The average settlement for a motorcycle accident varies based on a number of factors regarding your situation. These include the severity of your injuries, who is determined to be at fault, and whether or not any insurance limits are involved, among other case-specific details.
Cases like these often bring up questions and leave victims like you feeling overwhelmed or confused. Ultimately, there is no fixed amount that you can be guaranteed to receive, but understanding how compensation is calculated is one way to set realistic expectations.
To get a clearer picture of what your motorcycle accident case may be worth, it’s important to speak with a Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyer. Your attorney can further break down the laws that affect your situation and help you evaluate the factors that may impact your payout.
Factors That Influence Motorcycle Accident Settlements in Missouri
While it is impossible to determine the average settlement for a motorcycle accident, there are ways to predict what yours may be worth. Here’s a look at the factors that influence motorcycle collision settlements in Missouri:
- Severity of Injuries: Catastrophic injuries—such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, or amputations—tend to result in higher settlement amounts due to the long-term medical care and life adjustments that they require.
- Medical expenses: Settlements often reflect both past and anticipated future medical bills, including emergency care, surgical procedures, physical therapy, prescription medications, assistive devices, and rehabilitative care.
- Lost wages and future earnings: When a motorcycle accident victim is unable to work either during recovery or permanently as a result of their injuries, their lost income and diminished earning capacity are considered as part of the settlement calculation.
- Property damage: If your motorcycle is totaled in a collision, repairs or replacements might be necessary, both of which will likely add to the total amount of damage you’re owed.
- Pain and suffering: This includes the physical pain, emotional distress, psychological trauma, and overall decrease in the quality of your life that you’ve sustained as a direct result of the crash.
- Degree of fault: Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, which means that a settlement may be reduced by the percentage of fault attributed to the injured motorcyclist.
- Insurance policy limits: The liability coverage of the at-fault driver plays a major role in determining how much compensation is actually recoverable.
Missouri’s Pure Comparative Fault Rule
When trying to determine your average payout for a motorcycle accident, it helps to familiarize yourself with Missouri and its pure comparative fault system. This rule is outlined in RSMo § 537.765. It stipulates that a motorcycle accident victim can still recover damages even if they are partially responsible for the crash.
That said, the amount of compensation they receive will be reduced by their percentage of fault. For instance, let’s say a rider is awarded a total of $100,000 in damages. However, that same rider is also declared to be 30% at fault for the incident.
In that case, the total amount of compensation awarded to the rider will be reduced by 30% to reflect their share of liability. As a result, they will receive $70,000 for the damages and injuries they sustained. It’s worth noting that this legal standard can impact your settlement negotiations.
Contact our Kansas city personal injury lawyers now.
Economic vs. Non-Economic Damages
Motorcycle accident settlements in Missouri generally fall into two main categories of damages: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
These are tangible, calculable costs that relate to losses you endured as a result of the crash:
- Emergency room costs and hospital bills
- Ongoing and future medical treatments
- Physical therapy
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Motorcycle repairs or replacement
- Out-of-pocket costs like transportation, mobility aids, and medications
Non-Economic Damages
These damages are more subjective. They are designed to compensate victims for losses that do not correlate with direct monetary value in the form of a price tag, such as:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental anguish and emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of companionship in wrongful death claims
Missouri law does not impose a cap on non-economic damages in personal injury cases involving motorcycle crashes unless the case is against a public entity. This allows juries or insurance companies to award higher amounts for pain and suffering when justified.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm in Missouri for More Information About the Average Settlement in Cases Like Yours
If you or someone you love was injured in a motorcycle crash, you’re likely facing more than just physical pain. It wouldn’t surprise us to hear that you’re dealing with medical bills, mental turmoil, emotional distress, and lost wages, all while trying to find a way to recover.
The aftermath of collisions involving motorcycles is never easy to endure, but you don’t have to go through it all alone. Instead, reach out to Foster Wallace Personal Injury Lawyers. Our Missouri motorcycle accident attorneys understand what you’re going through.
That’s why we’re here to advocate for you. Over our more than 45 years of combined experience, we’ve recovered over $1 billion in compensation for injury victims. You deserve a fair outcome in your case, and we’re here to help you pursue it.
