Motorcycle Accidents: What Sets Them Apart from Other Personal Injury Cases?
Motorcycle accidents often result in more severe injuries and complications than other types of traffic collisions. Riders have less physical protection than drivers of passenger vehicles, making them more vulnerable during a crash.
At Gierth-Eddy Law Offices PLLC, we understand the unique legal and medical challenges that come with these cases. Our Kennewick, WA personal injury attorney can help you pursue the compensation you need. Here, we'll address the specific issues that make motorcycle claims more complicated.
Increased Risk of Serious Injury
Motorcyclists are far more likely to suffer life-altering injuries in an accident compared to car occupants. Without seat belts, airbags, or surrounding metal frames, even low-speed crashes can lead to devastating outcomes.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are roughly 24 times more likely to die in a crash than people in passenger vehicles. This higher risk makes medical care and long-term treatment central issues in every motorcycle accident claim.
Because the consequences are often more serious, let’s next consider how insurance companies typically handle these cases.
Insurance Company Bias Against Riders
Unfortunately, some insurance adjusters carry a bias that motorcyclists are inherently reckless. This stereotype can lead to undervaluing claims or wrongfully shifting blame.
A personal injury attorney knows how to counter these assumptions with evidence and legal arguments. By demonstrating that the rider followed traffic laws and the other driver was at fault, your attorney helps protect your right to fair compensation.
After addressing insurance challenges, the next key issue to explore is proving liability.
Proving Fault Can Be More Complicated
In motorcycle accident cases, determining fault often requires a detailed investigation. The lack of vehicle damage or inconsistent witness statements can make things more difficult.
Accident reconstruction experts, traffic camera footage, and witness interviews are often necessary. A personal injury attorney can gather these resources to build a strong case and show exactly how the crash occurred.
Establishing fault opens the door to compensation, but let’s look at why the damages in these cases are typically higher.
Higher Medical Costs and Longer Recovery Times
Motorcycle injuries often include broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage. These conditions may require surgery, rehab, and long-term care.
Recovery can take months or even years, and in some cases, full recovery isn’t possible. That’s why personal injury compensation must account for both current and future expenses.
The medical nuance leads into another challenge: calculating the full extent of your damages.
Unique Factors That Impact Damages
Because motorcycle accidents tend to cause more severe harm, the damage calculations become more complicated. Medical bills are just one part of the equation.
Some key elements that factor into your compensation include:
Future medical care: Surgeries, therapy, and long-term treatment needs must be anticipated
Lost earning potential: Some riders are unable to return to their previous jobs or earn at the same level
Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional trauma, and life disruptions are often greater than in typical car accidents
Permanent disability: When injuries cause lasting impairment, damages should reflect a lifetime of limitations
Since these damages are often hotly contested, legal representation becomes especially important.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Understanding how these accidents typically occur can help victims and attorneys pinpoint liability. Many crashes result from other drivers failing to notice motorcycles.
Some common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
Left-turn collisions: Drivers turning left in front of an oncoming motorcycle
Lane changes: Motorists who don’t check blind spots before switching lanes
Rear-end accidents: Cars striking motorcycles stopped in traffic or at lights
Distracted driving: Texting or inattentiveness reduces reaction time and awareness
These recurring patterns of negligence provide a foundation for many personal injury claims. Now let’s explore the legal options available to victims.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit
When insurance settlements aren’t enough or fault is disputed, filing a lawsuit may be necessary. A personal injury attorney can file a complaint, collect evidence, and begin negotiations or trial preparation.
Lawsuits follow specific deadlines. In Washington, for example, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is typically three years from the date of the accident. Missing this deadline may prevent you from recovering compensation.
Knowing when and how to file leads directly into the next topic—managing negotiations and court proceedings.
What to Expect in the Legal Process
Most motorcycle injury claims settle before trial, but the legal process can be lengthy. It usually begins with an investigation and negotiations, then moves into discovery if no agreement is reached.
Your personal injury attorney may take depositions, consult experts, and prepare for trial. If the case goes before a jury, they’ll present evidence and help you work toward compensation.
Since managing this system can be overwhelming, let’s look at the importance of choosing the right attorney.
Why Experience with Motorcycle Cases Matters
Not every personal injury attorney has specific experience with motorcycle claims. These cases require a deep understanding of motorcycle mechanics, common accident scenarios, and long-term medical outcomes.
An attorney familiar with motorcycle injuries will anticipate the insurance company’s tactics and gather the right kind of evidence. This experience gives your case a better chance of success.
With the right legal advocate in place, another key consideration is documenting your injuries and treatment.
Documenting Medical Treatment and Progress
Keeping thorough records of your treatment helps support your claim. Medical records, prescriptions, therapy notes, and progress reports create a timeline of recovery.
A personal injury attorney can work with your healthcare providers to gather the correct documentation. These records help prove the severity of your injuries and justify your compensation demand.
Proper documentation also ties into another issue—how your accident affects your daily life.
Proving Loss of Quality of Life
Motorcycle injuries often lead to limitations that disrupt daily activities. Whether it’s difficulty walking, driving, working, or engaging in hobbies, quality of life losses can be significant.
Personal statements, family testimony, and mental health evaluations can all help support this part of your claim. Your personal injury attorney will use this evidence to explain how the crash changed your life.
This emotional impact connects with another important factor—how comparative fault can reduce your compensation.
How Shared Fault Affects Motorcycle Cases
In some states, if you’re partially at fault for the accident, your compensation can be reduced. This is known as comparative negligence.
For example, if you weren’t wearing a helmet or exceeded the speed limit, insurers may argue that your injuries were partially your fault. A personal injury attorney can challenge these arguments and work to minimize any fault assigned to you.
Let’s now explore how helmet laws and safety gear may influence your claim.
The Impact of Helmet Use and Protective Gear
Helmet use can impact injury severity and the outcome of a claim. In some states, not wearing a helmet may reduce compensation—even if the other driver was at fault.
Using protective clothing, gloves, and reinforced boots can also demonstrate that you took reasonable precautions. These factors can support your case by showing you were a responsible rider.
Since safety measures matter, we now turn to another detail often overlooked—vehicle modifications.
How Motorcycle Modifications Can Affect Your Case
Some motorcycle modifications may affect your accident or claim. Custom lighting, lowered suspensions, or altered exhausts can draw scrutiny from insurers or the court.
Your personal injury attorney will review your bike’s features to determine whether any modifications may help or hurt your case. They’ll also work with experts to verify that your vehicle was in safe working condition.
Get Help from a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Motorcycle accident cases involve serious injuries, legal challenges, and aggressive insurance tactics. You don’t have to manage it alone. Our personal injury lawyer can help you work toward compensation and make sure your rights are protected.
We serve clients all over the state of Washington, including Richland and Pasco.
Contact Gierth-Eddy Law Offices PLLC in Kennewick, Washington, today to speak with an experienced motorcycle accident attorney and take the first step toward recovery.