How Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Help In Winter-Related Crashes With Comparative Negligence Defenses
Motorcyclists typically need to be very careful when they are on the road, particularly in snowy driving conditions. Though skilled cyclists know how to handle their bike on the road in these scenarios, they may end up getting into an accident that can be very damaging to both their body and their bike. And if they don't understand comparative negligence, they may end up losing a personal injury case.
Motorcycle Accidents Can Be Very Dangerous
Wintery driving is never an easy situation for most people to handle. Even cars with four wheels may struggle to keep on the road due to potential slippage. However, there is a good chance that motorcycles are more likely to crash because they have fewer wheels to correct a slip. Even worse, they may end up getting into an accident caused by another person and get seriously injured.
When this type of accident occurs, a cyclist can pursue a personal injury lawsuit if another driver ended up injuring them or triggering the accident. However, drivers getting sued may be likely to utilize various types of defenses, such as comparative negligence, to attempt to get some of the blame shifted from them. Though it may be hard to remove all blame, cyclists may find their damages award decreasing under this defense.
How Comparative Negligence May Be Used
Comparative negligence is a legal concept that weighs the blame in an accident and changes the punishment to suit how blame is assigned. For example, if a cyclist was driving too fast for the conditions and ends up contributing to an accident, the courts may shift some of the blame to them. A cyclist who has already lost some control due to snow may even be considered more to blame.
Using this defense, a defendant tries to get some or even all of the blame shifted away from them. The blame is weighted on a percentage system – if they are 70 percent guilty, they would pay 70 percent of the costs. If they can get the blame to 50 percent, some states will waive the lawsuit and not award any damages. This situation depends on the type of weighted negligence option used in many states.
However, it also varies depending on how states weight motorcycle-related accidents. For example, many state that cyclists are inherently in more danger than other drivers and that their negligence is not as dangerous to others. The arguments in these types of cases can be quite frustrating without the help of a high-quality motorcycle accident lawyer who fully understands all of these laws.