There’s a common image of motorcyclists being speed demons and adrenaline junkies. And while those labels may accurately describe some riders, they certainly don’t describe all. Unfortunately, motorcyclists tend to get lumped in together, and after crashes, it’s common for police, other drivers, and insurance companies to assume that riders were at fault.
In Virginia, that can be a double whammy. First, Virginia uses a contributory negligence system for awarding compensation after crashes. It means that people who are assigned even 1% of fault are ineligible for compensation. And second, insurance companies are extremely reluctant to give motorcyclists compensation even when they were following all traffic laws to a “tee.”
As a rider, you must do everything in your power to not give the insurance company any wiggle room to deny you compensation. That means not only avoiding legitimate fault for a crash—even 1% of it—but also not even giving them room to make up their own idea of fault.
You can achieve this by never speeding, always signaling before turning or changing lanes, coming to a complete stop at stop signs and red lights, and never following vehicles too closely, just to name a few. Unfortunately, safe riding can’t always prevent crashes, and when they occur, riders frequently find themselves in uphill battles for compensation.
The Virginia motorcycle accident lawyers at know the unique challenges riders face after crashes, and we’re here to help if you get hurt in a crash that wasn’t your fault. Contact Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.
