Philadelphia Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Providing Valuable Legal Assistance to Motorcycle Crash Victims Seeking Financial Compensation

Motorcycles do not offer the same level of protection that other types of motor vehicles like cars, trucks, and big rigs might. A motorcycle rider is left vulnerable to the impact of the road in traffic accidents and can sometimes get struck by oncoming vehicles or even end up beneath other cars. Such motorcycle accidents can leave the accident victim with life-threatening injuries. Despite this, motorcycle riders are given little respect by other motorists, insurance companies, and society at large. There can be a tendency to view motorcyclists as thrill seekers and daredevils, putting their lives and others at risk while disobeying traffic laws. If you are an injured motorcycle rider, it is incredibly important that you work with experienced Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorneys to represent your legal rights as you pursue fair compensation for your injuries and other losses.

Our law firm has years of experience representing clients in Pennsylvania personal injury law, including accidents involving motorcycles. Led by attorney and founder Duane Lassiter, our legal team prides itself on providing compassionate legal services to injured clients and their family members seeking the maximum compensation for their personal injury claims.

If you’ve been injured or lost a family member in a motorcycle crash, you should not be the party responsible for medical bills and other expenses related to the accident. As your legal representation, we will attempt to hold the at-fault party (or parties) accountable for their negligent actions to make you financially whole again. To learn more about how our law firm can assist you and your loved ones during this difficult time, please contact us to schedule your free initial consultation today.

What Are Pennsylvania’s Motorcycle Laws?

Every motorcyclist must follow the rules of the road. As a motorcycle rider, it is important that you understand relevant traffic laws before getting on your bike.

Pennsylvania does not require all motorcycle riders to wear helmets. Riders over the age of 21 with over two years of licensed experience on a motorcycle (or after completing a safety course) can opt not to wear a safety helmet. However, we strongly advise all motorcyclists to consider wearing helmets anyway, as refusing to wear a helmet could reduce your maximum compensation and an accident and also endanger your life. We also recommend that all motorcycle riders wear reflective gear at night, use proper turning signals, and travel at safe speeds. Failure to follow these safety precautions could result in a court devaluing your motorcycle accident case due to contributory negligence.

Under Pennsylvania law, lane splitting is illegal. So, too, is riding your motorcycle in any way that would deprive another motorcycle of the full use of a lane, passing another motor vehicle in the same lane, or operating your motorcycle between lanes of traffic.

In addition to the above motorcycle-specific laws, all motorcyclists must adhere to other traffic laws that pertain to all motor vehicles.

What Should You Do if You’re in a Philadelphia Motorcycle Accident?

Immediately following a motorcycle crash, it is important that you seek emergency medical attention by calling 911. Also, summon police to the accident scene, as a police accident report will be valuable evidence for your motorcycle accident case.

If you can do so safely, record evidence of the scene of the motorcycle accident while awaiting the arrival of emergency responders. Photographs and videos of your personal injuries, the state of your bike, debris on the road, and other factors relevant to the motorcycle accident will be invaluable to your personal injury attorneys.

If there were any eyewitnesses to the Philadelphia motorcycle accident, attempt to get their contact information and record their eyewitness testimonies.

When an ambulance arrives at the scene, ensure that you get adequate medical treatment. While your injuries may be minor, a more pronounced severe injury could reveal itself later, and you want the medical records and proper care to represent your claim.

If an insurance company adjuster arrives at the accident scene, you do not need to speak to them. Anything you say to the insurance adjuster or the other motorist, such as apologizing for the accident or dismissing the severity of serious injuries, could devalue your personal injury case. Instead, direct insurance adjusters to speak with your motorcycle accident lawyers.

What Are Common Types of Motorcycle Crashes?

Thousands of motorcycle accidents happen every year in Pennsylvania. Of those accidents, hundreds suffer fatal injuries, and thousands more suffer minor or severe injuries. Sadly, most Philadelphia motorcycle accidents are preventable and caused by negligent drivers or distracted driving. While insurance companies are quick to assign blame to motorcycle riders after motorcycle accidents in Philadelphia, our law firm understands that most motorcyclists are responsible riders who follow all traffic laws.

Our personal injury law firm represents the following types of Philadelphia motorcycle accidents:

Drunk driver accidents
Head-on collisions
Hit-and-run accidents
Lane splitting crashes
Left turn accidents
Rear-end collisions
Speeding accidents
T-bone accidents
And more

If you’ve been in a serious accident, you require serious legal representation. Lassiter & Associates, P.C., has extensive experience representing clients in a variety of personal injury cases, including Philadelphia motorcycle accident cases. Please schedule your free, no-obligation case evaluation today to learn more about our legal services.

How Do Motorcycle Accidents Occur?

Even the most careful and law-abiding motorcyclist can still end up in a traumatic accident through no fault of their own. Negligent drivers, such as drunk drivers, distracted drivers, and drowsy drivers, cause most motorcycle accidents. Whatever the cause of your motorcycle accident, you must retain professional legal counsel to hold the negligent driver accountable for their actions.

Common causes of motorcycle accidents in Philadelphia include the following:

Aggressive or reckless driving
Cars making left-hand turns and failing to see the motorcyclist
Commercial truck drivers disobeying rest rules
Dangerous weather conditions
Defective motorcycles
Dooring
Driving at excessive speeds
Driving under the influence of drugs
Drowsy driving or fatigued driving
Drunk driving
Failure to yield the right of way
Improper load balancing
Inattentive driving
Low visibility and lighting on the roads
Motor vehicle design defects
Poor road maintenance and road debris
Road rage
Running stop lights or stop signs
Tailgating and following too closely
Talking on a cell phone while driving
Texting while driving
Unsafe lane changing
Vehicle disrepair
And more

If you or a loved one has suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle crash, please contact our personal injury law firm to discuss your case in more detail. Our legal team, led by personal injury attorney Duane Lassiter, offers free consultations to prospective new clients interested in retaining our legal services.

What Are Common Injuries Suffered in Motorcycle Accidents in Philadelphia?

Unlike most motor vehicles, which offer some level of protection to drivers and passengers in car accidents, motorcyclists are often left to the mercy of gravity, other motorists, and luck to escape catastrophic injuries in motorcycle accidents. Motorcycle crashes commonly result in life-threatening injuries or death, especially at high speeds on highways.

Common motorcycle accident injuries include the following:

Broken bones
Complete or partial paralysis
Concussions
Deep cuts, lacerations, and bruising
Emotional distress and mental anguish
Fatal injuries
Hip injuries
Internal bleeding and organ damage
Loss of limbs and forced amputations
Neck and head injuries
Paraplegia
Quadriplegia
Road rash and friction burns
Severe burns
Scarring and facial disfigurement
Soft tissue injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Whiplash

If you have suffered a catastrophic injury such as a traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury in a motorcycle collision, you must retain professional legal counsel when seeking to recover compensation for your personal injury claim. Additionally, if you tragically lost a loved one in a motorcycle crash, your attorney could help you seek wrongful death benefits.

How to Prove Liability in Motorcycle Accident Cases?

It can be difficult for motorcycle accident victims to seek fair compensation for their injuries and other losses when at-fault drivers attempt to shift the blame onto their shoulders. Our law firm will fight tirelessly to help motorcycle accident victims recover the compensation they deserve by presenting a convincing case that demonstrates accountability and liability rests on the shoulders of the other party.

If driver negligence played a part in your motorcycle accident, your personal injury attorney must establish the following elements to file a claim. Firstly, the defendant must have owed you a duty of care, and that duty of care must have been breached. As a result of the breach of duty of care, you suffered serious injuries. And finally, you suffered real economic and non-economic losses due to your injuries.

Your personal injury lawyer will use several pieces of evidence to help present your case in a convincing light so that you recover the compensation you require after your motorcycle wreck.

Evidence that may be valuable to your case includes the following:

Accident reports
Citations for traffic violations and arrest records
Dashcam videos and traffic camera videos
Mobile phone logs
Past and present medical records
Photos and videos from the accident scene
Police reports
Records from vehicle computer systems
Testimony of accident reconstructionists
Witness testimonies

What Sort of Compensation Can Be Recovered in Personal Injury Claims?

With a successful personal injury case, it is possible to recover financial compensation that can go a long way towards helping you with the financial burden that follows in the aftermath of a motorcycle accident. Your settlement may come in the form of both economic and non-economic damages.

Potentially recoverable damages for your motorcycle accident claim include the following:

Emotional distress and trauma
Funeral and burial costs
Home healthcare expenses for long-term care
Loss of quality of life
Lost companionship or consortium
Lost future income and benefits
Lost wages
Past medical bills and future medical expenses
Physical pain and suffering
Physical therapy expenses
Property damage, vehicle repairs, and motorcycle replacements
Wrongful death benefits

What if You Are Partially Responsible for the Motorcycle Accident?

Pennsylvania’s personal injury law follows a modified comparative negligence standard. Under state law, multiple parties, including the accident victims, can be held accountable for causing a traffic accident.

However, if you are more than 50% to blame for the motorcycle accident, you will be barred from recovering compensation for your injuries and other damages. For this reason and so many others, it is incredibly important that you retain professional legal representation from an experienced personal injury attorney in Philadelphia.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Philadelphia Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured in an accident, you need the legal representation of an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer. Attorney Duane Lassiter has years of experience representing the interests and advocating for injured clients seeking justice and financial recovery in Pennsylvania. The attorney and his legal team would proudly represent your legal rights as you pursue fair compensation for your injuries, property damage, and more.

There is a strict statute of limitations for filing motorcycle accident claims. Do not hesitate to contact our law office to discuss your case in more detail today. If you do not file a personal injury claim within the allotted time window provided, you may be barred from recovering compensation for your motorcycle accident injuries.

Our Philadelphia law office offers free consultations to prospective new clients interested in retaining our services. To learn more about how we can assist you and your loved ones during this traumatic situation, please contact our office to schedule your free consultation today. You can reach us at 267-682-8918.