If you suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident due to someone else’s negligent actions, contact the Liberty personal injury lawyers of House Packard McElderry, LLC right now to discuss the available legal options. You might be entitled to financial compensation from the at-fault party for your medical bills and the suffering you endured.

Motorcycles are convenient modes of transportation. Many Liberty residents take their motorcycles out during the beautiful spring and summer weather. They ride to work, school, and other places, navigating through traffic much more easily than people in cars and trucks. Whether motorcyclists use their bikes for daily commutes or leisure, they’re at increased risk of severe injury in accidents.

At House Packard McElderry, LLC, we know the dangers motorcyclists face while sharing the road with other vehicles. A distracted or inattentive driver could swerve into the rider’s lane and run them off the road. Many people ignore motorcyclists or break traffic laws and cause a crash. Accidents involving motorcycles can be deadly or lead to life-threatening injuries.

House Packard McElderry, LLC is ready to help you hold the negligent driver liable for their actions. We can file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Liberty, MO, will fight hard for your rights and try to achieve your desired outcome.

Call us at (816) 381-9105 today for your free consultation and learn more about how we can help.

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You can reach out to our top-rated Liberty motorcycle accident lawyers 24/7 to request a free consultation. Request a free consultation

Common Types of Motorcycle Accidents

Various circumstances can lead to a motorcycle crash. The most common types of motorcycle accidents that happen include:

Dooring

Dooring accidents commonly happen on busy roadways. Someone parks their car without looking behind them and opens their door into the path of an approaching motorcyclist.

Lane Splitting

Although lane splitting isn’t technically illegal in Liberty, it’s best if you avoid it. Lane splitting happens when a motorcyclist rides between two lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction. It’s dangerous and could lead to a collision if an inattentive driver changes lanes without looking for someone riding on the lane dividing line directly next to them.

Head-on Collisions

Head-on accidents can lead to debilitating injuries and death when they involve motorcycle riders. Motorcyclists often get ejected from their bikes during collisions with cars and trucks.

Rear-end Collisions

A motorist could crash into the back of a motorcycle if they follow too closely. Tailgating is a common cause of rear-end accidents, especially if the following driver can’t brake in time if the rider slows down or stops suddenly.

Left-turn Accidents

Turning left requires drivers to slow down and check for oncoming traffic. They should only proceed if they have a green arrow or don’t see anyone headed in their direction. Turning left ahead of an approaching motorcyclist could place the driver directly in their path.

T-bone Accidents

A T-bone accident could occur when someone doesn’t yield to another person at an intersection. Running a red light or stop sign could cause a driver to collide with a motorcyclist already in the middle of the intersection.

Reaching out to House Packard McElderry, LLC immediately after a motorcycle crash is crucial. You could encounter obstacles while pursuing compensation if you wait too long to seek legal representation. Our Liberty motorcycle accident lawyers are ready to investigate the accident and gather evidence to prove that someone else should be liable for your injury.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

A range of factors can contribute to a motorcycle accident. Since motorcycles are smaller than most other vehicles, drivers find it challenging to see them in traffic. Anyone who isn’t paying attention to what they’re doing likely won’t see a motorcyclist riding nearby and could crash into them. The most common causes of motorcycle accidents include:

Fatigued Driving

Driver fatigue is more dangerous than most people realize. Even if someone regularly drives despite feeling tired, they’re not immune to accidents. Any impairment to a person’s driving abilities, including fatigue, increases the risk of a crash.

Tailgating

Following any vehicle too closely is dangerous but particularly problematic for motorcyclists. When a driver tailgates a motorcycle, there isn’t much distance to bring the car to a complete stop and avoid a collision with the back of the rider when circumstances demand a sudden stop.

Driving Under the Influence

Consuming drugs or alcohol before driving can lead to a range of complications for the motorist. A slower reaction time, reduced motor skills, and poor decision-making are common effects of driving under the influence.

Speeding

Driving above the posted speed limit is against the law and reckless. When a driver encounters dangerous conditions or stopped traffic, it’s more challenging to brake or swerve out of the way.

Distracted Driving

Activities that take a driver’s hands, attention, or eyes off the task at hand distract them from driving safely. Noticing hazards and reacting appropriately is nearly impossible if a motorist is focused on something other than the road ahead.

Defective Vehicles and Parts

Cars require maintenance to keep all parts and systems functioning adequately. Defects prevent vehicles from working as intended and can lead to accidents.

Multiple scenarios can arise that result in motorcycle crashes. If another driver or party is at fault, you should reach out to House Packard McElderry, LLC to discuss your case. Our Liberty motorcycle accident lawyers can determine the available insurance coverage and pursue a settlement on your behalf.

Call House Packard McElderry, LLC

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, the Liberty attorneys with House Packard McElderry, LLC can help you pursue the compensation you need for your medical bills and other injury-related expenses.

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Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcyclists are at risk of severe injuries in accidents involving other vehicles. The most common types of injuries in motorcycle accidents include:

  • Broken bones
  • Paralysis
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Road rash
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Crush injuries
  • Internal bleeding
  • Significant scarring or disfigurement
  • Loss of limb or amputation injury
  • Disability
  • Psychological trauma

Unfortunately, many collisions are fatal to motorcyclists. Statistics show that the number of motorcyclist deaths in traffic accidents increased by 11 percent to 5,579 in 2020.

Compensation for Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Every case House Packard McElderry, LLC handles is unique. The compensation you receive will depend on the circumstances of your situation. We can’t predict the amount of money we can secure on your behalf but will do our best to maximize the value of your claim and seek the highest compensation possible. Missouri law requires drivers to carry auto insurance with minimum limits of liability coverage. You could file a claim with the at-fault motorist’s liability insurance company and pursue a settlement to compensate you for losses you sustained because of the accident, such as:

  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning capacity
  • Medical expenses
  • Out-of-pocket expenses
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Permanent impairment and disability
  • Loss of enjoyment of life
  • Property damage

You could also recover punitive damages if you file a lawsuit for your injury. You might receive this form of compensation if you can show clear and convincing evidence that the defendant intentionally harmed you without just cause or acted with deliberate and flagrant disregard for others’ safety. If you lost your loved one in a motorcycle accident caused by another person’s negligence, you could pursue a wrongful death lawsuit. People who can file this type of lawsuit include the deceased’s:

  • Spouse
  • Parent
  • Child
  • Child’s descendants if the child is deceased

The compensation you could receive in a wrongful death case might compensate you for:

  • The reasonable value of instruction, services, consortium, guidance, comfort, training, counsel, support, and companionship the deceased could have provided to surviving family
  • Funeral and burial expenses
  • Medical bills related to the deceased’s fatal injury

You can also pursue punitive damages for your loved one’s death, but only if you file a survival action claim. This type of claim differs from a wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death compensation compensates surviving family, while survival action claims obtain compensation for the deceased’s estate for the deceased victim’s losses. These losses might be claimed in a survival action:

  • Pain and suffering the deceased experienced between the date of their injury and death
  • The value of income and benefits the deceased would have earned if they survived

Statute of Limitations for Motorcycle Accidents

You must file your lawsuit within a specific timeframe from the date of the accident to seek compensation from the negligent party. Missouri’s statute of limitations allows five years for motorcycle crashes. That means you have five years from the date of the accident to file your lawsuit. If you want to file a wrongful death lawsuit for your family member’s death, you must adhere to the three-year statutory time period. This timeframe begins on the date of the accident victim’s death instead of the date of their injury if the two differ.

Contact Us

House Packard McElderry, LLC has years of experience representing motorcycle accident victims against negligent individuals and companies. We will use our resources to obtain valuable evidence to prove fault and secure the money owed to you. We are skilled at countering the stereotypical “bad actor” image that has been attached to motorcycle riders by the media. Whether you sustained a minor or severe injury, you can depend on us to be your advocate and protect your rights throughout the entire legal process. Our team of experienced and dedicated motorcycle accident lawyers in Liberty, MO, knows the financial burdens of getting hurt in an accident. You might not be able to afford your medical bills and other expenses. We don’t want to add to the costs you already have. That’s why we take cases on contingency. You won’t have to pay upfront for representation. We don’t collect our legal fees unless we recover compensation for our clients. If you sustained an injury in a motorcycle accident due to someone’s negligent conduct, call House Packard McElderry, LLC at (816) 381-9105 for your free consultation.