A motorcyclist suffered loss of limb injury near Pittsburgh: Can legal counsel help?

Pennsylvania – February 21, 2023

Route 422 near Moraine State Park in Butler County was the scene of a catastrophic motorcycle accident resulting in the rider losing his leg after his Harley-Davidson motorcycle collided with a guard rail south of the North Country Scenic Train.  His leg was amputated by the crash and he was transported by air to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh for evaluation and treatment. Overwhelming losses often occur because of a motorcycle accident and include financial debt related to medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or funeral expenses when related sudden death occurs. An experienced accident lawyer at Scanlon & Wojton Law Firm can assist motorcycle accident victims or surviving loved ones recover damages when an accident leaves them with short term and/or lifelong residual personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death losses.

Catastrophic life changing injury.

A loss of limb injury requires a lengthy healing period and the possibility of multiple surgeries requiring prolonged hospital stays. There are times when associated complications exacerbate other health conditions which should be monitored during the recovery period along with changes to a patient’s mental and emotional state.

Recoverable damage compensation.

An injury attorney can simply explain in layman’s terms how the law applies in each unique situation and apprise victims of any variations to the imposed time constraints for filing legal actions in Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania statute of limitations gives an accident victim two years to file a lawsuit from the date the injury occurred, was, discovered, or should have been discovered through reasonable care. Lawsuits against government agencies have a shorter timeframe to act at six months. A Pennsylvania personal injury lawyer can apprise individuals of any deviations from that timeline.

Legal counsel will review the damage valuation determinations for accident-related insurance claims, and other accidents requiring the payment of:

• Compensatory damages for economic losses including lost wages, medical bills, medical care, and treatment, plus household expenses and non-economic losses that include pain and suffering, loss of consortium, or companionship.
• Monetary awards in Pennsylvania have no cap on most damages, but there is a cap of $500,000 against local government claims, and a $250,000 limit on claims against the State in the event that roadway flaws due to negligence of municipal upkeep caused a rider to have an accident.  Accident lawyers can be of assistance for a variety of legal actions toward fiscal recovery after any motor vehicle accidental injury.

Elevated catastrophic benefit.

It is not uncommon for motorcycle crashes to end in catastrophic bodily harm, or fatal injury, as riders are likely to absorb the full impacts of collisions with the ground, or metal framework of another motor vehicle, or they may be ejected into the air before landing on hard surfaces with relatively little bodily protection.  Motorcycle insurance policies may have an accidental death benefit rider, whereby the victim’s loved ones may be able to recover compensation to pay for medical treatment and funeral expenses.  A Pittsburgh motorcycle accident lawyer can review the policy to check the personal injury protection coverage (PIP) language for catastrophic injury thresholds and those that includes death benefits which may address funeral expenses, medical bills, and beneficiary amounts.

Report accident.

An accident report must be filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Public Safety within five days from the mishap if collisions result in death, injury, or significant property damage.  An auto accident attorney can explain Pennsylvania’s  “modified comparative negligence” rule, where an individual can still recover damages in a personal injury lawsuit, but the amount of compensation will be reduced by an amount that is equal to their percentage of fault, but a plaintiff can only seek damages from the defendant if they are less than 51 percent at fault

Hire a lawyer.

Call an accident attorney in the Pittsburgh area to assist in the determination of “fault” and move forward with a legal proceeding to personal injury loss and property damage. An experienced accident lawyer at Scanlon & Wojton will fight for and accident victim’s rights for a comprehensive insurance settlement, or court award to cover damages.

Scanlon & Wojton, Attorneys at Law

The Mitchell Building
304 Ross Street, Second Floor
Pittsburgh, Pa 15219

Phone:  (412) 918-1241

Fax: (412) 235-7275

Sources.

1. https://www.ncnewsonline.com/news/local_news/man-loses-leg-in-motorcycle-crash/article_07cea80e-b1fa-11ed-9d72-df2dfc30771d.html
2. https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.085.053.000..HTM
3. https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.071.002.000..HTM
4. https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/42/00.055.024.000..HTM