At some point, nearly every motorcyclist in Missouri will deal with a reckless driver. It’s a story we’ve heard too many times: you were being cautious and careful on your motorcycle, but another driver was negligent and caused an accident. When you’re injured, you’ll likely have to pay expensive medical bills and spend time away from work. But we’ve found that many motorcycle accident victims in this situation wonder if they are really hurt enough to warrant calling an attorney. 
Missouri Motorcycle Accident Claims: Do Your Injuries Warrant Legal Action?
If you were injured in a wreck caused by negligent behavior, you have a legal right to pursue compensation. In motorcycle collisions, that most frequently means either a claim through someone’s insurance or a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party.
You can potentially pursue either avenue if you suffered damages that caused you physical harm. Depending on the severity of the motorcycle accident injury, there may also be other non-economic damages that don’t have a clear price tag. Those damages could include emotional suffering, lost quality of life, and physical pain.
To put it simply, any injury that requires a visit to a medical professional, whether it be at a walk-in clinic, doctor's office, or an emergency room, is significant enough to consider filing a claim.
Common Motorcycle Injuries That May Merit Legal Action
- Burns
- Cuts, lacerations, and scrapes
- Chronic pain
- Bruises and contusions
- Bone fractures—even relatively “minor” ones
- Disfigurement/facial injuries
- Eye damage
- Headaches
- Loss of consciousness
- “Road burn” injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Strains and sprains
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash
How to Pursue Compensation After a Missouri Motorcycle Wreck
How do you know if your injuries are severe enough to file an insurance claim or legal action? After any type of motorcycle collision injury, you can file a claim for compensation that covers the following:
- Ambulance ride to the hospital
- Costs for medications
- Emergency room visit costs
- Expenses for adaptive equipment or in-home care
- In-patient hospital services
- Lost hourly or salaried income while recovering from the motorcycle accident and missing work
- Lost future earning potential if the injury is serious enough to impact employment going forward
- Loss of other work benefits, such as bonuses or promotions
- Follow-up appointments with specialists or your primary care physician
- Out-of-pocket costs while seeking care for your injury
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Property damage if your motorcycle was wrecked
- Surgeries
The best way to get started on the path to financial recovery is with a free, no-obligation case review by the Beck & Beck law firm. Contacting an experienced injury attorney is important because you want a skilled lawyer to gather and analyze all the evidence after any motorcycle collision.
How an Attorney Can Help
- Determining the liable party who presents the best opportunity for a financial recovery. In motorcycle crashes, that is often (but not always) the other driver.
- Handling all the paperwork within legal deadlines set by the state, such as the statute of limitations on motorcycle crash injury cases.
- Investigating the accident and what caused it. Your attorney may hire reconstruction experts to help determine the at-fault party.
- Proving the liable party behaved negligently and directly caused your injury.
- Putting together the evidence necessary to receive a full and fair settlement from insurance or to pursue compensation through a lawsuit.
- Investigating the accident
- Talking with insurance adjusters directly during negotiations to prevent them from using shady tactics to deny or reduce your motorcycle accident claim payout.