Greenfield Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys

Riding a motorcycle comes with real risks for Greenfield residents, and those risks do not stop once the ride is over. A crash can lead to serious knee and joint injuries requiring surgery, and it can also mean facing an insurance company that is far more interested in protecting its own profits than in fairly compensating an injured rider. Understanding motorcycle insurance coverage, knowing what insurance companies do not want riders to find out, and understanding common injuries like knee ligament damage are all essential pieces of information for any Greenfield motorcyclist working through a claim.

Understanding Motorcycle Insurance Coverage for Greenfield Riders

Under the Iowa Financial and Safety Responsibility Act, Greenfield motorcyclists who do not carry motorcycle insurance risk losing their license if pulled over by law enforcement. In addition, a rider can be held responsible for the full cost of all repairs and medical bills if found at fault for an accident. To ensure a safer riding experience, it is worth exploring what a motorcycle insurance company actually offers, since coverage involves much more than basic bodily injury and property damage liability.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

While a Greenfield rider may carry insurance, not every driver on the road does. If a rider is in an accident caused by another driver, that driver's insurance may not be enough to cover the resulting injuries. Purchasing uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage helps ensure that a Greenfield rider's damages are paid even when the at-fault driver's policy limits fall short.

Comprehensive and Collision Coverage

Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to a motorcycle from causes other than a motor vehicle accident, such as flood, fire, or vandalism. Collision coverage, on the other hand, helps cover repair costs when a rider is involved in an accident caused by colliding with another object rather than another motor vehicle. Both types of coverage can help a Greenfield rider avoid unexpected repair costs after an accident.

Medical Expense Coverage

Medical expense coverage is one of the most valuable coverage options available to Greenfield riders, since it pays for the medical expenses of both the rider and any passengers involved in an accident, regardless of who caused the crash.

Roadside Assistance Coverage

If a Greenfield rider has an accident during a ride, runs out of gas, or experiences a breakdown, roadside assistance coverage provides free towing. Excursion diversion insurance, sometimes called interrupted trip insurance, pairs well with roadside assistance and provides lodging, food, and transportation if an accident occurs more than 100 miles from home.

When Insurance Coverage Is Not Enough

Despite the many insurance options available to motorcyclists, sometimes the damages resulting from a crash are severe enough that insurance coverage alone falls short. When this happens, a Greenfield rider should consider filing a personal injury lawsuit to recover the full cost of all damages. Under Iowa Code 614.1, a claim must be filed within two years.

What Insurance Companies Do Not Want Greenfield Riders to Know

Insurance companies are some of the richest and most powerful corporations in the country, and they spend heavily each year to try to reduce the rights and compensation available to hardworking people. What they do not control, however, are the judges and juries who ultimately decide how much compensation is owed to a Greenfield rider hurt in a motorcycle accident. There are several things insurance companies would rather injured riders not know.

The Insurance Company Is Not Required to Tell You the Truth

There is no law requiring the other driver's insurance company to be honest with a Greenfield rider or to act in that rider's best interests. This is why an adjuster may sometimes act friendly and try to build trust, especially when the injuries are serious. It is never a good idea to trust an insurance adjuster, since their job is to pay out as little money as possible, and building a track record of underpaying claims can even lead to promotions and bonuses.

You Do Not Have to Give a Recorded Statement

An insurance adjuster may claim that a recorded statement is required to evaluate a Greenfield rider's claim, but this is not true. Insurance companies want a recorded statement so they can later use a rider's own answers against them. A simple, unconsidered answer to a question about prior injuries can later be twisted to make an honest rider look dishonest if any prior medical history exists. Credibility matters greatly in any injury case, which is exactly why insurance companies try to damage it early.

A Final Offer Is Rarely the Best Offer

Insurance companies often claim that a settlement offer is their final one, but in reality it is usually not their best offer. There is little to lose by proposing a counteroffer, and in some cases it may take filing a lawsuit to get the insurance company's true best offer on the table.

Insurance Companies May Try to Frustrate You

When the friendly approach does not work, some adjusters intentionally use frustration as a tactic. A very low initial offer can make a Greenfield rider angry, and some people settle for a low amount just to be done dealing with the insurance company. An experienced attorney knows how to handle these tactics so an injured rider can focus on healing instead of fighting with an adjuster.

Medical Bills Are Not Automatically Paid as They Come In

An adjuster may tell a Greenfield rider to send medical bills directly to the insurance company, but that does not mean the bills will actually be paid. This tactic is sometimes used to pressure a rider into a cheap settlement once collection calls start coming in from creditors and medical providers. It is generally best to have medical bills paid through health insurance or medical payments coverage while a claim is pending, rather than waiting on the at-fault party's insurer.

Greenfield riders who are not ready to contact an attorney can still request a copy of the firm's free Iowa injury book to learn more about protecting their rights before speaking with an adjuster.

Knee Ligament Injuries and Surgery After a Greenfield Motorcycle Accident

Knee ligament injuries can be painful, restrictive, and often require surgical treatment along with an extended recovery. A Greenfield rider who sustains a serious knee injury as the result of a motorcycle accident may need to seek compensation from the responsible party to help cover the costs of surgery and lost wages from missed work.

What Is a Knee Ligament Injury?

Ligaments connect bone to bone, and in the knee they provide support while limiting the joint's range of motion. When a ligament is damaged, it can no longer do its job properly, which makes the knee unstable. The knee joint has four major supporting ligaments that connect the tibia to the femur: the anterior cruciate ligament, which controls the knee's rotation and forward motion, the lateral collateral ligament, which stabilizes the outer knee, the medial collateral ligament, which stabilizes the inner knee, and the posterior cruciate ligament, which moderates backward movement of the tibia from the center of the knee.

Ligaments can be stretched or completely torn in a motorcycle accident. The severity of the damage determines what treatment is necessary to repair the knee and restore normal function, and in more serious cases surgical intervention may be required, often followed by lengthy physical therapy.

Types of Knee Ligament Surgery

While some serious knee injuries may require a total knee replacement, torn ligaments more often require surgical repair or reconstruction, which may involve using healthy tendons from elsewhere in the body, such as the kneecap or hamstring. A surgeon may graft healthy tissue in place of the damaged ligament to stabilize the knee. This procedure is often completed in an outpatient surgical center under general anesthesia, with follow-up visits and therapy required for a full recovery. Risks associated with knee ligament surgery include blood clotting, bleeding, infection, and stiffness or laxity of the knee afterward. Any Greenfield rider who experiences severe pain, redness, drainage from the surgical site, or fever after surgery should seek immediate medical attention, since these symptoms could signal infection or other complications.

Recovering Damages for a Knee Injury

Knee injuries can be very costly. The time required for proper healing can lead to several weeks of missed work, and costs may include diagnostic tests, pain medication, surgery, and therapy, which can create a significant financial burden for a Greenfield rider. If the knee injury was sustained in a motorcycle accident caused by another party, the injured rider may be entitled to compensation to help regain financial stability and ease the stress associated with the injury.