If you have serious injuries, it is to your great benefit to speak with an attorney who will safeguard your interests before you sign anything from the insurance company.

Protecting Your Rights After a Motorcycle Accident

Turn to The Stoddard Firm in Atlanta for Help

At The Stoddard Firm in Atlanta, we understand the devastating physical and mental consequences of motorcycle accidents. We are familiar with the unfair schemes some insurers employ to try to avoid fair payments to motorcyclists, and we know how to counter them. Our attorneys routinely take on the largest insurance companies in the world and achieve high-dollar results in settlements and verdicts for victims of accidents caused by negligence.

To speak with an experienced attorney with a history of fighting for the rights of motorcycle riders, call 470-467-2200 for a free consultation. When we work with you, our lawyers will help you determine the current and future costs of the accident and will fiercely pursue a settlement that suitably compensates you for your losses.