Motorcycles are exciting vehicles to ride around Bentonville and the entire state of Arkansas. Since we have a warm climate, you might even be able to ride your motorbike year-round in our city. While this means that you can get good use of your motorcycle, this also means that you could spend more time on the road and other vehicles could crash into you.
Even though other motorists should be used to sharing the road with motorcyclists, and they should be vigilant and cautious of others on the road, they still often don’t see motorcycles and will collide with them when they’re not paying attention. Our Bentonville motorcycle accident lawyer can help you recover compensation after a collision that wasn’t your fault and caused you injuries and other damages.
Arkansas Motorcycle Laws
When you’re riding a motorcycle in Bentonville, you should know the state laws surrounding riding your motorbike so that you can follow the rules and stay as safe as possible. The laws also come into play if you get into an accident because your lawyer will need to know if you were following the rules so that they can determine if you were in any way at fault for the collision.
According to Arkansas Code, these are the rules for riding a motorcycle in our state:
- A motorcycle must be equipped with at least one headlight, a rear red reflector, a red rear light, hand or foot brakes, a horn, muffler, supports for feet, and electrical turn signals.
- Headlights must run during the daytime as well.
- All passengers under 21 must wear a helmet and protective goggles or transparent face shields.
- Helmets are not required over the age of 21, but protective goggles are required for all riders, regardless of age.
- There must be only one rider per seat, and no more than two riders can be on a motorcycle at a time.
- A person under 16 cannot drive a motorcycle with another person on it.
- No children under 8 years of age are permitted to ride a motorcycle on a public street, unless they are in a parade.
- Lane splitting is not mentioned in Arkansas Code.
On top of these laws for operating a motorcycle, the statute of limitations is another law to pay attention to when you’ve been in an accident while riding your motorbike. If you don’t file a claim within the statute of limitations for personal injury, then you could miss out on holding the negligent driver responsible for their actions that harmed you.
In Arkansas, you have three years from the date of the accident to file a motorcycle accident claim. That’s why it’s important to get the help of a lawyer quickly after your collision so that you know you’re filing within the legal timeline. Your Bentonville motorcycle accident attorney will help you build a strong case within the statute of limitations and get you the compensation you deserve.
Damages You Can Recover
After a motorcycle accident, it’s likely that you suffered from serious injuries that resulted in damages. When someone else was responsible for what happened to you, then you deserve to be compensated for those damages. It’s likely these costs are making it hard to live your normal life, on top of you trying to heal physically and emotionally from the accident.
Since you’re likely feeling vulnerable and trying to get back to your daily life, you might be feeling hesitant about filing a claim against the driver who caused your crash even though you know you deserve justice. That’s where a Bentonville motorcycle accident lawyer comes in. We’ll handle the legal side of things for you so that you don’t have to worry about it.
As your attorneys, we’ll fight to recover the damages that you deserve for your injuries and other costs that you suffered as a result of the harm. There are two main types of damages that we’ll use to calculate how much you’re owed: economic and noneconomic.
Economic damages are the more real costs that you suffered from your collision. Your lawyer will look at your bills to determine how much you’re owed for these costs. Some of the bills they’ll examine are medical bills, treatment costs, medication costs, repair bills, and lost wages that you missed from your injuries. They can also include future medical costs and future lost wages if you still aren’t healed and won’t be able to return to work anytime soon.
Noneconomic damages are the more abstract costs from the accident. These could be harder to prove than economic damages because you might not have documentation of these damages that you’ve suffered. Your attorney will take into account if the collision caused pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, or emotional turmoil.
On top of these types of damages, you might also be eligible for punitive damages if the driver was especially negligent or grossly negligent. These damages are rare in personal injury claims but could still be possible to recover if the situation warrants them. Your Bentonville motorcycle accident attorney is experienced and will be able to determine exactly what you’re owed and build a case to ensure you get full and fair compensation.
Hire an Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
At McMath Woods P.A., we understand how filing a claim against a negligent driver for your motorcycle wreck can feel like a large undertaking. That’s why we’re here to help. We’re prepared to fight for you and handle your claim so that you can focus on what really matters—healing. You have other things to worry about, like supporting yourself and your family, recovering from your injuries, and figuring out how you’ll pay for your bills.
With our help, you’ll be able to recover compensation for your damages so you don’t have to worry about your stacking bills. That way, you can get back to your normal life as soon as possible. Reach out to us today so we can get started on your case.
