Pearland Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Helping Injured Clients Protect Their Right to Receive Full and Fair Compensation

The Texas Department of Transportation reports that more than 2300 motorcyclists were seriously injured in accidents on the state’s roadways in 2021. Sadly, as many as 519 motorcyclists ended up being killed in fatal crashes. These accident statistics demonstrate that one fatal motorcycle accident takes place every day in Texas.

Surviving a motorcycle accident is a life-altering experience that may leave victims with physical and emotional scars for life. Additionally, many motorcycle riders suffer serious injuries that leave them unable to work and support themselves. Often, motorcycle accident injuries take a considerable length of time to heal correctly. Even if injured riders have health insurance, they may still have to deal with expensive medical bills they cannot afford to pay.

If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident, you should know what steps to take to hold the at-fault party responsible for your damages and when to seek legal help for your case. You may be entitled to recover compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, and pain and suffering.

Our Pearland motorcycle accident lawyers can assist you with filing a motorcycle injury claim and act as your legal advocate through the entire claims process. We work tirelessly to ensure that our clients dealing with motorcycle accident cases have the support and resources needed to focus on recovery and not have to worry about dealing with insurance claims.

Contact The Kahn Law Firm, P.C. immediately and ask to schedule a free initial consultation so that we may evaluate your case and determine what legal options meet your needs.

Does Texas Have Motorcycle Laws?

Texas has several motorcycle laws, starting with the requirements that dictate how to operate a motorcycle on public roadways legally. Motorcycle riders must obtain a valid class M license after passing written and road tests.

Every motorcycle should be appropriately registered and display a valid license plate with the required registration stickers. Motorcyclists are required to carry insurance and undergo a mandatory yearly inspection. Riders and passengers under the age of 21 must wear a DOT-approved helmet. Riders over 21 may choose not to wear a helmet if they carry medical insurance cover or have successfully completed a motorcycle operating training course approved by the Texas Department of Transportation.

When operating a motorcycle on public roadways, motorcyclists are subject to traffic laws similar to those of all other vehicles. Motorcycle drivers must adhere to traffic laws that prohibit them from traveling in between lanes, also called lane-splitting. The practice of lane splitting is illegal in Texas, and instead, motorcyclists are required to travel in a single lane of traffic just as passenger vehicles.

Failure to obey Texas driving and safety laws may result in a severe motorcycle accident. Additionally, because of Texas’s comparative negligence laws, insurance companies often blame motorcycle crashes on riders to pay less out in claims.

Regardless of the circumstances involved in the accident, if you have suffered injuries in a motorcycle wreck, you must hire an experienced lawyer who will fight to ensure you are treated fairly by the insurance company. Contact our law office today to schedule a free consultation with a Pearland motorcycle accident lawyer who will assess your case.

What Are Some of the Most Frequent Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Texas?

Motorcycles comprise less than 2% of all motor vehicles registered in Texas, yet they accounted for as many as 12% of all fatal traffic accidents in the state in 2021. This number will likely increase as more people are attracted to the state’s beautiful scenery and pleasant temperatures.

Motorcycle accidents occur due to a variety of reasons. Some of the most common reasons are errors made by the motorcycle rider or the driver of a larger vehicle. Distracted drivers may not notice a motorcycle on the road, as motorcycles have a smaller and slimmer profile. A collision between a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle often spells catastrophic injuries or death to the motorcyclist.

Other common factors that contribute to motorcycle accidents include:

A driver fails to check their blind spots for an approaching motorcycle
A driver makes an unsafe turn or improper lane change
Rear-end collisions when the driver fails to notice a motorcyclist slowing down or stopping ahead
Drivers opening car doors in front of unsuspecting motorcyclists
Drivers turning left at intersections
Defective motorcycle
Impaired drivers
Speeding/reckless driving
Failure to obey traffic laws
Lane splitting
Adverse weather and road conditions

If you have been involved in a Pearland motorcycle crash, do not wait to contact a personal injury attorney who can advise you of your legal rights and what steps you need to take to protect your health and well-being.

What are the Most Common Motorcycle Injuries?

Any type of collision between a heavier vehicle and a motorcycle can leave the motorcyclist seriously injured, as the motorbike offers no protective barrier against impact, and the rider is often thrown from the bike.

If you have suffered injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, you must seek immediate medical attention. All too often, accident victims do not initially feel that they have been injured. However, internal injuries may be life-threatening but often go undetected for several days until they manifest themselves, which can lead to deadly consequences for injured victims.

Instead, it is always best for anyone involved in an accident to seek help from a qualified medical professional.

Common injuries include:

Broken bones/fractures
Head injuries
Neck, back, and shoulder injuries
Leg and ankle injuries
Abdominal injuries
Cuts and lacerations
Facial trauma
Road rash
Whiplash

Depending on the speed and other factors involved in the motorcycle accident, riders may suffer catastrophic injuries that have life-altering consequences. Texas considers catastrophic injuries as those that leave the victim permanently unable to work. Some examples include:

Spinal cord injury
Traumatic brain injury
Amputations

Aside from physical injuries, an injured motorcyclist may also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as they relive the accident over and over.

An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer from The Kahn Law Firm, P.C. can help you file a personal injury claim to help you obtain the compensation you deserve after being injured due to negligence.

What Should I Do After Being in a Motorcycle Crash?

If you have been involved in a motorcycle crash, you must take several steps to protect yourself. These steps include:

Remain on the accident scene and check other drivers and yourself for injuries
Call 911 to report the motorcycle accident. If there are injuries, request emergency medical responders
Document the accident scene by taking pictures and videos showing damage to the vehicles, skid marks, terrain, weather conditions, and other evidence that may be relevant to the case
Gather evidence by collecting the information of those involved in the accident, including the other driver’s license and insurance information. Also, gather contact information from those who may have witnessed the accident
Be sure to request a copy of the accident report, An accident report will prove invaluable if you decide to file an insurance claim
Seek medical attention immediately, even if you do not feel you have sustained injuries.
Do not post information about the accident on social media. Often, insurance companies will try to use your statements on social media to deny claims or assert that you are partially to blame for the crash
Contact a Pearland motorcycle accident lawyer who can assist you with the legal process involved with filing a claim

If you have suffered motorcycle accident injuries, you should never put off filing a personal injury claim. Contact our experienced Pearland motorcycle accident attorneys, who can help you file a claim and receive the fair compensation you deserve.

What Happens if I Am Partially at Fault for My Accident?

In an accident where the motorcyclist and the driver of a larger vehicle share responsibility for what happened, modified comparative negligence rules would apply. In Texas, a motor vehicle accident victim can still seek damages compensation as long as they are not more than 51% at fault for the accident.

The percentage of responsibility assigned to them affects how much they may be able to receive. For example, if you sustained $10,000.00 worth of damages but contributed 20% to your accident, you would receive your final compensation minus 20%. Instead of $10,000.00, you may receive $8,000.00.

However, if you are 51% at fault or more, you may be barred from seeking compensation. If you are partially at fault for your accident, working with a seasoned motorcycle accident lawyer is critical to minimizing your liability and maximizing the amount you may be eligible to receive.

Due to the complexities of Texas comparative negligence laws, it is always wise to hire a knowledgeable attorney who can help you navigate the claims process.

If you need more information regarding Texas motorcycle laws, contact our Pearland motorcycle accident lawyers to schedule a meeting so that we may answer your legal questions. Our legal team can conduct an independent investigation to determine which liable party should be held responsible for the damages you have incurred.

Can I File a Claim for My Damaged Motorcycle?

It is rather common for a motorcycle to be severely damaged after an accident. Sometimes, the damages can be repaired, while other times, the motorcycle is not repairable and needs to be replaced.

Suppose the accident was caused by someone else. In that case, you may be eligible to file an insurance claim with their insurer to recover economic damages for the cost of repairing or replacing your damaged motorcycle.

Other economic damages may include:

Past and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Loss of future earning ability
Property damage

Additionally, you may also be able to seek compensation for non-economic damages. Non-economic damages include the more subjective losses a person may experience after a motorcycle accident; common non-economic damages include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Permanent disfigurement and scarring

It is always best to seek legal representation from a qualified attorney from The Kahn Law Firm, P.C., who can assist you with filing a motorcycle accident claim to ensure you receive a fair settlement.

Should I Agree to Speak to the Insurance Adjuster?

Suppose you have filed a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. In that case, you may quickly realize that the insurance company is eager to convince you to talk to an adjuster on the phone and maybe provide them with a recorded statement about the accident.

An insurance adjuster may sound friendly and compassionate, but you must be careful regarding any statements you make. An insurance adjuster’s main objective is to investigate the accident and find reasons to reduce the amount they must pay or find ways to deny your claim. Therefore, you should never speak to an insurance adjuster until you have sought legal representation from a Pearland motorcycle accident lawyer.

Insurance companies are for-profit businesses, and their priority is not necessarily the well-being of their claimants. Instead, insurers would rather protect their profits by closing out claims in the least amount of time and for the lowest cost possible. One of the many ways they accomplish this is by getting claimants to say something that could later be taken out of context and used as an admission of guilt in order to reduce the value of their claim. Therefore, it is critical that you avoid admitting fault for an accident.

Another familiar tactic insurance companies often use is to make an initial offer shortly after your claim is accepted. Insurance representatives may even tell you that you must accept their offer or try to persuade you in some other way. The truth is the first offer from an insurance company is almost always too low and inadequate to cover all the damages you sustained as a result of your motorcycle accident.

When you choose to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer to handle your case, you can rest assured our Pearland injury lawyer is familiar with these tactics and will handle all communications and negotiations with the insurance company on your behalf.

Hiring a qualified motorcycle accident lawyer will increase your chances of obtaining maximum compensation for your insurance claim. When you allow your attorney to assist you with the claim process, the insurance company will know you have a legal ally who can see through their deceitful tactics and take the case to trial, if necessary, an expense most insurance companies would rather avoid.

Why Is it a Good Idea to Work With a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

The Kahn Law Firm, P.C., is dedicated to helping Pearland motorcycle accident victims and their families recover a fair settlement that meets their needs.

Trying to obtain compensation after a motorcycle accident caused by someone else can be an overwhelming process if you are trying to figure it all out yourself. At the very least, you may face confusing paperwork, endless forms, and many phone calls before your claim is accepted.

In other cases, your claim may be denied, or you may be dealing with someone who is not insured or underinsured, meaning you may need to initiate a civil lawsuit and take matters to court to obtain compensation. Navigating all of these decisions without a knowledgeable attorney on your side is nearly impossible for most people, especially as you recover from your injuries.

Our law firm has comprehensive experience handling motorcycle accident claims and knows what it takes to get results. If we agree to take your case, we will gather police reports, medical records, and witness statements to determine what legal strategies suit your needs.

Many injured victims initially believe that they cannot afford to hire a Pearland motorcycle accident attorney to handle their claims. However, many personal injury victims quickly realize that the legal process involved with filing a motorcycle accident claim is more challenging than they anticipated.

At The Kahn Law Firm, P.C., motorcycle accident victims in Pearland, Texas, and vicinities can get the legal help they need to successfully navigate their cases and hold the negligent party financially liable for their losses.

Our motorcycle accident lawyers have the knowledge and skills to handle cases of any complexity, no matter if you just need someone to negotiate with a bad-faith insurance company or are ready to take your case to trial.

If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident, it is best not to try and figure it all out on your own. Let The Kahn Law Firm, P.C., take care of your case so you can focus on taking care of yourself. Contact our well-qualified legal team at 713-999-6549 to learn more about how we can help.