One of the most frequently asked questions of our motorcycle accident attorneys in Boston is, “How much is my motorcycle accident claim worth?”
Accurately calculating your damages and damage awards following a motorcycle accident is not an exact science and it varies tremendously depending on some of the following items.
Some of these, like past and future medical bills, are relatively easy to tally. Others, like pain and suffering and loss of consortium, aren’t tied to any actual monetary loss, which can make them more difficult to value.
Bear in mind the total amount of damages calculated and the amount you ultimately receive in compensation may be different based on these factors. Courts have a lot of discretion in making those judgment calls. As outlined in MGL c. 231 s. 60F, prevailing plaintiffs in negligence claims are entitled to:
Even if a jury awards a substantial sum, a judge may order it reduced or increased with a remittitur or additur ruling under Civil Procedure Rule 59 (though these can be reconsidered or appealed).
At Jeffrey Glassman Injury Lawyers, we are committed to conducting a thorough and accurate accounting of your motorcycle accident injuries and losses and helping you fight for the maximum amount of compensation.
Types of Damage Awards in Massachusetts Motorcycle AccidentsThere are two basic types of damage awards in these cases:
Compensatory damages are specific expenses and losses incurred or reasonably certain to be incurred by plaintiff because of incurred injury. These include things like medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and loss of consortium. Massachusetts law doesn’t set minimum or maximum amounts of compensatory damages that can be paid. This is the primary source of damage awards in motorcycle injury lawsuits.
Punitive damages are only awarded under limited circumstances – and only in wrongful death cases – and while awarded to the plaintiff, are based on the alleged egregious conduct of the defendant. It requires proof of wrongdoing that goes beyond ordinary negligence, and it’s intended to penalize bad conduct and serve as a deterrent to any who might be tempted to do the same in the future. We most often see this in cases against large corporations, such as vehicle manufacturers that failed to warn the public of a major defect or trucking companies that knowingly allowed a dangerous driver behind the wheel of a semi or other commercial vehicle.
Medical Expenses for Motorcycle InjuriesDamage awards for medical expenses following a motorcycle accident will include those bills you have already incurred and those you may be billed for in the future for reasonable medical care stemming from your injuries.
These can include (but aren’t necessarily limited to) expenses for:
Each expense must be carefully itemized, so it’s best from the very beginning to keep track of all medical bills you receive after the crash. Many defendants will try to dispute these calculations, challenges the medical necessity of your care or try to pay a fraction of such costs. Accurate documentation will be key. Medical expert witness testimony may also be necessary.
Lost Wages Due Injuries Suffered in a Motorcycle AccidentWage losses are claimed in almost all motorcycle injury lawsuits because riders are often prevented from immediately returning to work – if they can return at all or in the same capacity. This is money you would have earned had your injury not occurred.
The best way to begin calculating this estimate is with supporting documents to show your medical condition prevents you from working. From there, we need a physician’s opinion on your degree and length of disability. This will indicate how much time off you need to recover – or even if you’re expected to recover fully.
We’ll gather evidence confirming your employment, recent pay stubs and tax information revealing your regular pay, salary, and benefits. Calculations will vary depending on whether you are a salary or hourly wage worker. We will also look carefully at regular overtime you worked and potential losses of wage increases, promotion opportunities, sales commissions, and bonuses.
If you are self-employed (i.e., sole proprietor or independent contractor), we’ll claim lost income rather than lost wages. The process is a bit different, but we still have the same goal, which is to gather records identifying the earnings you would have received before the injury.
With the help of a forensic economist and medical and financial expert witnesses, we may also be able to assert future income loss (lost earning capacity), which considers your employment skills and history, age and extent of ongoing disability.
Pain and Suffering from Motorcycle InjuriesPain and suffering is a legal term that refers to a broad range of negative impacts the motorcycle accident had on your life. It is a physical pain you endured, but also mental and emotional trauma you have suffered. The aftermath of a motorcycle accident can be devastating and extraordinarily painful, and Massachusetts law does allow you to seek a damage award for such claims. However, it is not always easy to quantify the extent and nature of such losses.
There are no hard-and-fast rules for calculating these damages, but experienced injury attorneys in Massachusetts know how to argue for maximum compensation in such cases. We examine the severity of injuries (as demonstrated by medical records and physician opinions), the extent of ongoing disabilities and the impact this has had on your everyday life and personal relationships. If you were once an extremely active, happy person with close family ties and are now dependent on a wheelchair, increasingly isolated and suffering depression, there is likely a strong argument for significant pain and suffering damages.
Loss of ConsortiumLoss of consortium is an injury claim in negligence cases available to certain loved ones of a person killed or injured by the wrongful acts of someone else. Claims center on both functional and sentimental losses. Loved ones depend on each other for practical things, but also emotional support and intimacy. Deprivation of these “services” is compensable. Before 1989 and the introduction of MGL c. 231 s. 85x, loss of consortium claims in Massachusetts were limited to spouses. That statute opened the door to claims for loss of consortium by parents of a minor child or an adult child who is dependent on his/ her parents for support.
If you are injured in a motorcycle accident in Boston and need information on how to pursue a successful negligence claim for damage awards, our long-time personal injury attorneys can help. No attorney can promise you a specific outcome in your case (be wary of any who do!), but we can often give you a good idea of the potential viability and value of your claim after reviewing the facts and circumstances of an accident. Initial consultations are free, and claims are accepted on a contingency fee basis (meaning you aren’t responsible for attorney’s fees unless we win compensation on your behalf).