Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Motorcycle accidents are particularly dangerous because riders are not easily visible to other drivers and pedestrians. Riding a motorcycle requires a different skill set than driving a car, and it is more physically demanding than driving a four-wheel vehicle.

After a motorcycle accident, an attorney conducts a thorough investigation on your behalf in which they speak to witnesses, if there are any, watch surveillance footage, and review police records and any other information that could be relevant to your case.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Here are some of the most common reasons why motorcycle accidents occur. 

Car Doors

Motorcycle riders are frequently injured when a driver or passenger gets out of their vehicle when parked at the curb along a line of other parked cars. They are supposed to look before opening the door to check for potential hazards, but sometimes they don’t.

Inexperience

Motorcycle riders are at a greater risk of getting into an accident their first year riding, and many get into their first accident within the first six months. Riders who are much younger, especially those between the ages of 16 and 24, tend to be at the most risk of motorcycle accidents. This is because they do not have the many years of assessing road conditions and learning to respond to sudden events on the road that a skilled and experienced rider has. 

A rider who takes pride in their machine and has for many, many years will usually conduct a pre-ride inspection every time before they go on the road to ensure that there are no defects that need to be repaired.

Speeding

No matter what kind of vehicle you are driving, speeding increases your risk of getting into a collision with another vehicle that can lead to serious personal injuries or even death. 

Failure to Yield When Making A Left Turn

According to Indiana law, drivers making left turns are required to yield to oncoming traffic. However, even though the driver going straight has the right of way, if they sped up when the light turned yellow or ran a red light, they could be held liable for the motorcycle accident.

Motorcycle Lane-Splitting

According to Code § 9-21-10-6, motorcyclists cannot operate or drive their bikes in a way that deprives other drivers of the full use of a traffic lane. Therefore, lane splitting, white lining, and filtering forward are illegal in Indiana.

Drunk Driving

In 2018, 23.1% of motorcyclists involved in fatal collisions had BAC results that indicated that they were legally impaired.

Why You Need A Motorcycle Accident Attorney 

It is often presumed that the motorcycle accident was due to the motorcycle rider, but determining liability can be very difficult in motorcycle accidents because of this bias against riders. Indiana is a fault insurance state, which means that your attorney will have to establish who was at fault and argue relentlessly on your behalf. 

Even if you think that your motorcycle accident is straightforward and that the at-fault driver is clear, there could be myriad things that come up in the investigation that you want an expert attorney handling. The insurance company certainly has its own lawyers who are focused on saving their clients money by reducing settlement offers. You should have an advocate on your side just like the insurance company has on theirs. Your initial consultation with RileyCate, LLC is free so contact us today to get answers to your legal questions.

Statistics

According to the Insurance Information Institute, an independent trade association dedicated to teaching the public about insurance, motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to die in a crash than a driver or passenger in a four-wheeled vehicle per miles traveled.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following are some of the most common questions we are asked about Indianapolis motorcycle accidents. Call now for your completely free initial consultation with RileyCate, LLC, to get answers to your legal questions.

What do I do after a motorcycle accident?

The first thing that you should do is analyze your body and your surroundings to determine if you need to get to safety. Call 911 if you are able to, or have someone call for you. 

Do not remove any of the protective gear that you were wearing during your accident.

It is important to take pictures of your injuries as well as the scene of the accident. Ideally, you will take several photos — some up close and some — capturing a wider view of the street where it occurred, as well as videos to clearly tell a story of what happened.

After a motorcycle accident, it is imperative that you seek medical treatment for your injuries.

When should I call RileyCate, LLC?

Call now to schedule your free consultation with our Indianapolis injury lawyer. The sooner we get started on your case, the better.