About Motorcycle Accidents—Liability

Motorcycle accidents are unique for several reasons. Future articles will discuss how insurance coverage and injuries in motorcycle cases tend to be unique, but today we want to focus on a different issue: liability. That is, having handled accident cases for over two decades, we have seen that the vast majority of motorcycle accidents are not the fault of the motorcyclist.

Motorcycle accidents typically happen because an automobile driver carelessly fails to see the oncoming motorcycle, and therefore pulls out in front of it. The at-fault driver may have come from a side street or driveway, or may have been proceeding in the opposite direction and taken a left turn directly into the path of the oncoming motorcycle. Either way, the accident is not the fault of the biker. But of course, it’s the biker who pays the price, usually with a serious injury that is a direct result of the negligence of the driver of the other vehicle.

Even though these are usually cases where liability is clear, there are still important legal issues to be resolved, issues involving auto insurance coverage, issues of proving the extent of damages, issues involving negotiating the settlement amount, issues of lost wages, issues of medical bills, and issues of dealing with health insurers.

All of these issues require experienced counsel. When you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, make sure you retain the right lawyer, someone who knows the unique legal issues that arises in motorcycle cases, someone with a proven track record of success.