Table of Contents
- What Are Some Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
- What Are the Colorado Motorcycle Helmet Laws?
- When Should I Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney?
- What Damages Can I Recover?
- Should My Insurance Pay for My Damaged Vehicle When Someone Else is at Fault?
- What’s My Fort Collins Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?
- Contact us for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation
What Are Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
Injuries from motorcycle accidents are often more severe than those suffered by drivers or passengers of cars, trucks, or SUVs. Some common injuries sustained from motorcycle accidents include:
- Head & Traumatic Brain Injuries – Almost every motorcycle accident leads to head injuries, including traumatic brain injuries.
- Back Injuries – A motorcycle accident can cause damage to your spinal cord, with many of these injuries being life-changing.
- Fractures – Motorcycle accidents often lead to fractured bones, including broken arms, legs, ribs, and shattered pelvises.
- Scarring – Road rash can be extremely painful and require surgery to repair.
- Permanent Disfigurement – Some scars from motorcycle accidents remain and cannot be fixed through medical treatment.
- Wrongful Death – 165 motorcyclists were killed in Colorado in 2025. This is a 57% increase in fatalities since 2015.
What Are the Colorado Motorcycle Helmet Laws?
The state of Colorado does not require motorcyclists to wear helmets. Even though you are not required to wear a motorcycle helmet by law, insurance companies can hold it against you if you choose not to wear one and are injured in an accident. Even if the accident is not your fault, the insurance company might try to blame you for not wearing a helmet.
The good news is that Colorado courts tend to be on the side of motorcyclists who don’t wear helmets. You likely will not be penalized for not wearing a helmet. However, statistics show that wearing a helmet and other protective gear, such as helmets, gloves, armor, and riding boots, can prevent severe injuries or fatalities. Riding safely goes a long way.
When Should I Contact a Fort Collins Motorcycle Accident Attorney?
Contact our law firm if you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident and believe someone else is responsible for the motorcycle crash. As soon as you are safe and away from any danger, give our team a call.
What Damages Can I Recover After a Motorcycle Wreck Near Fort Collins?
Being injured in a motorcycle crash in Northern Colorado means you could be owed compensation, including for medical bills, lost wages and future earnings, pain, suffering, and mental anguish, property damage, permanent disability or disfigurement, and the loss of enjoyment of life. Families who have lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident may be eligible to pursue a Fort Collins wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible party.
Should My Insurance Pay for My Damaged Vehicle When Someone Else is at Fault?
Dealing with a property damage claim is frustrating and time-consuming. Sometimes insurance companies take too long to inspect your vehicle and provide you with an estimate. Ultimately, the at-fault person’s insurance should pay for your motorcycle. However, there are times when you may want to use your insurance, if you have coverage. For example, if the at-fault party doesn’t have insurance, you may need to use your insurance.
Other times, the at-fault insurance may refuse to pay while they are investigating the crash and determining who is at fault (even if law enforcement has already cited the other driver). If you need a vehicle to get to work, you may not have time to wait for the investigation, so you may use your insurance. In these cases, you may have a deductible, so your insurance will pay you the amount of the damage less the deductible amount. If the other insurance company eventually agrees its driver was at fault, then it will repay your insurance company, and you will get a check for your deductible amount.
What’s My Fort Collins Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions. It can be answered, but the answer depends on the specific facts of your case. In meeting with many people over many years, we’ve often heard people say that they’ve read that their case is worth some multiple of the amount of their medical bills. They ask things like, “Should pain and suffering be three times (3x) the total medical bills?” or “What is the non-economic to economic damages ratio?”
But determining the amount you are owed actually has nothing to do with any kind of multiplier or factor. The amount of your pain and suffering and the changed quality of life are completely independent of the amount of your medical bills. Consider these two cases as examples.
In Case 1, a person is in a high-speed crash. The car rolls several times and looks like a crushed tin can. The driver is immediately taken to the hospital by ambulance. The driver is shaken up, has some sore spots, and is understandably in shock. Because of the powerful forces in such a crash, the emergency room doctor orders a full set of CT scans or MRIs to make sure there are no serious internal injuries. Fortunately, the driver has escaped any serious or lasting injury. She feels better and doesn’t seek any follow-up care. She takes it easy for a few days and continues to feel better. Within a week, she’s pain-free and back to normal. We’ve seen folks in this scenario many times. Her medical bills are relatively high because expensive scans and emergency room care were provided. She also has a non-economic damages claim for pain and suffering, but how great is that compared to her relatively expensive medical bills? Her pain and suffering damages may be less than her total medical bills.
In Case 2, a person suffers a severe, permanent injury that cannot be repaired, such as paralysis or traumatic amputation of a limb. He receives initial medical treatment, but the treatment is mainly to stabilize the condition. There are no long-term medical expenses because the injury cannot be healed. He must live with the permanent impairment for the rest of his life. He struggles to care for himself day-to-day. He cannot do the hobbies and other activities he enjoyed for recreation. His medical bills are relatively low compared to the severity of the injury. But his damages for permanent impairment, disfigurement, permanently changed quality of life and pain and suffering are immense. They will be many, many times greater than his total medical bills.
An accurate determination of what your case is worth requires knowing the details of how your life was affected, the severity and duration of your pain, your long-term prognosis and medical needs, and whether you have any permanent impairment. The truth is, no one knows exactly what your case is worth unless you go through a trial and a jury decides it for you. But by applying our experience to the specific facts of your case, we can provide you with the likely range of outcomes.
Contact us for a Free, No-Obligation Consultation
At Hadfield Stieben & Doutt, every motorcycle collision case begins with a free, no-obligation consultation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys. We will answer your questions and learn how you or your loved one was injured. We have many options, including meeting you at our office in Fort Collins, talking with you over the phone, or meeting you at your location if you cannot travel. Contact us today to schedule a good time to go over your case.