Most motorcyclists lack a standard form of financial protection against the costs of a crash that drivers of cars and trucks enjoy. Auto insurance policies routinely include personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, which covers a vehicle's driver and passengers against personal injuries they suffer in a crash, regardless of fault. Motorcycle rider insurance policies rarely include PIP coverage, so injured motorcyclists must find other payment sources for their crash-related costs. If you suffer injuries in a motorcycle crash, you may sue an individual, company, or another party whose dangerous decisions or actions caused your injuries. To establish liability in a motorcycle crash lawsuit, your lawyer must prove: The at-fault party owed you a duty of care not to engage in actions or make decisions that cause an unreasonable risk of harming you. Other motorists owe motorcyclists the obligation to operate their vehicles safely and follow traffic laws. The at-fault party breached the duty of care by engaging in unreasonably dangerous actions or making decisions that put you in harm’s way. These decisions or actions can include risky driving behaviors such as speeding, failure to yield, alcohol impairment, or any other type of behavior that is not safe or legal. The breach in the duty of care resulted in the accident and your injuries. The law generally permits motorcycle crash victims to claim both economic and non-economic damages associated with the injuries they sustained in the crash. Damages refers to a payment made as compensation for the victim's harm. Economic damages consist of the direct financial costs you incurred as a result of your injury, such as: Medical expenses, including the cost of treatment received at the scene or in the emergency department, transport to the hospital by ambulance or air, diagnostic testing, hospitalization, surgical and physician services, prescription medication, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. Assistive devices such as wheelchairs, crutches, prosthetic limbs, and home modifications to accommodate the injury. Lost income if your injury prevents you from working or requires you to miss work to attend injury-related medical appointments. Loss of future earning capacity if your injury results in a permanent disability that renders you unable to return to work or prevents you from having the same earning capacity as you did before the accident. The cost of repairing or replacing property damaged in the accident, such as your motorcycle, helmet, and other gear. Non-economic damages refer to a payment made for the impact on your quality of life due to the injury. Commonly claimed quality-of-life impacts in motorcycle accident cases include: Physical pain and suffering resulting directly from your injuries and those associated with the treatment of your injuries. Emotional distress. Permanent disability. Loss of the enjoyment of life if your injuries prevent you from participating in activities or events that you previously enjoyed. Loss of consortium, which is damage claimed on behalf of the injured person's spouse for loss of physical intimacy or companionship that is common after an individual incurs a severe injury. You need to be aware as a motorcycle accident victim that an insurance company may try to quickly resolve your claim by contacting you personally soon after your crash. Be aware that an insurer will likely employ many tricks designed to limit the amount it will have to pay you. The first thing an insurance company will try to do is offer you a lump-sum settlement to resolve your case, and you need to be very careful in deciding to accept such an offer. Even though doing so allows you to recover financial compensation without paying an attorney, you can also risk closing the case without any ability to recover additional damages if you learn later that you need more money. Always let an experienced attorney handle all conversations with insurers because they will know how to negotiate a full and fair settlement. Furthermore, many insurance companies will argue that motorcyclists were somehow at fault for causing their crashes. Adjusters will ask leading questions to get you to admit to any fault, which allows them to reduce your claim. Never make any substantive statements about the accident to insurers without an attorney. Also, decline to provide any recorded statements or sign any paperwork until you can first have a lawyer present with you when you do so. People who voluntarily do these things frequently make damaging and unknowing admissions that harm their injury claims. Signing paperwork you do not fully understand can mean signing away important rights.