No one enjoying the open road thinks they will be injured in a motorcycle accident. But in seconds, a crash can change your life forever. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are about 29 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a crash per vehicle mile traveled. Because a motorcycle offers little protection, collisions frequently result in catastrophic injuries like head trauma, spinal cord damage, and permanent disability. The motorcycle accident lawyers at The Cochran Firm Cincinnati know how difficult it is to recover physically, financially, and emotionally from one of these tragedies. If you or someone you love was injured in a motorcycle accident due to another’s negligence, you deserve compensation from those responsible so you and your family can get on with life. To ensure you receive the justice you and your family deserve, it is vital to retain a skilled and aggressive motorcycle accident attorney in Cincinnati as soon as possible, so that your legal rights are protected.
At The Cochran Firm, our motorcycle accident lawyers work every day to provide all of our clients with a level of service that honors the high standard of excellence established by our founder, Johnnie Cochran. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle collision, you can be assured that our personal injury lawyers will be with you every step of the way to make certain you are fairly and fully compensated for your injuries. To learn more about all of the ways The Cochran Firm can help you and your family get your lives back on track after your motorcycle accident, please contact us for a free, no-obligation legal evaluation of your case today.
Most motorcycle crashes are not accidents but the result of another party's negligence. Understanding the cause is the first step in building a successful claim. Our team investigates all potential factors, including:
Insurance companies often try to shift blame onto the motorcyclist to avoid paying a claim. In Ohio, the law of modified comparative negligence is used to determine fault. Under this rule, you can still recover damages as long as you are found to be 50% or less at fault for the accident. However, your total compensation award will be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are awarded $100,000 but found to be 10% at fault, your final recovery would be $90,000. Our attorneys are skilled at fighting unfair accusations of fault to protect your right to full and fair compensation.
The injuries received in motorcycle accidents are generally much more severe than those from regular vehicular accidents. In any serious motorcycle accident, it is highly likely that an injured biker will need money to cover medical bills and rehabilitation, as well as money to live on while they are unable to work. According to recent insurance industry statistics:
Motorcycle accidents are often the result of a negligent or reckless motorist in Cincinnati. However, road defects, a defective motorcycle component or a defective helmet can also cause or contribute to the severity of a motorcycle accident. Because motorcycle accident lawsuits are so complex, it’s extremely important to have a personal injury lawyer on your side who understands how to litigate these difficult cases. You can’t assume that the insurance company will automatically compensate you for the pain and suffering you have endured. In fact, the insurance company has probably already started investigating your claim in order to find ways to reduce the amount of compensation you ultimately receive.
At The Cochran Firm Cincinnati, our motorcycle accident lawyers have extensive experience handling cases that involve the types of complex, serious injuries typically suffered by motorcycle accident victims. Our legal team knows how to investigate motorcycle crashes and evaluate the validity of claims that arise from them. They have successfully helped hundreds of motorcycle accident victims obtain the compensation needed to cover medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and other damages. The Cochran Firm has never been afraid to take on even the largest corporations or insurance companies, and our motorcycle accident lawyers will aggressively pursue your claim, at trial if necessary, to ensure you receive the justice
If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident in Cincinnati, Ohio, taking the right steps immediately after the incident can significantly impact your recovery and your ability to pursue compensation. Here’s what you should do:
Taking these initial steps after a motorcycle accident in Cincinnati can help protect your health, rights, and ability to secure compensation for your injuries and damages.
At The Cochran Firm, all of our highly-experienced attorneys are dedicated to providing quality legal representation to injured people, their families, and the ordinary citizen, just as Johnnie Cochran envisioned when he founded the firm over 40 years ago. If you or a loved one are seeking personal, dedicated and aggressive legal representation in the wake of a motorcycle accident, please contact The Cochran Firm today by filling out our online form, or call (513) 381-HURT.
On average, a motorcycle accident settlement in Cincinnati, Ohio may take anywhere from a few months to a year, or even longer if the case goes to trial. Factors such as the extent of your injuries, the complexity of the case, and whether fault is contested will all influence the duration.
It’s important to work with a motorcycle accident lawyer in Cincinnati who understands Ohio’s legal processes and can help expedite the settlement while ensuring you receive fair compensation for your injuries.
Negotiating pain and suffering compensation after a motorcycle accident can be one of the most challenging aspects of your claim. Pain and suffering represent the physical and emotional toll of the accident, including chronic pain, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and mental anguish. Unlike medical bills and lost wages, pain and suffering are non-economic damages that don’t have a fixed value, which makes them more difficult to quantify.
Here are important steps involved in negotiating pain and suffering compensation:
1. Document the Physical and Emotional Impact
The more thorough the documentation, the stronger your case will be.
Start by keeping detailed records of:
2. Understand the Severity of Your Injuries
The severity of your injuries plays a significant role in determining the amount of compensation for pain and suffering. Serious injuries that result in long-term or permanent disabilities—such as spinal injuries, amputations, or brain trauma—are typically compensated at a higher rate. Injuries that affect your quality of life, like a loss of mobility or chronic pain, also warrant higher compensation.
3. Use Expert Testimony
Medical professionals and therapists can provide expert testimony that explains the long-term impact of your injuries on your physical and emotional well-being. This can be crucial in demonstrating the lasting effects of your pain and suffering to an insurance adjuster or in court.
4. Evaluate Precedent and Similar Cases
Your lawyer will review similar motorcycle accident cases in your jurisdiction to determine the average settlement amounts for pain and suffering. This helps to set realistic expectations and gives leverage in negotiations. Past settlements or verdicts in similar cases can serve as a guide for how much compensation you can reasonably expect.
5. Negotiate with the Insurance Company
Insurance companies will typically offer an initial settlement that is much lower than what you deserve. During negotiations, your lawyer will present the evidence of your pain and suffering, making the case for a higher payout. If the insurance company doesn’t offer a fair settlement, your lawyer may take the case to trial, where a jury can determine the appropriate amount of compensation.
6. Consider the Impact on Your Life
When negotiating pain and suffering, focus on how your injuries have permanently changed your life. If you have lost the ability to participate in activities you once enjoyed (e.g., riding a motorcycle, playing sports, or working), this loss can significantly increase the value of your pain and suffering claim.
7. Get Legal Help
Negotiating pain and suffering can be complex, and insurance companies are often motivated to offer the lowest possible settlement. Having an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer, like those at The Cochran Firm, on your side can ensure that you’re fully compensated for both economic and non-economic damages. A skilled lawyer knows how to negotiate effectively and will advocate for your best interests, ensuring that the full extent of your pain and suffering is recognized and compensated.
After any accident, your immediate safety and health are most important. Get to a safe location away from traffic and call 911 immediately, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline can mask serious injuries. After you've received medical attention, your next most important step is to preserve evidence and protect your rights. This means you should not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company or accept a quick settlement offer. Their goal is to minimize their payout. Contacting an experienced motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible ensures your interests are protected from the very start.
Unfortunately, there is a pervasive and unfair bias against motorcyclists. Insurance companies often try to exploit this by arguing the rider was speeding, weaving through traffic, or was otherwise reckless. This is a tactic used to reduce or deny a valid claim. In reality, a majority of motorcycle-car collisions are the fault of the other driver, who often fails to see the motorcycle, makes an unsafe lane change, or violates the rider's right-of-way. We know how to fight this bias head-on with accident reconstruction, witness testimony, and a thorough investigation to prove who was truly at fault.
Yes, you can absolutely still have a case. Ohio's helmet law is specific: only riders under 18 and those with a "novice" license are legally required to wear a helmet. For all other adult riders, helmets are optional. The insurance company might try to argue that your decision not to wear a helmet contributed to your injuries (a concept called "comparative negligence") in an attempt to reduce your compensation. However, it does not prevent you from holding the at-fault driver responsible for causing the crash in the first place. We can fight to ensure the focus remains on the negligence that caused the accident.
This is a more complex, but still valid, type of claim. If your accident was caused by poor road conditions, such as a large pothole, an unmarked construction zone, or loose gravel from a work truck, a government entity (like a city or county) or a private contractor could be held responsible. These cases have very different rules and much shorter deadlines for filing a claim than a standard accident lawsuit. It is critical to have an attorney investigate immediately to identify the responsible party and meet these strict legal requirements.
We calculate a claim's value by looking at every way the crash has impacted your life. This isn't just about the immediate bills. We pursue compensation for all of it, including:
We build a comprehensive case to demand a settlement that covers the true and total cost of your recovery.
Even in cases of clear fault, the insurance company's objective is to pay you as little as possible. They will look for any reason to devalue your claim, from questioning the severity of your injuries to arguing that you share some of the blame. Hiring a lawyer levels the playing field. We handle all communications with the insurance company, gather the evidence needed to prove the full extent of your damages, and show them we are fully prepared to go to trial if they refuse to make a fair offer. This position of strength is what maximizes your compensation and allows you to focus solely on your recovery.
At The Cochran Firm, we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no upfront fees to hire us. Our payment is a percentage of the final settlement or verdict we win for you. If we do not successfully recover compensation in your case, you owe us nothing for our legal services.
A motorcycle accident can affect your insurance, but how it does so depends on who was at fault. If another driver is found at fault, their insurance should cover your damages, and your rates should not increase. If you are found at fault for the accident, it is likely that both your motorcycle and car insurance premiums could rise, as insurers view you as a higher-risk client.
If the driver who hit you has no insurance or not enough to cover your damages, you may still be able to recover compensation through your own insurance policy. This is possible if you have Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage. This is an essential but optional coverage in Ohio, and our attorneys can investigate all applicable policies to find sources of recovery for you.
