For more than 25 years, the attorneys of Roberts & Roberts have been representing people in Texas and across the nation who have been injured in motorcycle wrecks. If you have been seriously injured in a Texas motorcycle accident, you need the experienced personal injury lawyers at Roberts & Roberts at your side.
Contact us now at 903-597-6000 or 888-211-1233 or fill out our online contact form. The call costs you nothing … and it could mean everything. We serve clients in Waco, Beaumont, Lufkin, Texarkana, Tyler and Longview, as well as throughout East Texas and across the state.
Roberts & Roberts has established a national reputation for representing clients in significant personal injury matters. The firm has been featured on dozens of television programs, including Fox and Friends, ABC Good Morning America, CNN, MSNBC, Fox Business News, CNBC, and NBC’s Dateline. They have also been featured in such magazines as Time and Newsweek.
The motorcycle accident attorneys and staff at Roberts & Roberts can help you get your bike replaced or repaired, get the medical treatment you need and recover your lost wages. We have experts who can reconstruct an accident scene and determine how the motorcycle accident really happened. We have vocational rehabilitation experts who can document and explain the economic consequences of permanent injuries and the effect on that person’s ability to earn a living. We have economists and life care planners who can calculate the damages and the future medical needs and expenses for someone who has been catastrophically injured in a motorcycle wreck.
Texas Motorcycle Accident Statistics
Motorcycles share the road with other vehicles and are subject to the same laws and responsibilities as cars and trucks. They also have the same rights as other vehicles, but regrettably drivers too often don’t know how to share the road with motorcycles.
Drivers in Texas frequently ignore the rights of motorcyclists and pull out in front of them, turn left in front of them or simply change lanes into them. They look but, too often, do not see the motorcycle.
When a motorcycle accident happens, the results can be tragic. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists are about 37 times more likely than other motorists to die in a wreck, and they’re nine times more likely to be injured.
The most recent data from the Texas Department of Transportation shows that 432 people lost their lives on motorcycles in the state in 2009. That figure includes 399 motorcycle drivers, as well as 33 motorcycle passengers.
During that same year, 7,510 motorcycles were involved in Texas accidents that resulted in injuries. Unlike other motor vehicles, the majority of motorcycle collisions resulted in injuries rather than non-injury accidents.
At the East Texas motorcycle accident law firm of Roberts & Roberts, our board-certified attorneys have been helping people injured in motorcycle accidents for over 25 years. We understand that an injury from a motorcycle wreck can keep you from working or taking care of your family or home. It can prevent you from doing the things you enjoy doing, and many injuries require expensive medical treatment that you may not be able to afford.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Because of their design, motorcycles are more likely to be involved in crashes — they are less visible to other drivers and less stable than four-wheeled vehicles. Unlike cars and trucks, motorcycles don’t provide much structural protection when a crash happens.
Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) show that motorcycles’ lack of visibility and other drivers’ inattention are to blame for many collisions. About half of all motorcycle wrecks happen at intersections, according to NHTSA.
Other vehicles making left turns pose a particular hazard for oncoming motorcyclists, but wrecks also happen where a car or truck pulls directly into an oncoming motorcycle’s path. Other factors that frequently contribute to motorcycle accidents include the following: other drivers’ blind spots; tailgating or “cutting off”; speeding or other reckless driving; distractions; and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
In some cases, the motorcycle itself was the cause of the crash due to either a manufacturing or design defect, or because of improper maintenance or repair. Road conditions can also lead to motorcycle accidents. Motorcyclists face greater threats than drivers of other vehicles from debris, potholes, steep shoulder drop-offs, cracked or grooved pavement, gaps between different road surfaces and accumulated water.
What Should I Do If I’ve Been In A Texas Motorcycle Accident?
Your first priority after a motorcycle accident is to make sure you and others involved get medical treatment for any injuries. Even if you don’t feel hurt, you should still see your doctor and describe what happened. Sometimes injuries are not immediately evident.
As soon as possible, you should report the accident to your insurance company, because a delayed report could hurt your claim. However, you should not give a recorded or written statement about the accident to the insurance company until you have consulted with a qualified Texas personal injury attorney like those at Roberts & Roberts.
You should keep track of all receipts and documents related to the accident and your treatment. It’s smart to keep a journal about your recovery and how your injuries have changed your daily life. Those details could be hard to recall later.
An insurance adjuster might approach you in hopes of settling your claim. Don’t sign any documents without first talking to an experienced Texas motorcycle accident attorney because you could sign away your rights to the full compensation you deserve.
Do I Need A Lawyer To Handle My Motorcycle Crash Case?
It’s not necessary to hire a lawyer for every motorcycle accident, but you should always consult with a qualified personal injury attorney after a collision. At Roberts & Roberts the initial consultation is always free. There is never a charge unless we are successful and obtain a settlement or judgment for you.
We understand that hiring an attorney may be the last thing on someone’s mind after a motorcycle wreck; unfortunately, insurance companies quickly try to make your claim go away for as little money as possible. Delays in hiring an attorney after a motorcycle wreck can result in evidence being lost. An immediate investigation is important for determining who should be held responsible for your injuries.
There are many things we at Roberts & Roberts can do to help our clients, and the most important thing we can do is listen. We understand that someone who has been injured in a motorcycle accident has lots of questions and concerns.
While we cannot predict the future or guarantee results, we can try to answer your questions and keep you as informed as possible during the recovery process. Our goal to address your concerns so that you can make informed decisions as we work together to get your life back to where it was before the collision occurred.
Let the experienced motorcycle accident attorneys at Roberts & Roberts help you. Contact us now at 903-597-6000 or 888-211-1233 or fill out an online contact form.
