Texas's wide open roads invite almost half a million motorcyclists every year. With about 400,000 motorcyclists driving on Texas roads, the potential for accidents to occur is plenty.
Motorcycle wrecks in Texas can happen for various reasons, ranging from driver distraction to serious errors such as drowsy driving or driving while impaired. If you have had the misfortune of a motorcycle accident in Texas, do you know your rights? If you have lost a loved one due to a fatal motorcycle wreck, are you aware of the legal means available to you to see justice done? No? The following article by the Odessa motorcycle accident attorneys of the Carabin Shaw Law Firm will help you answer these questions by providing relevant information on motorcycle wrecks in Texas. With over three decades of proven experience as personal injury lawyers in Texas, our motorcycle accident attorneys are here to help you through this difficult time.
The Difference in Car and Motorcycle WrecksMotorcycle accident sites provide easily observable differences then car accidents. Motorcycle accidents often result in serious injuries and a greater likelihood of death. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, two-thirds of all motorcycle accidents result in serious injury or death of the motorcyclist. There were 662 fatal motorcycle accidents in 2023, about 9 percent of all traffic fatalities in Texas. In addition, 9718 motorcyclists or passengers were injured in 2023. Devastating consequences of many motorcycle accidents are easy to understand due to the lack of protection for the rider and/or their passengers. By their very construction, cars will provide much better protection in an accident than a motorcycle rider.
Unfortunately, many people do not see that this difference leads to a significant difference in how such incidents should be handled in the legal world. It is rare for motorcycle accident compensation claims not to need the guidance of a law firm experienced in motorcycle accident law in Texas. Because of the increased reality of serious injury or death, the amount of compensation that may be involved will cause an insurer to fight aggressively against the interests of an injured victim or the surviving family. Without the help of an experienced motorcycle accident attorney, a victim will not get a fair settlement for their claim and may be likely to accept a lowball offer.
Texas Motorcycle Injury AccidentsMotorcycle accidents can cause damage and a series of injuries. Motorcycle accident injuries can be mild, such as bruises and scratches, or they can cause even near-fatal injuries, such as brain or spinal cord injuries. Road rash is a common, albeit small, type of motorcycle injury. However, the damage can worsen the infection if the rash is not treated within the right amount of time. As each cause of injury, it is important that the victim seeks medical attention, or they will suffer from a possible case of failure to mitigate damages. For example, if in a motorcycle accident, the victim did not seek medical help and road rash develops into a life-threatening infection, a party or parties responsible for a motorcycle accident cannot be held responsible for such infections.
Other serious injuries from motorcycle accidents are fractures and broken bones. Due to the nature of open riders, passengers are often ejected from the motorcycle and thrown. The raw power of such a collision with the ground often leads to broken arms, broken bones or fractures. While these injuries require medical attention (and future medical expenses), those who suffered a motorcycle accident with a broken leg may also suffer economic losses due to loss of mobility, which can seriously affect their ability to work. With a personal injury lawsuit by our experienced motorcycle accident lawyer, a motorcyclist injured can seek compensation for Economic Losses: All Medical Expenses, present and future, lost wages, and property damage. Non-Economic-Losses: Pain and Suffering, Loss Of Companionship, Loss of Consortium. In some extreme cases of negligence, Punitive Damages may be called for: When the party at fault showed gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
Motorcycle injuries can include severe disfigurement or spinal cord injuries, internal organ damage and traumatic brain injuries. Each of these catastrophic injuries can lead to lifelong medical conditions that require round-the-clock care. Burns can occur, causing pain and suffering of the victim and disfigurement. The scars on the face, hands, legs, neck or back can leave lasting reminders of a terrible ordeal. The loss of body parts, such as the amputation of an arm or a leg, can severely reduce the quality of life of a person. In addition, each of these problems can cause victims to suffer extreme emotional pressure. Following the injury a victim may claim compensation on these losses. Worse of all, too many riders lose their lives, which, from the legal standpoint, can result in a wrongful death claim.
Motorcycle helmet law in Texas requires that those under 21 must wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle. Those older than 21 have the opportunity not to wear a helmet, provided they have completed the motorcycle rider training course in Texas or can show proof of health insurance. Although the arguments for and against motorcyclists' need for helmets have been argued for many years, the benefits of wearing a helmet are hard to refute. The most serious motorcycle accident injuries, spinal cord and brain injuries can be avoided by using a motorcycle helmet. These injuries can lead to paralysis and often lead the victim to develop a lifelong, life-altering disease that requires constant attention. Such serious damage can result in substantial debt from unpaid medical bills.
Motorcycle Accident Claims AttorneyDepending on the severity of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, the victim may require medical care for days, months, years, or life. This can run up huge medical expenses, from thousands to millions of dollars. Thus, any insurance companies that have to pay exorbitant amounts, even justly deserved, for the victim's injuries will fight against it. Without the help of our experienced motorcycle accident attorney on your side, who can be just as aggressive as the insurance companies to protect your rights. You will not get fair compensation without legal assistance from our personal injury attorney.
Fatal Motorcycle Accidents in TexasThe Texas Department of Transportation reported that a fatal motorcycle accident in Texas occurs every day. This concern is compounded by the fact that it could be reinterpreted: A family loses a loved one every day somewhere in Texas due to a fatal motorcycle accident. If you had the unfortunate tragedy of losing a loved one in a fatal motorcycle accident in Texas, our Texas lawyers experienced in wrongful death litigation can help uncover the truth of the scene so that each liable party can be properly identified and brought to justice for their negligent behavior. When an accidental death occurs due to the negligence of another party, the surviving members of the family are entitled to file a civil lawsuit against the negligent party or parties to claim compensation for death damages and survival damages.
Although only one family member can seek damages on behalf of the motorcyclist who was killed, several members of the family can claim damages for wrongful death because they might have suffered financial losses due to the death of their loved one. However, many causes for wrongful death are pursued in order to apply specifically for compensation. Compensation is a necessary part of the process of wrongful death cases and works to help bereaved families fight the financial losses experienced in the wake of a physical loss. Wrongful death damages also serve to place liability on all responsible parties for their actions. Before filing a claim, a grieving family can contact our skilled attorneys so that an independent investigation is carried out, which can be used to determine what happened in a deadly cycle accident so that all parties are held liable. Each party will then be liable for their special role in causing or contributing to an accident.
The fatal motorcycle accident attorneys at Carabin Shaw Law Firm have three decades of experience investigating fatal accident scenes. Therefore, they understand the complex scenes of traffic accidents and know when to dig deeper to ensure that all parties responsible for the loss of a loved one are. Through these efforts, together, we can ensure that negligent parties are brought to justice for having caused so much pain and loss.