Salt Lake City Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
With Personal Injury Law Offices in Sandy, Utah
Do you need legal help?
Contact us today for a free legal consultation.
Brad DeBry is not associated or affiliated with Robert J. DeBry & Associates, P.C.
Client Testimonials
Brad is fantastic! So pleased with all the help he has been giving me in such a stressful hard time with my accident. He definitely treats his clients like family and wants what is best for them. Would recommend him to anyone.
Ashley Richey
I contacted Brad a couple of times with some questions regarding our accident and what our rights were. He gave us valuable and helpful suggestions and was so friendly and knowledgeable.
Aimee Ballif
Went above and beyond to not only help me with my case but to reassure me as I was struggling with my anxiety. He was very kind and supportive and wasn't afraid to offer as much help as possible. One of the best you'll meet here and I highly recommend!
Linzie Builds
ABOUT BRAD DEBRY
7 Mistakes That Ruin Personal Injury Cases
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The possibility of getting injured at one time or another is something most of us accept as a fact of life. And while accidents happen, most of us take what measures we can to avoid them. When you’re injured because someone behaved in a careless or negligent manner, however, you deserve to be compensated.
If you’re reading this, you may have been in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence. You may be in pain. You’ve probably missed work and might be looking at missing more. You’re likely worried about paying the bills. And, chances are you’re wondering who to turn to for help with a personal injury claim.
We are here to help. Our firm offers free legal consultations. Call our Salt Lake City personal injury lawyer today.
Don’t worry about having the money to pay for the answers you need upfront. Just give us a call as soon as you can and schedule a free legal consultation.
The information that you’ll find below will help you better understand your personal injury claim. First, we want to make you aware of the many ways you can unwittingly damage your claim. Then, we’ll use a client story to help you get an even better idea of important elements you’ll need to know. Be sure to read to the end to learn as much as possible.
Common Personal Injury Claim Mistake
The last thing you want to do when filing a personal injury claim is damage its value. Unfortunately, this is exactly what many people do in their Salt Lake City personal injury claims. Please take note of the mistakes below to help you avoid these same pitfalls.
Not Getting to the Hospital After the Accident
It’s not uncommon for people to refuse a trip to the hospital after a personal injury. This may be tough to believe, but the natural rush people often experience during traumatic experiences can mask pain, at least temporarily. In addition, they may experience a temporary boost in energy and strength. This effect makes it important for a doctor to check you out and make sure you don’t have internal injuries of which you are unaware.
If you pass up an exam and go later, you’re risking your health and your personal injury claim. The insurance agency will jump at the chance to suggest you mustn’t have been all that badly hurt if you didn’t go to the doctor right away.
If you skip the exam altogether and then file a claim, you’ll be without the official record of your injuries your visit would have provided. This record is important evidence for your claim, and the closer the date and time of your exam is to the accident, the tougher it will be for the insurance company to challenge.
Disregarding Your Doctor’s Treatment Plan
If you’re like most of us, you’re familiar with the packet of information you’re given when you leave the hospital or doctor’s office. You may have also completely disregarded it, assuming it was just “blah, blah, blah” that would make no difference to your health.
What’s important to look at in the packet you receive after leaving the hospital or doctor’s office is the treatment plan. This may include medications, physical therapy, chiropractic appointments, or other treatments. This plan will guide you in how you can participate in your own recovery to get back to your life as quickly as possible.
It’s crucial to not only do the things you’re instructed to by your treatment plan, but to refrain from activities that are too strenuous until you’ve recovered.
In addition to risking your health, you risk the insurance company devaluing your claim, if they discover you are disregarding doctor’s orders.
Not only should you not be posting photos of yourself on social media bungee jumping while recovering from a neck injury, you shouldn’t be bungee jumping while recovering from a neck injury, no matter what the guy strapping you into the harness says.
Be diligent about following your doctor’s treatment plan. It will protect your claim, and most importantly, your health.
Agreeing to Give the Insurance Company a Recorded Statement
After an accident, you can expect the insurance company to contact you. This is standard procedure. While they may act as if they are calling to see how you’re feeling, you need to know they’re calling to save their company money.
Insurance adjusters are well-trained in interviewing injured people. They’re bound to be great listeners, empathetic, and highly skilled at getting you talking. Remember, they’re looking to record any information that can be used to lower the value of your claim.
Imagine a call from an insurance adjuster to talk about your injuries from being hit by a car. The conversation with the insurance company could somehow get around to a casual remark to ferret out whether you’ve ever jaywalked. Not whether you jaywalked the day you were struck by the car, but ever. If the company can suggest that you weren’t in a crosswalk, they might get away with paying you less than you rightfully deserve in compensation.
By the way, have you ever looked at your phone while walking down the street? Yeah, another example of a loaded question that will be asked in a far less obvious way, if it comes from an insurance adjuster. Before you know it, they may suggest you were wandering around in the road scrolling through your social media when you were hit.
Protect your claim’s value from creative interviewers. Just pass on this call. Many people don’t realize it’s actually allowed. Your claim isn’t going to stall out if you don’t speak to the insurance company— it’s going to be better protected. In fact, your Salt Lake City personal injury lawyer would love to handle conversations with the insurance company for you.
Failing to Hire a Lawyer as Soon as Possible
This one is understandable, to a point. If you’ve sustained serious injuries, you may not be thinking about anything but survival and recovery right after your accident. As soon as you’re in a place where you can give the issue consideration, it’s important to make finding a lawyer a priority.
Another reason this call is often neglected is that people go by the state’s statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim.
People who go this route need to know is that while in most cases you have four years to file your claim in the state of Utah, there are exceptions. For instance, if you’ve been injured in an accident involving a municipality— the city, county, or state— you’ll only have one year to file.
A year can fly by when you’re recovering from serious injury, but even a year is too long to wait to get started. As time passes, you can expect less evidence to be available to you.
The accident scene is going to get cleared away. Evidence may get lost. Security videos can be recorded over. Even if you’re lucky enough to have witnesses, remember that people move and change phones and email from time to time. And even if witnesses are located months or years after the accident, memories won’t be as clear as they were immediately afterward.
If your claim goes to trial, the insurance company will have an easier time challenging the memories of witness whose testimony was recorded many months after the accident. Protect your claim from devaluation by hiring a lawyer as soon as possible after your injury.
Salt Lake City Motorcycle Accident Client Story
In September not so long ago, Lili Washburn and her best friend and roommate Ava helped each other get ready for the comics convention. It was the highlight of their year, and they’d been waiting all year for it to come back around.
Last year, Lili had won a VIP ticket for this year’s event, and she was determined to get her Harley signed by none other than Batman. She even dressed in a head-to-toe Catwoman costume she’d found at the cosplay and motorcycle show last October. It was vintage and it fit like a glove. She’d spent almost $1,000 on it, but it was worth every penny.
“I hope you’re not going to be too hot in all that leather,” Ava said as Lili wound a second enormous “Princes Leah” bun and pinned it to the side of Ava’s head.
“I’m sure the convention will be air-conditioned. You’d better bring a bathrobe to cover your nightgown,” she teased, swiping playfully at Ava’s flowing white robes.
She stood back and admired her work. “Ava, you’re a ‘dead-ringer.’ Get out there and find Han.”
They both laughed. It was time to go.
Lili offered to drive her diminutive friend to the convention center on the back of her bike, but Ava opted for an Uber, since her long robes would be difficult to manage on a motorcycle.
Lili left the apartment as Ava’s ride rolled up. She folding her tall frame onto the Superlow cruiser and was off, leaving the Uber driver gaping in her wake.
“Hey, ‘Jack!’” Ava called from the back seat, “Meter’s running.” She rolled her eyes and smiled. Her best friend had that effect on people.
Lili made good time; she seemed to be catching every light as she headed north on John Stockton Drive. The weather was blessedly breezy and she was comfortable. Along the way, she garnered several honks from other drivers, and people on the streets waved as she sped past. She waved back, feeling like a celebrity.
Almost there. She was thinking that this day was going to be her favorite memory yet as she approached the convention center.
That’s when a dented red sedan tried to beat the light at the cross street and pulled right in front of her bike.
Bystanders gaped as Catwoman’s motorcycle smashed into the car and she flew 20 feet head-first across the intersection. A few people on the sidewalk clapped, assuming it was part of the convention’s opening day theatrics.
Lili woke up in the hospital with a broken shoulder, broken clavicle, three broken ribs, two damaged vertebrae, and a traumatic brain injury. She’d had a spinal fusion to help stabilize her back and a craniotomy to relieve pressure on her brain.
The doctors had put her into a medically induced coma for a week to help the healing process begin. She awoke in pain and confused to find her parents staring at her.
Lili would spend the next month in the hospital followed by another month in rehab. She needed to relearn how to walk and how to write and struggled to communicate for almost a week before she could order her words properly.
We met Lili two-and-a-half weeks after her accident. She’d asked her mom to schedule a free legal consultation for her. She wanted to know how much it would cost to hire us, what her claim was worth, and how long she should expect it to take.
How much does it cost to hire an attorney for my motorcycle claim?
We arrived at Lili’s hospital room and she introduced us to her parents. She then asked how much it would cost to hire our firm for a claim.
“We don’t charge anything upfront, Lili,” our lawyer said, “We work on a contingency fee model, which means that we cover all expenses to build your claim, including investigation, administration, and if necessary, litigation. In the end, we only get paid after we resolve your claim successfully.”
What is my motorcycle accident claim worth?
Lili was relieved to find she wouldn’t need to have money upfront to retain our firm. She then asked, “What is my claim worth?”
We told her that it’s not possible to give a truly accurate answer so soon in a case. “First, we need to do a thorough accident investigation. After that, we’ll need to get clear on your damages,” said the lawyer.
“We can start the investigation right away, gathering evidence and speaking to witnesses. To assess your damages, however, we’ll need you to reach what is called ‘maximum medical improvement.’ This means recovering your health back to a level your doctors consider ‘normal’ for you.
“If your prior normal level of health is no longer attainable due to your injuries, then maximum medical improvement will be when you’ve recovered to the point that the doctors are satisfied you’ve reached your ‘new normal.’ This will also mean you’re finished with operations, and the doctors have a clear idea of what, if any, future medical care you may need for your injuries.
“When you reach maximum medical improvement, Lili, we’ll know your economic and non-economic damages. That’s when we’ll be able to tell you the value of your claim.
“Until then, your job is to focus all of your energy on recovery. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan. Make all of your physical and occupational therapy appointments and do anything else your medical team advises.
“This includes being patient. Don’t expect to speed through this recovery, Lili. Expect it to take time, and give it the care and time it requires,” said our lawyer.
“I understand. I’ll do whatever it takes, even if that means learning patience,” she said with half a smile.
How long will my motorcycle accident claim take?
Lili’s mom leaned in now and asked how long their daughter’s claim could be expected to take.
“Much like case value, case timeline is not something I can estimate there without knowing Lili’s damages. Her case can only move as fast as the speed at which she recovers to maximum medical improvement. Once she gets there, we’ll know her damages and we’ll send a demand letter to the insurance company.
“From that point, the speed of Lili’s claim will depend on how open the insurance company is to a fair settlement.
“If they refuse to work with us, we’ll take them to court. You needn’t worry about this possibility, though. Our firm has a long, successful record of winning motorcycle accident claims, through negotiation and in court,” said the lawyer.
“Besides, the insurance companies in the Salt Lake City area know who we are. Our reputation alone may lead to a fair settlement to avoid arguing your claim in front of a jury.
“In either case, Lili, we’ll be ready. That’s why we prepare all our claims from the start as if they’re going to trail. It’s also why we recommend you go with a personal injury trial lawyer experienced in motorcycle accidents, no matter whom you hire.”
Lili was satisfied with the answers we gave her in her free consultation and retained our firm to handle her claim. Today, we are happy to say that a jury awarded Lili nine times what the insurance company initially offered.
Call Our Salt Lake City Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
It’s our hope that this page has given you answers to some of your motorcycle accident claim questions. Of course, no two cases are exactly alike. Please call our Salt Lake City motorcycle accident lawyer today to talk about your specific claim. Don’t take on the burden of handling your claim alone, let us help.
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