Motorcycle accidents happen far too often. Even worse, many motorcycle accidents lead to severe injuries for their riders. This is because when a motorcycle is involved in an accident with an automobile or truck, the rider is usually far less protected than others in the accident.
If you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle accident, a lawsuit or insurance claim may be the only way to recover compensation to pay for past and future medical bills, as well as other accident-related expenses. However, not all compensation claims go smoothly.
When you need assistance to increase your odds of a successful lawsuit, you deserve the best motorcycle accident lawyers New York City has to offer. Read on for several tips to ensure you get the right legal team for your needs, or contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today at 1-516-342-2200 for a free case evaluation.
What Do Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Do?
Motorcycle accident lawyers are important professionals for any case in which you or another person is involved in a motorcycle accident. These knowledgeable legal professionals can:
- Offer sound legal counsel for you or a loved one, whether you wish to sue an at-fault party or if you are being sued and/or accused of causing an accident.
- Gather important evidence for an upcoming lawsuit, arbitration case, or other legal action. This evidence can include traffic camera footage, eyewitness accounts and reports, and much more.
- Coach you if you need to appear in court and/or provide your perspective of events.
- Fight for you throughout the legal process from start to finish.
Furthermore, motorcycle accident lawyers play an absolutely critical role when negotiating with an at-fault party’s insurance company.
Imagine a circumstance in which you or a loved one are injured in a motorcycle accident due to the negligence of a truck driver. You believe that the truck driver’s insurance company should pay for your medical bills since they were at fault for the accident. When you try to file a claim for payments, the insurance company refuses to pay and tries to blame you or otherwise evade responsibility.
This can be difficult to overcome, especially if you don’t have extensive legal experience. The right motorcycle accident lawyers, however, will know exactly what to say, how to speak to insurance companies, and how to make sure you get the compensation you are entitled to in order to pay past and future medical bills and other accident-related expenses.
Should the insurance company still not pay what you are entitled to, experienced lawyers can guide you through the lawsuit process and ensure that your lawsuit gets filed before the statute of limitations expires.
Overall, motorcycle accident lawyers are supremely important when mounting a successful case. To this end, you should never try to sue someone for causing a motorcycle accident and/or injuries without the assistance of a trusted team of attorneys like Schwartzapfel Lawyers.
How to Find the Ideal Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
There are many ways you can find the ideal motorcycle accident attorneys for your upcoming case. Read these steps to help locate law firms and ensure that they are right for your needs. Alternatively, you can call Schwartzapfel Lawyers now at 1-516-342-2200 for a free case evaluation by one of our expert motorcycle accident attorneys.
Use the State Bar Association Website
The New York Bar Association website has a list of law firms and independent lawyers who are in good standing with the Association. This means that they are still practicing and haven’t had their licenses revoked.
The Bar Association website doesn’t include every legal law firm operating in your area. However, it’s still a good place to start if you don’t have legal contacts or references.
Ask for Referrals
However, you can ask friends or family members if they have trusted legal advisors with experience in motorcycle accident cases. For example, say that you had a family member who recently won a lawsuit for an auto accident or motorcycle accident.
You can ask them who they used and whether they were satisfied with that lawyer’s services. Their answer will determine whether you should contact that legal team. Of course, if your friend or family member says that they wouldn’t recommend their former lawyer for your needs, look elsewhere.
Check the Lawyer’s Website
Once you find a potential lawyer, you should explore their website right away. A law firm’s website can provide information about how they operate and what they can offer, such as:
- Their legal areas of specialization. For example, some lawyers specialize in personal injury cases while others specialize in motorcycle accident cases. Naturally, you’ll want to hire a legal team that has experience winning motorcycle accident lawsuits.
- Their time in the industry. Generally, more experienced law firms have high-quality websites and many testimonials. The more well-developed a website, the better the odds are the law firm itself is also well organized and a wise choice for your needs.
- Their terms of service, offerings, and promises. For instance, a law firm’s website can usually tell you whether they operate on a contingency fee basis, whether they provide a free case evaluation or consultation, and more.
In other words, you should explore a firm’s website before making any commitments to avoid wasting your time on a lawyer who doesn’t offer what you need. This research will serve you well in the long run and should be performed before signing on the dotted line for any major legal service.
To learn more, call Schwartzapfel Lawyers now at 1-516-342-2200 for your free consultation!
Look for Client Testimonials
Next, when considering a law firm, check their testimonials page(s) on their website. A skilled motorcycle accident lawyer will have a client testimonials page that includes positive reviews and feedback from former clients.
Naturally, this is a curated list of responses, so you won’t find many lawyer’s testimonials pages with large numbers of negative reviews or complaints. Still, verified reviews can be a helpful way to vet an attorney before hiring them.
Read each of the testimonials carefully, taking note of the similarities between each review. For example, do the testimonials:
- Reveal that the lawyer is a hard worker and does a lot of due diligence?
- Show that the legal team is efficient but not the most personable?
- Indicate that the given attorney responds quickly to issues but can be hard to reach at times?
All of this information can be valuable when determining whether a lawyer is right for your case. It can also give you some insight into the type of person a lawyer is. If a firm’s client testimonials page is filled with people commenting on how secure and protected they felt when they hired a certain law firm, odds are you’ll feel similarly if you choose to hire them as well.
Check Reviews Elsewhere
Equally as important, you should not rely solely on a law firm’s testimonials page before hiring them. Instead, also check for reviews elsewhere across the Internet on sites including: Google, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau (BBB), Avvo, etc. Each of these sites collects feedback from clients, which may offer insight into whether an attorney is reputable and knowledgeable.
If you notice discrepancies between a lawyer’s testimonials page and the reviews they have on external sites, it might be a sign you should look elsewhere for legal help. This is because a major difference between a testimonials page and other online reviews could indicate that the lawyer in question is creating false testimonials or otherwise trying to manipulate their reputation. However, if you can find positive testimonials from Google or Yelp, it’s an excellent sign that a lawyer really does have a sterling reputation.
For more tips, as well as a free case evaluation, contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today either online or at 1-516-342-2200. But you shouldn’t wait, as your window to file a claim may soon close forever. Instead, act now and allow Schwartzapfel Lawyers the honor and privilege of fighting – and winning – for you!
Review Prior Cases
Now it’s time to make sure a law firm has the right experience for your case. To that end, explore the lawyer’s website once again to see if they have a breakdown of their prior cases. Prior cases and outcomes can tell you:
- Whether the attorney tends to win their cases
- How much compensation you might expect from a similar motorcycle accident lawsuit
If a lawyer’s website doesn’t have such a page, try to Google news reports about that law firm and their prior cases. This might take time, but should provide an unbiased look at an attorney’s history in the industry as well as their breadth of experience.
Of course, experienced attorneys are usually more ideal compared to novice attorneys who don’t have as much time logged in court. As such, you will want to hire someone with a successful track record.
Check for a Contingency Fee Basis
A contingency fee basis is a payment system that allows clients to receive legal services without having to pay their attorneys. In exchange, the attorney agrees to take a cut of any compensation or damages received via a lawsuit or arbitration case.
For example, say you hire a lawyer for your motorcycle accident lawsuit, but you don’t win. If that lawyer operates on a contingency fee basis, you won’t have to add to your financial burdens by paying them for the loss. Alternatively, if you win compensation from that motorcycle accident lawsuit, your attorney will take a percentage of the compensation. A contingency fee basis is the best way to pay for legal representation, particularly if you are already struggling with medical bills and other financial issues.
Schwartzapfel Lawyers operates on a contingency fee basis for each of our clients. That’s why we’ve been able to help New Yorkers just like you, regardless of their starting financial states. For more information about how a contingency fees basis works, contact us today online or at 1-516-342-2200.
Take a Free Consultation
Most reputable law firms will also offer a free case evaluation or consultation. You should take advantage of this option if you think you’ve found a law firm ideal for your upcoming case.
Call the attorney directly or contact them online. Set up a time for the consultation and bring notes with you if you plan to meet them in person. Otherwise, have notes prepared for a videoconferencing session.
Ask About Experience and Assignments
During the free consultation, you should ask your lawyer important questions, especially about their experience. For example, you can ask:
- How much experience a given attorney has in the area of motorcycle accident lawsuits
- Whether the attorney has successfully handled cases like yours before, based on the information you provide
- Whether the attorney believes you have sufficient grounds for a successful lawsuit
- And more
Additionally, it’s wise to ask which lawyer will be assigned to your case if you are thinking about hiring a large law firm with many different legal professionals. As well, make sure that the lawyer promises to work on it personally, or connects you with an experienced law firm member to handle your case.
Note: A law firm that hands off your case to a junior partner or an inexperienced member is not the best choice for your needs.
Key Questions to Ask Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
In addition to the above questions, you should ask:
- How long a given attorney has been practicing law
- What percentage of a firm’s practice is devoted to motorcycle accident cases
- What percentage of previous motorcycle accident cases have resulted in successful outcomes for their clients (either through settlements or verdicts)
- Any other queries that come to mind
Lastly, don’t forget to ask your motorcycle accident attorney how much compensation you can expect to receive. This is technically a trick question. You should never hire an attorney that promises or guarantees to recover a certain amount of money.
No attorney — no matter how skilled they are or how experienced — can guarantee damages or compensation for your lawsuit. At best, they should be able to provide you with a range of possible damage awards based on the facts of your case. Note: Just as confidence is an asset in motorcycle accident attorneys, overconfidence is not.
Trust Your Gut
Above all else, be sure to trust your instinct when hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer. If a lawyer seems to be a great fit and you get along well with each other, your experience with them will likely be smooth and efficient.
On the other hand, if a lawyer makes you uncomfortable, continue your search elsewhere. There’s no reason to work with a firm that doesn’t appear to have your best interests at heart or that won’t fight for you in and outside of court.
Contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers Today!
The best motorcycle accident lawyers in New York City can significantly help your case and maximize your potential compensation. There’s no need to spend days or weeks searching when you can contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today.
As experienced New York City motorcycle accident and car accident lawyers, we’re the perfect choice for individuals just like you who are seeking compensation to cover medical bills and other accident-related costs. We meet each of the above criteria, such as operating on a contingency fee basis, offering a free evaluation, and having hundreds of positive client testimonials available online. You can even check out our testimonials page for evidence of our past successes.
Want to learn more? Don’t wait! Contact Schwartzapfel Lawyers today online or at 1-516-342-2200 for a free case evaluation and so much more.
Sources:
Schwartzapfel Lawyers, P.C. | Fighting For You™™
New York State Bar Association
Contingency Fee | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute
