St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Involved In A Motorcycle Wreck? Take Action Now

You are aware, of course, of the risks involved in your vehicle of choice. As a rider, you have no barrier between you and the road, a car, or a tree other than what you put on your body. A motorcycle is hard to see, especially in inclement weather, and it takes great skill and focus to avoid obstacles and hazards. Still, you should be able to ride with the expectation that others on the road will be as courteous and cautious as they are with other cars and trucks. When they are not, and you are seriously injured as a result, you need a motorcycle injury attorney who understands the unique concerns of motorcyclists.

What Drivers Do to Cause Motorcycle Crashes

Sure, bikers make mistakes. Speeding, inexperience, and too-powerful sport bikes result in many rider deaths and injuries every year. But in these crashes, only the rider is affected and fault is clear. Statistics show that in two-thirds of motorcycle accidents involving another vehicle, the driver of the other vehicle is at fault.

Tragically, motorcycle riders are 26 times more likely to die in crashes than drivers or passengers of cars and trucks, and five times more likely to be injured. Common ways drivers cause motorcyclists to crash include the following:

• Head-on collisions. These crashes account for most of the motorcycle crash fatalities each year. Because motorcycles are harder to see than cars, a driver who is distracted by a cell phone conversation or changing a radio station for even a split second can cross a center line and collide with an oncoming motorcycle.
• Left-hand turns. Intersections are dangerous places for motorcycles. A common scenario is a car making a left-hand turn, where the driver—who is supposed to yield to the motorcycle crossing the intersection in the opposite direction—failing to yield because the driver either doesn’t see the smaller bike or thinks she can beat the motorcycle through the intersection.
• Violating right-of-way. The most common complaint motorcyclists have is that cars routinely violate their right-of-way. Whether this is due to a driver not seeing the bike or the driver refusing to respect the rights of the motorcyclist as she would another car, the result is a serious injury to the biker all too often.
• Sudden-stop collisions. When a car stops suddenly on a local road or on the highway, someone following behind may not be able to stop in time. While this would result in minor injuries for the driver of a car, a motorcyclist could be thrown from his bike upon impact, resulting in serious injuries or death.
• Open-door accidents. When cruising in downtown areas, bikers face many hazards, including the driver of a parked car opening a door into his path as he passes by. While the parker might glance quickly for a car before opening a door, she may not look carefully enough to see the oncoming motorcycle. The biker could be thrown from his bike onto the hard pavement or into the path of another car and be seriously injured.
• Road debris. Litter thrown out of a car or objects on the road that should have been secured to a truck bed are unsightly, but they are also dangerous hazards to motorcyclists and can lead to catastrophic crashes. Drivers who litter should be held accountable.

The root cause of many motorcycle crashes caused by another driver in the driver’s failure to see the motorcycle, but this is no excuse. Motorcycles are legal street vehicles and drivers of cars are bound by law to respect them as such. When a driver fails to give a motorcyclist the space needed to operate safely, the driver needs to be held accountable.

What You Can Recover

When you are seriously injured in a motorcycle crash that was not your fault, you may be facing long-term and permanently disabling injuries. You will need a generous settlement to make sure all of your expenses are covered. With the help of an experienced St. Louis motorcycle accident attorney, you can recover the following:

• Medical expenses
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages and future lost wages
• Property damage

Each case is unique and the damages you recover will depend on the extent of your injuries and many other factors. Insurance companies will offer you the lowest possible settlement they can, but when you have Wyatt Wright at your side, you’ll be amazed at how your offer will increase.

Talk to an Attorney About Your Case

You may be wondering if you really need an attorney in your motorcycle crash case. Trust us, some traffic cops and insurance adjusters have as much respect for motorcyclists as the driver who caused your crash does. You need someone on your side who is dedicated to fighting for the rights of motorcyclists. Call our office to schedule a free, no-obligation review of your case. We’ll be honest about what we can do for you, so you have nothing to lose. Start a live chat with us now.