[Jeff Higgins]

My wife and I hired a lawyer when a pickup hit us head on while we were on our Road King some four years ago. We were told the average "pain and suffering" settlement at that time was about three times the total of lost wages and medical bills.

What we ran into, however, was the guy who hit us was "under insured". In other words, his coverage was not enough to pay for the bike, the medical bills, and our lost wages. Now what?

Our lawyer said our only recourse was to sue. He did, however, advise against doing so. The guy who hit us didn't have enough assets to bother with, other than his house. Our lawyer told us that the courts and juries are both notoriously unsympathetic to motorcyclists, and very reluctant to take a guy's house.

In the end, we maxed out the guy's insurance. I'm convinced we could not have come even close to that without a lawyer. I would very much recommend one.

Things that were in our favor that allowed us to prevail: A couple dozen witnesses (it was in front of a produce stand). We were doing less than the speed limit (lots of people, dogs, etc. in the parking lot). We had "all the gear" on, including full face helmets. Police came and cited the other guy. We received medical attention at the hospital. Our blood tests showed no drugs nor alcohol. We received ongoing care during our recoveries.

Things that worked against us: We were on a bike. We went back to work too soon. I started riding again, and on top of that I started "too soon".

I hope it works out better for you. Above all, seek medical care and with it, documentation. Take all of the time off your doctor recommends, even if it hurts financially for now. Don't be too eager to settle - it took us three years. Good luck...