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Motorcycle Laws That May Affect Your Claim

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Motorcycles and car accidents have some common road rules as well as some different ones. If you are pursuing a motorcycle accident claim, these laws are some of the things that will affect your recovery. Here are some of those laws:

Helmet Laws

Wearing a motorcycle helmet is effective in reducing motorcycle accident fatalities as well as the severity of head injuries during motorcycle crashes. This is why many states have enacted helmet laws for motorcycle riders. If your head is injured in a motorcycle crash and you were not wearing a helmet, the insurance company handling the claim can argue that you contributed to the injuries by not wearing a helmet. Even if you don't have a head injury, the lack of helmet can be used to paint you as an irresponsible rider. This may be the case even in countries without specific helmet laws.

Eye Protection Laws

Many states also have eye protection laws in addition to helmet laws. This is necessary because, when riding a motorcycle, debris can easily get into your eyes and cause you to lose control of the bike. With a visor, you may be required to wear a helmet with a visor, goggles or eyeglasses. If you were not wearing any of these things during the accident, then expect the defendant to try and use it as a cause or contributing factor to the crash.

Statute Of Limitations

The statute of limitations specifies how long you have after an accident to instigate a personal injury lawsuit; it varies by state. This is why you need to start the claim process as soon as possible after your crash. That way you will know whether you can settle without going to court before it is too late. If you waste time negotiating with the defendant outside the official channels, you may end up with no course for recourse if the defendant doesn't fulfill their end of the bargain and the statute of limitations has expired.

Overtaking and Lane Sharing Laws

Lastly, there are also laws on whether you can share lanes, who you can share it with, and how to overtake other road users; these laws also vary by state. These laws are necessary because motorcycles are relatively small as compared to other automobiles. This means motorcycle riders can squeeze in and out of tight spaces even when it is dangerous to do so. For example, some states may allow you to share a lane with another motorcycle while other states do not allow it. Expect these laws to come into effect when pursuing your motorcycle accident claim.

For additional information on motorcycle accident claims contact an attorney's office, such as McNair Law Offices, PLLC.


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