Average Motorcycle Accident Settlements in Arkansas

If you suffer an injury in a motorcycle accident, the “at-fault” driver is responsible for paying damages. When you seek these damages in a motorcycle accident claim, the insurance company will likely want to settle the case out of court. This is often advantageous for insurance companies because it saves them litigation costs. They also hope to get motorcycle accident victims to agree to lower compensation overall.

A motorcycle settlement is an agreement between the injured motorcyclist and the “at-fault” insurance company. This agreement resolves the dispute and releases the responsible party from further liabilities. In turn, the injured party receives a set amount of money to compensate them for their expenses and losses and the pain and suffering they endured.

When you agree to a settlement after a motorcycle accident, you cannot seek more compensation in the future.

Both parties must go through the motorcycle accident settlement process to reach a fair settlement.

Going through the legal process is significantly easier with an attorney working for you. The process includes:

• Filing a claim with the insurance company
• Pre-suit investigations and case building
• Initial settlement offer
• Counteroffers and negotiations
•  Settlement agreement

Many factors can impact the amount of money you receive in a motorcycle accident settlement, including:

• The severity of your injuries
• Who is at fault
• Long-term disabilities
• Whether you can return to work or continue in your profession
• The emotional distress or pain and suffering you endured
• The location of the accident
• The amount of insurance coverage the “at-fault” driver carries

One of the essential factors in determining your settlement is the severity of your injuries. If you suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident, you could expect to receive more money than if you sustained minor injuries. Why? Because severe injuries require extensive medical treatment and may prevent you from working or participating in activities.

Another factor that will impact your settlement is whether or not the other driver was at fault for the accident. If the other driver was clearly at fault, you could expect to receive more money than if the accident was partially your fault.

Finally, the location of the accident can also impact your settlement. Collecting compensation is more complicated if the accident occurred in a state with no-fault laws. However, if the accident happened in a state with fault laws, you can sue the other driver and receive compensation for your injuries and damages. Fortunately, Arkansas is an at-fault state.

Each of these factors can impact the money you receive in a motorcycle accident settlement. If you suffered an injury in an accident, you must speak with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to understand your options and get the best possible settlement.

When two or more parties get into a motorcycle accident, insurance companies will look to assign a percentage of fault to each party. This percentage of fault will determine how much each party will pay for damages. The higher the percentage of fault, the greater the responsibility for damages.

In most cases, the insurance company bases the percentage of fault on the police report. The police report contains information about who caused the motorcycle accident. If the police report is unclear, the insurance company will consider other factors when determining fault. These include witness statements, vehicle damage, and video camera footage.

Once the insurance company assigns a percentage of fault, they use this information to determine the settlement they will offer.

It is important to note that insurance companies do not always agree on who was at fault for an accident. If there is disagreement, hiring an experienced Arkansas motorcycle accident lawyer is vital to negotiating a fair settlement.

Even if you believe you contributed to the motorcycle accident, you can still file a claim and reach a settlement. Arkansas is a modified comparative negligence state. If you 49% responsible or less for the motorcycle accident, you can still recover compensation for your injuries and damages. However, your settlement will get reduced by your percentage of fault.

For example, if the court finds that you were speeding at the time of the motorcycle crash, they may find that you are 10% responsible for the accident. If you receive a settlement of $10,000, your award will get reduced by $1,000 (or 10%).

You can’t collect compensation and settle if you caused the accident and are more than 50% responsible for the crash. In this case, you’ll have to turn to your health insurance or auto insurance policy to see what money you’re entitled to.

This is why you need to contact an experienced Arkansas motorcycle accident attorney. Your attorney will examine your case to prove liability. If the insurance company claims you’re to blame, your lawyer may find evidence to show otherwise. In some cases, multiple parties can share the blame, further increasing the settlement you receive.

Your motorcycle accident attorney will begin by investigating your accident and determining the true extent of your injuries. To do this, they may involve medical experts, forensic specialists, and accident reconstruction teams. They will begin the settlement discussions when they determine how much compensation you deserve.

Settlement negotiations usually begin when your lawyer sends a demand letter to the “at-fault” motorist’s insurance company. This demand letter typically includes the compensation you want and the evidence required to support this claim.

The insurance company will then review the demand letter and decide whether to accept this claim, reject it, or make a counteroffer. Most insurance companies will make a counteroffer to your claim and offer you an alternative settlement number. It will be up to you to determine which settlement offer to accept. However, your motorcycle accident attorney will be there to advise you of your options and help you choose the best offer.

Every motorcycle accident case is different. As such, the amount of your settlement will vary widely. The best settlement for you will consider all the losses you suffered, both economically and non-economically, including:

• Medical expenses
• Long-term care
• Lost wages
• Loss of future earnings
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Lost quality of life
• Disability
• Property damage

Although rare, in some cases, courts may award punitive damages.

A fair settlement depends mainly on how much money you need to recover or rebuild your life. If you face lifelong disabilities that prevent you from working, you will need significantly more compensation than someone who can return to work quickly.

At Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, our Arkansas motorcycle accident attorneys work with medical teams to determine how your injuries will affect your life and future. We then use this information to make sure any settlement offer you receive is fair and provides enough money to rebuild your life after a devastating motorcycle crash.

Motorcycle accident settlements can range from several thousand dollars to millions. Soft tissue injuries will settle for significantly less than catastrophic injuries, such as brain injuries.

To better predict how much your accident settlement is worth, it is crucial to contact an experienced and skilled motorcycle accident lawyer.

Like most injured motorcyclists, you will want to know whether or not to accept the insurance company’s settlement offer. Your attorney will help you evaluate the settlement offer and determine whether it is fair and reasonable. If your Arkansas motorcycle accident lawyer believes that your case will win in trial, your attorney may advise you not to take the settlement.

In general, it might be a bad idea to settle if:

• Long-term expenses or complications are not factored into the settlement amount
• Property damage claims don’t cover all your losses
• Your injuries haven’t reached maximum medical improvement or recovery
• Your lawyer believes you can get more money by going to trial