Everyone who’s been riding motorcycles for a long time knows at least one person who lost their life in a motorcycle crash, often entirely due to someone else’s negligence rather than their own. If your family has recently been impacted by this tragedy, you may not know exactly what to do next or even what options you have when it comes to taking legal action against the people responsible for your loss.
Fatal motorcycle accidents in York always make for difficult civil claims in both legal and personal terms. You have help available with your unique case from experienced and respected motorcycle accident lawyers. No matter how your loved one’s accident happened or what specific losses you need to seek civil recovery for, our attorneys can work tirelessly to make sure you get the best case result possible while also minimizing additional stress for you and the rest of your family.
When Can You Sue Over a Fatal Motorcycle Crash?
It is important to understand that a civil court will not assume someone is legally at fault for a wreck just because that wreck resulted in someone else passing away. Instead, it will fall to you as a surviving family member to prove in the deceased person’s name that their fatal motorcycle crash in York stemmed mainly and directly from a specific negligent act by another, such as a traffic violation, drunk driving, or being distracted behind the wheel.
Notably, the only person who’s allowed to start this kind of wrongful death claim for the first six months after someone dies from a motorcycle wreck is the deceased person’s personal representative, which is generally someone the deceased person named in their will to manage their affairs after their death. If the personal representative doesn’t file suit before that six-month period runs out, any beneficiary of the deceased person can file suit up until two years after the deceased person’s date of death, which is when the statute of limitations for this type of claim expires.
Getting Paid Fairly Through a Wrongful Death Claim
Beneficiaries of a fatal motorcycle accident victim in York can demand money through a lawsuit or settlement proposal against the person who caused the fatal accident for various losses they will experience because of their loved one’s death, including things like:
- Costs of funeral and burial services
- Costs of estate administration services
- Any medical bills they paid on the deceased person’s behalf
- Lost financial support the deceased person would’ve provided in the future, including lost future value of inheritance
- Lost household services
- Lost guidance, love, and companionship
A court can also impose additional punitive damages against someone who causes a fatal motorcycle accident, but this only happens in rare situations involving extremely egregious negligence or an intentional criminal act.
A York Attorney Can Help After a Fatal Motorcycle Accident
Losing a family member through an unexpected motorcycle crash is always a life-altering experience. As much as you can, it’s important to be calm and proactive in the aftermath of a fatal motorcycle accident in York so you can protect both your family’s interests.
Help from a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer can be vital to getting through this situation as efficiently and effectively as possible. Call today to learn more about what Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers can do to assist you.
