Riders know the reputation that follows them. Too often the insurance company assumes the motorcyclist was speeding or weaving before anyone has looked at the evidence. Our job is to replace that assumption with facts, and then to hold the careless driver accountable for the injuries that followed.
ASP&S has worked out of Youngstown since 1971, which makes over 55 years of handling injury claims for people in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. We are a local Youngstown personal injury lawyer team, not an out-of-town operation that signs riders up and settles in bulk. When you call, a Youngstown motorcycle accident attorney reviews your case, and your consultation is free. There is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
We represent riders and passengers hurt on city streets in Youngstown and Boardman, on the commercial corridors through Austintown and Niles, and on the two-lane roads between Warren, Canfield and the Pennsylvania line. Wherever the crash happened, we start the same way: finding out exactly how it happened and who should pay.
Most motorcycle crashes start with a driver who did not look carefully enough. Because a motorcycle is smaller than a car, drivers misjudge its speed and distance, or never notice it at all. The situations we see most often include:
In each of these, the question is what another driver did wrong, and the answer is usually in the damage to the vehicles, the scene and the people who saw it.
A motorcycle offers almost no protection in a collision, so injuries are often severe. Riders we represent have suffered broken bones, road rash and burns, internal injuries, [traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage that ends a career. Some never return to the work they did before.
A personal injury claim after a motorcycle accident can recover:
When a crash takes a rider’s life, the family may bring a wrongful death claim. Our Youngstown wrongful death attorneys handle those cases with the care a grieving family needs.
Several Ohio rules come up again and again in motorcycle cases, and insurers use each of them to try to reduce what they pay.
Helmets. Ohio does not require every adult rider to wear a helmet. The helmet requirement applies to riders under 18 and to operators whose license or endorsement still carries a novice designation. Even when a helmet was not required, an insurer may argue that not wearing one made a head injury worse, and we are prepared to answer that argument.
Shared fault. Under Ohio’s comparative fault rule, a rider who was partly at fault can still recover, as long as the rider’s fault is not greater than the combined fault of the others involved. The award is reduced by the rider’s share. That is why the evidence about speed, lane position and visibility matters so much.
Deadlines. Most injury lawsuits in Ohio must be filed within two years of the crash. Video footage and witness memories fade much sooner, so it pays to start early.
If your claim does not settle, the lawsuit is usually filed in the county court of common pleas. For Mahoning County, that court sits at 120 Market Street in downtown Youngstown. For Trumbull County, it is at 161 High Street NW in Warren. Both are a short drive from our office, and we prepare every claim as though it may end up in front of a jury in one of them.
That preparation matters even when a case never goes to trial. Insurers pay more attention to a claim when they know the rider’s lawyer is ready to try it. If you are searching for a Warren, OH motorcycle accident lawyer, you will find that our office in Youngstown is a short drive away, and we can meet by phone or video while you recover.
Our firm handles motorcycle claims across the Valley, and for crashes elsewhere in the state our Ohio motorcycle accident lawyer page explains how we take those cases statewide. Every serious injury from another driver’s mistake deserves a full recovery, and a free consultation is the first step toward one.
Yes, in most cases. Ohio requires helmets only for riders under 18 and novice operators, and not wearing one does not excuse a driver who caused the crash. The insurer may argue it affected your head injury, which is a question of evidence.
The insurer has to prove that claim, and a speeding accusation alone does not defeat your case. We look at the damage to the vehicles, the scene, video and witness accounts. Even if you share some fault, Ohio law still lets you recover a reduced amount.
Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the crash. Wrongful death claims generally have two years from the date of death.
Most motorcycle claims settle without a trial. If yours does not, a Mahoning Valley case is usually filed in the Mahoning County or Trumbull County court of common pleas.
Soft tissue injuries, chronic pain and mild brain injuries are often the hardest to prove, because they may not show clearly on scans. Prompt treatment and consistent medical records make the difference.
Your consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Riding should not have cost you your health or your income. Call ASP&S ASAP at 330-778-ASAP (2727) or 330-792-6033, or use our contact form to set up your free consultation with a Youngstown motorcycle accident lawyer.