Dallas Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

SERIOUS ATTORNEYS FOR SERIOUS INJURIES

Dallas Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Injured in a North Texas Motorcycle Crash? Protect Your Rights with a Top-Rated Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

With over 394,000 registered motorcycles on its roads, Texas ranks fifth in the U.S. for total motorcycle ownership. Texas’s long, flat roads, scenic views, and consistent weather make it an appealing place to ride. 

North Texas drivers who lease or own cars, trucks, and SUVs have a legal duty to follow road rules and watch out for traffic to avoid preventable crashes. When others on the road fail to live up to this duty, a motorcyclist can suffer serious or fatal injuries.

If you were injured in a bike crash or lost a loved one, don’t wait. Contact the team at Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys to learn more about your legal rights and options. Getting guidance from a top-rated motorcycle accident attorney early on may not only help secure compensation for the serious injuries endured but also help you be on the path to a healthy recovery. 

Dallas Motorcycle Accident Statistics and Trends Every Rider Should Know

  • In 2024, Dallas County reported 46,257 total roadway crashes. These collisions claimed 331 lives and caused 1,648 serious injuries. These totals include crashes that caused fatal or serious injuries to motorcyclists.  
  • Texas’s efforts to reduce motorcycle crash deaths paid off in the 2010s. Motorcycle deaths decreased each year between 2017 and 2020, after remaining steady from 2014 to 2017. For several years, it appeared that Texas’s roads were becoming safer for bikers.
  • These trends changed with the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. From April 2020 to 2023, motorcycle deaths and injuries on Texas roads skyrocketed. A total of 419 deaths occurred in 2019; by 2023, that number jumped to 600 in a single year.
  • Motorcycle crash deaths and injuries decreased slightly in 2024, dropping to 585 deaths and 2,532 serious injuries. However, the total in 2024 remains higher than the total in 2014. Every Texas road user has a role to play in making the streets safer for motorcyclists.

Where Serious Motorcycle Wrecks Happen Most in Dallas, North Texas

Motorcycle crashes can occur anywhere. However, certain factors increase the likelihood of collisions in specific areas. Factors that increase the risk of a motorcycle crash include: 

  • Traffic congestion is a common occurrence in areas that have multiple lanes. Heavy traffic decreases the stopping distance between cars. It also obstructs drivers’ view of the roads. If drivers aren’t paying attention in heavy traffic, they may cause a collision with a motorcyclist. More vehicles on the roads also means more risk of a crash.
  • Intersections and driveways. Many drivers aren’t looking for motorcyclists at intersections or where driveways connect to the roads. Motorists who don’t look closely enough to spot all traffic run the risk of colliding with a motorcyclist. 
  • Construction and road design issues. Construction zones add more hazards to the roads and can confuse travelers. Problems with road design, such as tight curves, can also increase the risk of a serious collision.
  • Urban growth. Growing cities like Dallas and its surrounding communities add new residents, workers, visitors, and infrastructure, often at a rapid pace. Construction, confusion, congestion, and other challenges may increase the likelihood of collisions. 
  • Driver behavior. Drunk or drugged driving, distractions, speeding, and failing to follow road rules can all cause a serious accident, with a motorcyclist paying a serious price. 

Common sites for serious crashes, including serious motorcycle collisions, in Dallas and Dallas County include:

  • I-635 (LBJ Freeway). The freeway’s frequent traffic congestion, speed changes, and multiple interchanges with other roadways increase risk, making the LBJ Freeway a common site of serious motorcycle accidents.
  • I-35E (Stemmons Freeway). Dallas drivers are familiar with the high speeds, common bottlenecks, and sudden lane changes that make the Stemmons Freeway a high-risk corridor, particularly for motorcyclists. 
  • I-30 (Tom Landry Freeway). The narrow shoulders and short merge lanes on the Tom Landry Freeway increase the risk that a motorcyclist will be unable to avoid a collision unless other drivers are vigilant and watch carefully to prevent accidents. 

Several intersections in Dallas and the surrounding areas are also common sites of motorcycle collisions. These include the complex freeway interchange at I-635 and Midway Road, the interaction of TX-12 Loop and TX-348 Spur, and the interchange at US-75 and Mockingbird Lane. 

Understanding Texas Motorcycle Injury Lawsuits: Time Limits, Fault, and Compensation

Every motorcycle crash involves a unique set of facts: what happened, where it occurred, the time of day and year, and who was involved. Even if you’ve been part of a personal injury lawsuit before, the facts this time are different – and your serious injuries or the loss of a loved one are already a full-time job. 

To ask informed questions, it helps to understand the basic rules. Each motorcycle injury case has unique facts, but all cases must follow certain legal rules and timelines. To learn more about how time limits, fault rules, and compensation rules apply in your case, talk to an experienced Dallas motorcycle accident lawyer today. 

Time Limits

In Texas, a person injured in a motorcycle crash has two years to file a personal injury claim. This two-year window usually begins on the date of the accident. A family that has lost a loved one also has two years to file a wrongful death claim

If you don’t file within two years, your case cannot be heard in court. Only a few narrow exceptions apply to this rule. Also, the two-year limit only applies to court cases. Insurance companies often have shorter deadlines to file insurance claims. 

Two years can feel like a long time. Yet these years go fast, especially when you may need months to heal from serious injuries. Reach out to an attorney as soon as possible to preserve your right to file a Dallas County lawsuit after a motorcycle crash. 

Proving Fault

A personal injury lawsuit seeks compensation for injuries caused by someone else’s negligence. To obtain compensation, an injured person must demonstrate that someone else’s negligence caused the injuries. This process is often referred to as “proving fault.” 

To demonstrate fault and win compensation, an injured person and their attorney focus on answering four questions: 

  • Did the other person have a legal duty to use reasonable care to prevent harm?
  • Did the other person fail to live up to this legal duty?
  • Did that person’s failure cause the injured person’s injuries?
  • Can those injuries be compensated (usually through money damages)? 

If the answer to all four questions is “yes,” it’s likely the other person was at fault and can be held accountable. However, it’s also common for the other person to claim you were partly or wholly at fault for your own injuries. 

Motorcyclists often face bias from courts and juries, who assume bikers are daredevils asking for trouble when they take to the roads. Overcoming this bias with facts is a key task for every experienced Dallas motorcycle accident lawyer. Speak to an attorney today for help with your case.

What Kinds of Compensation Can You Recover After a Motorcycle Accident?

A motorcycle accident can leave you with significant financial worries. Medical bills pile up. The cost to fix or replace your bike might reach thousands of dollars. You may worry about how you’ll pay your living costs when you cannot work, or wonder if you’ll ever be able to work again. 

Compensation for a motorcycle accident seeks to address these and other losses. Texas courts recognize two broad categories of compensation: special and general damages.

  1. Special damages are financial losses. You can typically prove your special damages down to the last cent by presenting bills, receipts, invoices, pay stubs, and similar financial paperwork. 

Common types of special damages covered by a motorcycle injury compensation award include:

  • Medical bills and costs associated with treating your injuries.
  • Future medical costs, if your injuries require ongoing medical care.
  • Lost wages if you’ve had to miss work due to your injuries.
  • Future lost wages or loss of earning capacity, if your injuries will limit the work you can do in the future or prevent you from ever working again.
  • Costs of repairing or replacing your bike and other damaged property. 

Other special damages may also be available in some cases. An attorney can help you calculate an amount that compensates you for these losses. 

  1. General damages cover losses that don’t come with a price tag but that impact your life nonetheless. Common losses in this category include:
  • Physical pain and suffering.
  • Mental and emotional anguish.
  • The lifelong effects of scarring, amputation, or disfigurement.
  • Loss of the care and companionship of a loved one if injuries prove fatal. 

Since every crash involves unique facts and losses, no two cases have identical compensation outcomes. A top-rated North Texas motorcycle accident attorney can help you determine a full, fair compensation amount for your unique losses. 

Don’t Go It Alone—Contact a Dallas Motorcycle Accident Attorney for Help Today

After a motorcycle accident, it’s essential to get medical care right away. If you don’t receive emergency medical care at the scene or at a local emergency room, see a doctor as soon as possible. A doctor will document the injuries caused by the crash and provide appropriate treatment. 

Speak to a top-rated Dallas motorcycle accident attorney soon after the accident as well. An attorney can investigate the crash, preserve evidence, and negotiate for the full, fair compensation you deserve, so you can focus on healing. To learn more, contact Chandler Ross Injury Attorneys today to schedule a consultation with one of our dedicated Dallas motorcycle accident lawyers.