Originally Posted by
mrvrsick
All I want is my bills paid and a new bike. Getting a lawyer seems a bit excessive, but I'm not familiar with this situation :/
Thank you all for the advice! Hopefully I'm back on two wheels soon
A lawyer is not needed unless the insurance company refuses fair compensation. I've been hit twice and came out with $5,000 above and beyond my actual damages both times. The first time, the car insurance company refused to pay me anything. Eventually, they paid $12,500 and I got $6500. The second time, I did my own negotiation and still came out $5,000 ahead, even though I had NO medical expenses.
Fair compensation is payment of all bike and personal equipment damages - new not depreciated. They should pay all medical expenses. After enough weeks or months have passed to insure that you are not permanently injured, I wound insist on pain and suffering in the amount of twice the medical bills.
If you can get all that, a lawyer would not do much better, but the car insurance company would have to pay another $5,000 or so for your lawyer's expenses. They know that and would rather settle with you for less.