Personal Injury Lawyer

Standing water impairs traction, making it difficult for motorcycle tires to maintain a grip on the road. Poor drainage from road surfaces poses a challenge for even the most skilled rider.

Standing water also conceals hazardous road defects. Motorcyclists can try to maneuver around visible potholes. When the pothole is filled with and surrounded by standing water, an unsuspecting rider is at risk of blowing a tire or losing balance after riding into it.

Other road defects may be hidden by standing water including ridges, cracks in the pavement, and uneven pavement surfaces. Riders are at risk of hitting debris that could puncture tires or damage wheels when the debris is covered by water.

The government that owns the road has the obligation to maintain it. Maintenance includes removing draining obstructions so that water is not allowed to pool in the road. Unfortunately, government leaders are so afraid of raising taxes that road maintenance suffers.

When a government neglects its duty to maintain roads, motorcyclists who are injured because of standing water can bring a legal claim. State laws typically require them to give notice of that claim shortly after the accident occurs. Failing to give that notice can result in a loss of the opportunity to make a claim for compensation against the government.

A motorcycle accident lawyer, like a motorcycle accident lawyer from Butler Law Firm, can investigate the circumstances of the accident and advise the injury victim of the deadline for filing a notice of claim. Contacting a lawyer after an accident caused by standing water should be one of the injured motorcyclist’s first priorities.

Is There a Time Limit for Going to a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident Caused by Standing Water?

While there are time limits for filing a notice of claim and starting a lawsuit, no law places a deadline on seeing a doctor after a motorcycle accident. There are nevertheless practical reasons for doing so as soon as possible.

Prompt treatment can save lives. While serious injuries will often result in emergency room treatment, the severity of an injury is not always obvious. When a rider’s body slams against the pavement or a bike falls onto the rider’s chest, the rider may suffer from internal bleeding or organ damage. Riders might not know that the injury is serious until it is too late to treat.

Head injuries can cause bleeding or swelling in the brain. The only symptom may be a mild headache until sudden pain leads to death. An immediate evaluation can mean the difference between survival and death.

Prompt treatment also encourages healing. Trying to “walk off” an injury might only increase the damage. Injuries to muscles and joints can cause lasting pain that eventually becomes debilitating if treatment does not begin immediately. Motorcyclists might condemn themselves to a lifetime of disabling pain if they do not see a doctor immediately after a crash.

Seeing a Doctor After a Motorcycle Accident Caused by Standing Water Improves the Outcome of Injury Claims

Governments employ claims managers to evaluate legal claims. They typically view their job as protecting the government’s budget by denying claims whenever they can.

Claims managers scrutinize an injured motorcyclist’s medical records. If the motorcycle rider did not seek prompt treatment, the claims manager will deny that any eventual treatment was related to the standing water. They will argue that the treatment must be related to a later accident, because people who are injured in an accident usually seek treatment right away.

Claims managers also look for treatment gaps. If an injured rider decides to ignore a doctor’s advice and blows off appointments, the claims manager will assume the injury healed and will attribute renewed treatment to a new injury. Seeing a doctor quickly and following treatment recommendations is the best way to protect a motorcycle rider’s ability to obtain compensation.