Motorcycle Collisions
Motorcyclists have a reputation as being the bad boys of the road, but the reality is that motorcyclists are the victims of the road. When persons are riding motorcycles, they are very vulnerable. Automobile drivers do not expect to see motorcyclists and when they do, they do not give them the same spacing as they would cars. When collisions occur, the motorcyclist is often very badly injured.
Jurors are biased against motorcyclists, so case preparation is very important. Evidence must be preserved. Accident reconstruction often is required, and it is tricky since the dynamics of motorcycles are not the same as automobiles. A lawyer with real world experience riding motorcycles has a major advantage in working up these cases.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Crashes
- Drivers turning left in front of an oncoming rider
- Unsafe lane changes into a rider’s blind spot
- Following too closely and rear-end impacts
- Car doors opened into traffic
- Road hazards such as potholes, gravel, uneven pavement and debris
- Distracted, impaired or speeding drivers
Serious Injuries Riders Face
Without the protection of a car’s frame, airbags and seat belts, riders often suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, fractures, road rash and amputations. These injuries can require years of treatment and change a rider’s ability to work. Proving the full cost of future care and lost earnings is essential, and that takes careful medical work.
Maryland Motorcycle Crash Claims: What to Know
- Helmet law: Maryland requires every motorcycle operator and passenger to wear an approved helmet. Insurers often try to use helmet issues to reduce a claim, so the facts must be developed carefully.
- Lane splitting: riding between lanes of traffic is not permitted in Maryland, and insurers will look for any sign of it.
- Contributory negligence: Maryland still bars recovery if the injured person is found even slightly at fault. Riders face this argument more than anyone, which makes early investigation and accident reconstruction essential.
- Deadline: most injury claims in Maryland must be filed within three years of the crash, but evidence disappears long before that.
Compensation for Injured Riders
An injured rider may recover medical expenses, lost income, the cost of future care and compensation for pain and suffering, as well as the cost of repairing or replacing the motorcycle and riding gear. Because rider injuries are often severe and long-lasting, we take the time to understand the full medical picture — including future surgeries, therapy and limits on work — before valuing a claim. Settling too early, before the extent of an injury is known, is one of the most costly mistakes a rider can make.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Crash
- Get medical care right away, even if adrenaline is masking pain.
- Keep your damaged helmet, gear and motorcycle — they are evidence.
- Photograph the scene, the vehicles, the road surface and your injuries.
- Get witness names and phone numbers.
- Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer.
Proving Fault in a Motorcycle Crash
Because jurors may assume a rider was speeding or showing off, motorcycle cases must be built on hard evidence. We look at the damage pattern on the bike and the other vehicle, scrape and gouge marks on the pavement, the rider’s gear and helmet, sight lines at the intersection, signal timing, and any video from helmet cameras, dash cameras or nearby businesses. Accident reconstruction for motorcycles is specialized: braking, lean angle and how a rider separates from the bike all differ from a car crash. Working with the right expert, and knowing enough to ask the right questions, can decide the case.
Insurance Issues for Riders
Many motorcycle crashes involve drivers with low liability limits, while the rider’s injuries are severe. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may be an important source of recovery, and more than one policy may apply. We review every policy that could cover the loss, including household auto policies.
Motorcycle Crash FAQs
The driver said he never saw me. Does that help him? No. Drivers have a duty to look for and yield to motorcycles. “I didn’t see him” is often an admission that the driver was not paying attention.
Can I still bring a claim if I wasn’t wearing a helmet? The answer depends on the facts and on how the injuries happened. Do not assume you have no case — talk with a lawyer first.
Should I repair my bike right away? Not before it has been photographed and, in serious cases, inspected. The motorcycle is key evidence.
What about my passenger? A passenger injured in a crash may have claims against the other driver and, in some cases, under the rider’s own policy.
Why Riders Choose Lambros & Lambros
We ride. We understand countersteering, braking dynamics, lane position and why a rider may have had no chance to avoid a car that turned across his path. That knowledge helps us work with reconstruction experts, answer the insurance company’s arguments and present your case to a jury that may not ride.
If you or someone you care about has been hurt while riding a motorcycle, please contact us or call 410-666-2200. We ride them ourselves, and we know what to do to try to help. If you can’t get around, we make house calls.
If you do not ride motorcycles, please remember that motorcyclists have the same right to be on the road as drivers of automobiles. So please, keep an eye out for them and give them the same space and consideration that you would give to any other driver.
Motorcycle cases are part of our personal injury practice. See also automobile crashes and trucking negligence.
