Motorcycle Accident Personal Injury Case Settled by the Law Offices of Andrew W. Jones

MARIETTA, Ga. - June 20, 2013 - PRLog -- On a cool winter evening early last year, our client was riding his 2007 Harley Davidson motorcycle home from Atlanta, Georgia.  On his way, a man traveling the opposite direction failed to yield to our client and attempted to make a left turn in front of him.  Our client’s motorcycle collided nearly head on with the other driver’s vehicle and sent him sprawling over the handlebars and hood.  Our client landed in the middle of the roadway and was unable to help himself off the road.  Nearby officers quickly began redirecting traffic around him while emergency medical technicians treated him and transported him by ambulance to Grady Hospital.

Despite full protective clothing and a full face helmet, our client sustained multiple injuries to his neck, back, wrist, forearm, and elbow.  Fortunately, he sustained no fractures but did require several months of physical therapy, an injection, and other rehabilitative efforts during the recovery process.

The Defendant in this case carried only the state minimum limits of liability coverage.  The insurance company initially refused to pay these limits.  As a result, we filed a lawsuit at which time the limits were tendered.  Fortunately, our client had also made the responsible choice of obtaining uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage through his own motorcycle and auto policies.  After a deposition, various negotiation sessions, and a day of mediation, Attorney Chase Swanson was able to obtain an additional $15,000 for the client via this UM coverage and ultimately resolved his case.

Our client is a resident of Marietta in Cobb County.  Prior to the accident, he was actively involved in a community-based motorcycle organization, which performed a lot of service projects.  It was very disappointing for the client to no longer be able to ride motorcycles and be involved in the organization.

The Law Offices of Andrew W. Jones specializes in representing victims of Georgia automobile accidents, including those involving motorcycles.  Unfortunately, wrecks involving motorcycles are often much more serious than others due to the lack of protection available to riders.  Compared to the average passenger vehicle, motorcycles are much smaller and weigh less, which leads to more significant injuries when they collide with cars, trucks, or SUVs.

Drivers of larger passenger vehicles should always look twice for motorcycles.  Cycles can be hard to see so checking twice, especially on interstates and at intersections, is important.  The smaller size of motorcycles may also make the vehicles seem farther away than they actually are.  They also seem to be traveling slower than they truly are.  If you are driving a car, truck, or SUV, assume that any motorcycle you see is actually closer and moving faster than it looks.  Motor vehicle operators should also allow for a greater distance between their vehicles and cycles, as visual warnings of these smaller vehicles slowing may not be as obvious as with larger vehicles.  If we all look twice and exercise extra caution when dealing with motorcyclists, perhaps we can make Georgia roads safer.

For more information about preventing motorcycle accidents or to learn more about the Law Offices of Andrew W. Jones you can visit their website at: http://www.awjlaw.com.