On September 13, 2012 at 7 am, a serious accident occurred on West Carson Street in Pittsburgh. A pickup truck and a motorcycle crashed on West Carson Street, trapping the motorcycle on the truck’s rear wheel and sending the cyclist flying into the bed of the truck. The motorcyclist, who was not wearing a helmet, was rushed to the hospital, where he was listed in critical condition. The crash was so hard that two of the four bolts holding the truck bed in place were dislodged. The road was closed for several hours as police investigated the scene and tried to determine who was at fault. They took measurements of the skid marks from the motorcycle tires and calculated a minimum speed at which the motorcycle was travelling. Police were not sure whether the accident was cause because the motorcyclist was driving too fast or because the truck turned too quickly and cut off the motorcycle.
Once police determine who was at fault, the wronged party may want to hire an accident attorney PA, especially if the motorcyclist was the victim in this incident. With the huge medical bills he is surely incurring, not to mention vehicle insurance, lost salary, and psychological damage, he is entitled to significant financial remuneration. If the motorcyclist was at fault, the truck driver may be eligible for financial compensation as well, although it would be far less, since he sustained less physical harm.
In either case, an accident attorney in PA would meet with the injured party as soon as possible, read the police accident report, and compile a collection of eye witness accounts. He will then determine whether or not the injured person has grounds to make a legitimate claim. In the case of the motorcyclist, the extent of his injuries and the life threatening nature of the accident would certainly constitute a legitimate legal claim. Once the accident attorney in PA has agreed to represent the injured party, he will then undertake a more extensive and thorough investigation. Usually, a lawyer has two years in which he may file a personal injury suit; during these two years, he may continue to investigate and conduct interviews to strengthen his case. Most of the time, these cases do not even make it to court; instead, they are settled through third-party mediation, in which the injured person’s lawyer and the insurance claims adjuster reach an agreement. If this is not successful, the case will then go to court to be tried.
Of course, no amount of financial remuneration can make up for serious physical injury, particularly if it is permanent, life altering, or affects the brain. But, in the case of this Pittsburgh motorcyclist, hiring an accident attorney in PA could be one step towards reclaiming his life and covering significant medical costs. And perhaps at the same time, his case will point out the importance of wearing a helmet when riding and for looking out for cyclists who share the road.
