Why You Need a Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident in Fort Worth, you need an attorney who understands both the severe nature of these injuries and the bias motorcyclists often face from insurance companies. A skilled Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term care needs that often accompany serious bike crashes.
Motorcycle accidents differ from typical car wrecks in almost every way. The injuries are more catastrophic. The medical bills climb faster. And insurance adjusters frequently try to shift blame onto riders, even when the evidence clearly shows another driver was at fault. Having experienced legal representation levels the playing field.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics in Fort Worth and Texas
Texas leads the nation in motorcycle fatalities. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, 562 motorcyclists died on Texas roads in 2023, with thousands more suffering serious injuries. Tarrant County, which includes Fort Worth, consistently ranks among the state’s most dangerous areas for riders.
The numbers tell a grim story. Motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to die in a crash than passenger vehicle occupants, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They’re also four times more likely to suffer injuries. These statistics reflect a simple reality: when a 4,000-pound SUV collides with a 600-pound motorcycle, the rider absorbs the impact.
Fort Worth’s expanding highway system, including I-30, I-35W, and Loop 820, sees heavy motorcycle traffic year-round thanks to Texas’s mild climate. More riders on the road means more exposure to negligent drivers who fail to check blind spots, run red lights, or make unsafe left turns directly into a motorcyclist’s path.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Worth
Understanding what caused your crash matters for your legal case. Texas follows a modified comparative fault rule under Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 33.001, meaning you can recover damages as long as you’re less than 51% responsible for the accident. The most common causes of motorcycle crashes in Fort Worth include:
Left-Turn Collisions
The single most dangerous scenario for motorcyclists occurs when a car or truck turns left at an intersection, directly into an oncoming motorcycle. Drivers often misjudge a motorcycle’s speed or simply fail to see the smaller profile. These crashes frequently result in catastrophic injuries because the rider has almost no time to react.
Lane-Change Accidents
Motorcycles fit easily into vehicle blind spots. When drivers change lanes without properly checking mirrors or turning their heads, they can sideswipe riders or force them off the road entirely. On Fort Worth’s busy highways, these accidents happen at high speeds with devastating consequences.
Rear-End Collisions
A rear-end collision that might cause minor whiplash in a car can throw a motorcyclist from their bike, causing traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, or death. Distracted driving, particularly texting, contributes heavily to these preventable crashes.
Drunk and Impaired Driving
Despite strict DWI laws in Texas, impaired drivers continue to cause serious motorcycle accidents. When a drunk driver causes your crash, you may have grounds for a punitive damages claim in addition to standard compensation. Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 41.003 allows courts to award punitive damages when a defendant’s conduct involves gross negligence.
Road Hazards and Poor Maintenance
Potholes, loose gravel, debris, and poorly maintained roads pose minimal risk to cars but can be deadly for motorcyclists. When a government entity’s failure to maintain safe roads causes your accident, you may have a claim against the city, county, or state. These cases involve strict notice requirements under the Texas Tort Claims Act, making prompt legal consultation essential.
Injuries Common in Fort Worth Motorcycle Accidents
The severity of motorcycle accident injuries directly affects the value of your case and the complexity of your claim. Our personal injury team regularly handles cases involving:
Traumatic brain injuries remain the leading cause of death and permanent disability in motorcycle crashes. Even with a helmet, the violent forces involved in a collision can cause concussions, brain bleeds, or diffuse axonal injuries. TBI victims often require lifetime care and may never return to their previous employment.
Spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis. A Fort Worth motorcycle accident that damages the cervical spine may leave a rider quadriplegic, while thoracic or lumbar injuries can cause paraplegia. The lifetime cost of care for a spinal cord injury can exceed $5 million.
Road rash sounds minor but can be anything but. Severe road rash penetrates through skin and muscle to bone, requiring skin grafts, extensive debridement, and leaving permanent scarring. These injuries carry high infection risks and often result in disfigurement.
Fractures and orthopedic injuries frequently affect the legs, arms, pelvis, and ribs. Compound fractures may require multiple surgeries, hardware installation, and months of physical therapy. Some fractures never heal properly, leaving riders with permanent limitations.
Internal organ damage from blunt force trauma can be life-threatening if not immediately diagnosed. Ruptured spleens, lacerated livers, and internal bleeding require emergency surgery.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
Texas law allows motorcycle accident victims to recover both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include quantifiable losses like medical expenses (past and future), lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, and rehabilitation costs.
Non-economic damages compensate for pain and suffering, mental anguish, physical impairment, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life. While harder to calculate, these damages often represent the largest portion of a serious injury claim. A motorcyclist left with chronic pain, visible scars, or the inability to ride again suffers real losses that deserve compensation.
In cases involving egregious conduct, such as drunk driving or intentional misconduct, Texas law permits punitive damages designed to punish the defendant and deter similar behavior.
How Insurance Companies Handle Motorcycle Claims
Insurance adjusters approach motorcycle accident claims with skepticism. They know juries sometimes harbor bias against motorcyclists, viewing them as reckless thrill-seekers. Adjusters exploit this bias during settlement negotiations, offering lowball amounts and suggesting the rider “assumed the risk” by choosing to ride.
Common insurance tactics include:
Requesting recorded statements early, before you understand the full extent of your injuries, hoping you’ll say something they can use against you later. Disputing the severity of injuries or claiming pre-existing conditions caused your symptoms. Arguing you weren’t wearing proper gear, even when gear has no relevance to the other driver’s negligence. Delaying the claims process, hoping financial pressure forces you into accepting less than your case is worth.
An experienced Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer recognizes these tactics and knows how to counter them. Your attorney can handle all communication with insurance companies, gather evidence to prove liability, document the full extent of your damages, and negotiate from a position of strength.
Texas Motorcycle Laws You Should Know
Texas imposes specific requirements on motorcyclists that can affect your accident claim.
Helmet laws: Under Texas Transportation Code § 661.003, riders 21 and older may legally ride without a helmet if they’ve completed a safety course or carry at least $10,000 in medical insurance coverage. However, not wearing a helmet doesn’t bar you from recovering damages. The insurance company might argue your injuries would have been less severe with a helmet, potentially reducing your compensation, but Texas courts have been inconsistent on allowing this “failure to mitigate” argument.
Lane splitting: Unlike California, Texas does not permit lane splitting. If you were lane splitting at the time of your accident, the insurance company will likely argue comparative fault. However, lane splitting by itself doesn’t make you automatically liable for a crash caused by another driver’s negligence.
Insurance requirements: Texas requires motorcyclists to carry minimum liability coverage of 30/60/25 ($30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident for bodily injury, $25,000 for property damage). If the at-fault driver lacks sufficient coverage, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist policy may provide additional compensation.
The Statute of Limitations for Motorcycle Accident Claims
Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 gives you two years from the date of your motorcycle accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss this deadline, and you lose your right to compensation entirely, regardless of how strong your case might be.
Two years sounds like plenty of time, but it passes quickly when you’re focused on recovering from serious injuries. Building a strong case requires gathering evidence, obtaining medical records, consulting experts, and negotiating with insurance companies. Starting the process early gives your attorney time to do thorough work.
If your loved one died in a motorcycle accident, Texas’s wrongful death statute also imposes a two-year deadline. Surviving family members (spouses, children, and parents) may bring claims for their own losses, including loss of companionship, mental anguish, and lost financial support.
What to Do After a Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident
The steps you take immediately after a crash can strengthen or weaken your eventual claim.
Call 911 and get medical attention. Even if you feel okay initially, adrenaline masks pain. Internal injuries and traumatic brain injuries may not show symptoms for hours or days. A documented medical evaluation creates a record linking your injuries to the accident.
Document the scene if possible. Photograph vehicle positions, road conditions, traffic signals, skid marks, debris, and visible injuries. Get contact information from witnesses. This evidence may disappear before investigators arrive.
Don’t admit fault or apologize. Anything you say at the scene can be used against you. Stick to the facts when speaking with police.
Report the accident to your insurance company, but don’t provide a recorded statement or accept any settlement offers before consulting an attorney.
Keep detailed records. Save all medical bills, receipts, and documentation of missed work. Keep a journal of your pain levels, limitations, and how the injury affects your daily life.
Contact a Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer promptly. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget details. Insurance companies start building their defense immediately. You need someone fighting for your interests just as quickly.
Why Choose Varghese Summersett for Your Motorcycle Accident Case
Varghese Summersett brings a unique perspective to personal injury cases. Our firm includes former prosecutors who understand how the other side thinks and prepares their cases. With offices in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, and Southlake, we know the local courts, judges, and insurance company tactics throughout the region.
Our personal injury team works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. We advance all case costs and only get paid if you win.
We also understand that motorcycle accident cases require different handling than typical car wrecks. We know how to counter anti-motorcyclist bias, work with accident reconstruction experts who specialize in motorcycle dynamics, and calculate the true lifetime cost of catastrophic injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Fort Worth motorcycle accident case worth?
Every case differs based on injury severity, liability clarity, insurance coverage available, and long-term prognosis. Cases involving permanent disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, or wrongful death typically result in significantly higher settlements or verdicts. We evaluate your specific situation during a free consultation.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Texas’s comparative fault rule allows you to recover damages as long as you’re less than 51% responsible. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If a jury finds you 20% at fault and your damages total $500,000, you’d recover $400,000.
Should I accept the insurance company’s first offer?
Almost never. Initial offers typically represent a fraction of your case’s true value. Insurance companies make low offers hoping injured riders, facing mounting bills and lost income, will accept out of desperation. Having an attorney negotiate on your behalf typically results in substantially higher compensation.
How long will my case take?
Simpler cases with clear liability and full recovery may settle within months. Complex cases involving severe injuries, disputed liability, or multiple defendants can take two years or longer, particularly if litigation becomes necessary. We keep you informed throughout the process and never pressure you to settle for less than your case deserves.
Do I need a lawyer if the other driver was clearly at fault?
Clear liability doesn’t guarantee fair compensation. Insurance companies still minimize payouts through aggressive tactics. An experienced attorney ensures you receive the full value of your claim, not just what the insurance company wants to pay.
Get Help from an Experienced Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
A motorcycle accident can change your life in seconds. The physical pain, emotional trauma, and financial stress can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to heal while battling insurance companies.
You don’t have to face this alone. The personal injury team at Varghese Summersett has helped countless accident victims across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex recover the compensation they need to rebuild their lives. We handle the legal fight so you can focus on recovery.
Call 817-203-2220 today for a free consultation. There’s no obligation, and you won’t pay anything unless we win your case. Time matters in motorcycle accident claims. The sooner you call, the sooner we can start protecting your rights and building your case for maximum compensation.
