By Marlon Marquardt. Last Updated 25th August 2022. Have you suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence in a road traffic accident? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. This article will explore how much compensation for a motorcycle accident you could be owed.
How much compensation for a motorcycle accident?
Before reading this guide, you may have some questions like:
- What is the most common injury in a motorcycle accident?
- Can I sue after a motorcycle accident?
- How much compensation will I get for a motorcycle accident in the UK?
In this article, we will answer your questions to inform you as much as possible about how much compensation for a motorcycle accident you may be able to claim. Making a personal injury claim can compensate you for the pain and suffering you’ve endured due to someone else’s negligence.
Our advisers are available 24/7 to offer legal advice for free and discuss your situation. If you have a strong claim, you can be connected to a personal injury lawyer from our panel to discuss No Win No Fee agreements and begin working on your claim.
To get in touch with our advisers, you can:
- Ring them on 0800 408 7825 to talk to an adviser.
- Fill out our digital contact form to receive a response whenever you’re free.
- Chat with an adviser through our instant messaging box to receive a response immediately.
Select A Section
- What Is A Motorcycle Accident Claim?
- Is It Dangerous To Ride A Motorcycle?
- Causes Of Motorcycle Accidents
- What Is The Most Common Motorcycle Injury?
- How Do I Prove I Have A Valid Claim?
- Motorcycle Accident Compensation Payout Examples
- Discuss Your Case With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
- Find Out More About How Much Compensation For A Motorcycle Accident You Could Be Owed
What Is A Motorcycle Accident Claim?
A motorcycle accident occurs when a motorcycle crashes into another road user, road defect, or debris. This can be extremely dangerous and cause catastrophic injuries for anyone involved.
The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that all road users must adhere to the rules of the road to keep everyone safe. They should use the roads with standard care and skill. If a road user breaks these rules and causes an accident, this is called negligence.
An example could be if someone is recklessly driving under the influence and causes a car accident. The accident was caused by their negligence and they may be liable to have a compensation claim made against them.
In order to make a claim, someone must have been at fault and negligent. However, partial liability claims mean that a claim can also be made if both parties are at fault. The compensation awarded will be split into a percentage according to who was most at fault.
For example, if Driver A was 75% at fault and Driver B was 25% at fault, Driver A will receive 25% of the compensation and Driver B will receive 75%. If both parties were equally responsible, the compensation will be split equally and they will both receive 50%.
Is It Dangerous To Ride A Motorcycle?
The graph below includes statistics taken from the Department for Transport showing the reported road casualties in Great Britain in 2020. As evidenced, motorcyclists are amongst the more vulnerable road users.
In fact, in 2020, there were 285 motorcyclist fatalities reported in Great Britain. In 2019, before any pandemic lockdowns, there were 336.
Causes Of Motorcycle Accidents
Here are some causes of motorcycle accidents:
- Changing lanes. When changing lanes, a vehicle may not see a motorcycle in the other lane if they don’t check their mirrors properly. This may mean that the vehicle crashes into the side of the motorcycle and injures the rider.
- Reckless and dangerous driving. If someone rides a motorcycle under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they could cause a crash and sustain injuries.
- Speeding. This can cause motorcycle accidents as the rider may not give themself enough time to slow down at red lights or they may crash into the back of a vehicle in front.
- Loss of control. If another vehicle or a motorcyclist loses control of their vehicle, they could crash into a pedestrian or vehicle.
If you’d like to discuss how much compensation for a motorcycle accident you may be able to claim, you can talk with our team of advisers today. They’d be happy to have a chat about your case and assess the compensation amount you could be entitled to.
What Is The Most Common Motorcycle Injury?
There are multiple types of injuries you could suffer from a motorcycle accident, such as:
- Leg fractures. If you fall off your motorcycle and land on your leg, you could suffer a broken leg injury. This could also occur if you fall underneath your motorcycle and trap your leg.
- Broken wrist. This could occur if you fall off your motorcycle and land on your wrist.
- Brain damage. You could suffer a brain injury if you’re in a head-on collision. This could cause you to hit your head on the vehicle in front and suffer a brain injury.
- Rib injury. A high-impact crash could cause you to hit your ribs against the front of your motorcycle. This could then crush your ribs and cause you to sustain a rib fracture.
Would you like to discuss how much compensation for a motorcycle injury you could receive? Our friendly team of advisers can look at this with you and offer you some legal advice for free. If you have a valid claim, they can connect you to a personal injury solicitor from our panel.
How Do I Prove I Have A Valid Claim?
In order to make a road traffic accident claim, the defendant must have been negligent. This negligence must have then caused you to sustain an injury. There are ways you can prove this negligence, such as by providing sufficient evidence to support your claim.
Here are some examples of evidence you could gather:
- Witness contact details. You can gather contact details for witness statements at a later date. This can include information about how the accident happened.
- CCTV footage. This can provide a video of the crash and show exactly what happened and who caused it.
- Medical records. You can provide medical records to support your claim. This can help show your diagnosis, what treatment you’re undergoing and how severe your injury is.
Once you’ve gathered this evidence, you can contact our team of advisers to discuss making a personal injury claim. If you have a legitimate claim, they can connect you to a personal injury solicitor from our panel to start working on your claim.
The time limit for a personal injury claim tends to be three years. That equates to three years from the exact date you sustained the injury or three years from when the injury is linked to the accident.
However, if you’re younger than 18, the three years begin on your 18th birthday. Otherwise, someone you trust can become a litigation friend to make the claim on your behalf.
Similarly, if you lack the mental capacity to claim, the time limit begins when your recovery starts. Alternatively, before this, a litigation friend could claim on your behalf.
Motorcycle Accident Compensation Payout Examples
Your motorcycle injury claim will look at the extent of your injury and the effect it has had on you to assess an amount for compensation. If your claim is successful, you will be awarded an amount of compensation in general damages. This is an amount intended for your injury and the pain and distress it may have caused you.
We can show you examples of general damages in a motorbike accident compensation claim by showing you figures from the 2022 edition of the Judicial College Guidelines, which features compensation brackets calculated using previous court settlements.
| Injury: | Severity: | Notes: | Compensation: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Damage | Very Severe Brain Damage | Basic commands can be followed and there’s a return of eye movement. However, unable to respond to the environment and nursing care is needed full-time. | £282,010 to £403,990 |
| Brain Damage | Moderately Severe Brain Damage | Serious disablement resulting in the person becoming dependent on other people. | £219,070 to £282,010 |
| Arm Injuries | Severe | The arm isn’t amputated but is little better off than if it had been. | £96,160 to £130,930 |
| Arm Injuries | Injuries Resulting in Permanent and Substantial Disablement | One or both arms are seriously fractured causing disability. | £39,170 to £59,860 |
| Ankle Injuries | Very Severe | Ankle transmalleolar fracture and soft-tissue damage that causes deformity. | £50,060 to £69,700 |
| Ankle Injuries | Moderate | Fractures and ligament damage that make it hard to walk on uneven ground. | £13,740 to £26,590 |
| Neck Injuries | Moderate (i) | A dislocation that has a significant impairment on the function or movement of a neck and causes a pain | £24,990 to £38,490 |
| Elbow injuries | Less Severe | Injuries harming function of the joint | £15,650 to £32,010 |
| Elbow Injuries | Minor | Such as simple fractures or lacerations | Up to £12,590 |
Other Motorcycle Accident Compensation Payouts
You can also request special damages as part of your personal injury compensation – this is to address the financial impact the injury may have had on you.
Special damages can compensate you for the financial losses caused by an injury such as:
- Treatment costs
- Professional care costs
- Loss of earnings if you’ve been unable to work
If you are seeking motorcycle accidents compensation, we recommend you speak to professionals who have managed similar claims in the past. They can be in a better position to help you calculate your special damages, and can give you information on what to collect and provide in supporting evidence – these could be items such as your medical report, prescription receipts and payslips.
Please reach out to one of our team for information on the average settlement for a motorcycle accident, how we could help you claim for a motorcycle accident, and the compensation payouts we have been able to achieve for previous claimants.
Discuss Your Case With A No Win No Fee Solicitor
A No Win No Fee agreement is also sometimes referred to as a Conditional Fee Agreement. It’s a signed contract between you and your lawyer stating the rules your lawyer must follow in order to receive payment.
If your claim loses, you won’t pay your solicitor’s fees. If you win your claim, your lawyer will take a small percentage of your compensation. This ‘success fee’ is legally capped. Your solicitor discusses this fee with you before you agree to use their services.
You can contact our team of advisers to talk about your case. If your claim is valid, you can be connected to a personal injury lawyer from our panel to look at how much compensation for a motorcycle accident you may be owed.
You can contact our team of advisers via:
- A phone call on 0800 408 7825 to receive free legal advice.
- Our live chat box to chat straight away with an adviser.
- Our online contact form to receive a reply at your earliest availability.
Find Out More About How Much Compensation For A Motorcycle Accident You Could Be Owed
Public Pavement And Road Defect Accident Claims Guide – Have you suffered an accident on a public pavement due to a road defect? Our guide includes helpful information.
Public Cycle Path Accident Claims Guide – If you’ve suffered an injury due to a public cycle path accident, you may be able to make a personal injury claim.
Public Transport Accidents – Have you suffered an injury due to someone else’s negligence in a public transport accident? Our article includes useful guidance.
How Do I Know If I’ve Broken A Bone? – If you suspect you may have suffered a broken bone injury, this NHS page can help you.
Head Injury and Concussion – This NHS article has helpful guidance about head injuries.
We also have some other guides you may find useful:
- Public accident claims hot spots
- Council slip and trip accidents
- Public transport accidents
- How to make a public liability claim
- Making a claim against the council
- Claiming for a pothole injury
- Making a claim against a shop
- Accidents in a public park
- Cycling accident claims
- Claiming for injuries suffered while shopping
- How to Claim Motorcycle Accident Compensation
- Motorcycle Accident Claims
- When Could You Claim For A Taxi Passenger Accident?
- Pedestrian Accident Claims
Thank you for reading our article about how much compensation for a motorcycle accident you could be entitled to.
Article by OA
Publisher UI