Houston Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

When another driver causes a motorcycle crash, the rider can suffer devastating injuries. Hospital stays, surgery, months of rehabilitation, and time away from work may follow. Some families come to us after a loved one never made it home.

Pierce Skrabanek represents motorcycle riders and families throughout Houston after serious and fatal crashes. Our attorneys bring more than 30 years of combined experience and have recovered more than $500 million for our clients.

A Houston motorcycle accident lawyer can investigate who caused the crash and pursue compensation for the harm you or your family has suffered.

If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a Houston motorcycle crash, call Pierce Skrabanek at (832) 690-7000 or reach out online. Tell us what happened, and we can help you understand your options for holding the responsible party accountable.

Why Are Motorcycle Accident Claims Different From Car Accident Claims?

A rider who is seriously injured may leave the scene in an ambulance while the other driver remains behind to speak with police. If the rider suffered a head injury, lost consciousness, or needed immediate treatment, their account may not appear in the initial crash report.

There is also the familiar explanation that a driver simply did not see the motorcycle. TxDOT continues to urge drivers to look twice for motorcycles at intersections and before changing lanes. More than half of fatal motorcycle crashes in Texas involve another vehicle.

These cases can also involve very different injuries from the average car accident claim. A rider may require multiple surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, or treatment for permanent injuries. The amount at stake can lead an insurance company to scrutinize how the crash happened and argue that the rider shared responsibility.

When the driver's account does not match the rider's, the case may depend heavily on evidence from outside either person's version of events.

What Causes Most Motorcycle Accidents in Houston?

Many crashes happen because a driver fails to see a motorcycle that is already in the lane, approaching an intersection, or traveling alongside the vehicle.

Houston riders encounter these situations on local streets as well as I-45, I-10, I-69/US-59, Beltway 8, the 610 Loop, frontage roads, and busy multilane intersections throughout the city.

Common causes include:

• Left turns: A driver turns across a motorcycle's path at an intersection, driveway, or parking lot entrance.
• Unsafe lane changes: A driver moves into an occupied lane without seeing the motorcycle beside them.
• Failure to yield: A vehicle enters an intersection or roadway when the rider has the right of way.
• Distracted driving: A driver looking at a phone, navigation system, or another distraction misses the motorcycle in surrounding traffic.
• Following too closely: A driver does not leave enough room to stop when traffic slows.
• Speeding: A speeding driver has less time and distance to respond to traffic ahead.
• Impaired driving: Alcohol or drugs can affect judgment, vision, and reaction time.
• Commercial vehicle collisions: Trucks and other large vehicles have substantial blind spots that can put riders beside them at risk during lane changes and turns.

Identifying the cause also helps determine where to look for evidence and whether someone other than the individual driver may be responsible.

Types of Motorcycle Accidents We Handle in Houston

Pierce Skrabanek represents riders and families after:

• Intersection and left-turn collisions;
• Rear-end crashes;
• Lane-change and sideswipe accidents;
• Distracted-driving crashes;
• Drunk or impaired driving accidents;
• Commercial truck and company vehicle collisions;
• Hit-and-run accidents;
• Crashes involving defective vehicles or components;
• Accidents involving dangerous roadway conditions; and
• Fatal motorcycle crashes.

Some cases involve more than one responsible party. If someone driving a company vehicle causes the collision while working, their employer may also need to be investigated. When a defective component contributes to the accident, the manufacturer or another company in the distribution chain may become part of the case.

Our Houston motorcycle accident lawyers investigate each potential source of responsibility rather than assuming the claim begins and ends with the driver who struck the motorcycle.

Common Injuries After a Motorcycle Accident

Motorcycle crashes frequently involve injuries to more than one part of the body. A rider may be treated for fractures and internal injuries at the same time, followed by additional care for nerve damage, head trauma, or problems that become apparent during recovery.

Serious injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injuries and concussions;
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis;
• Broken and crushed bones;
• Internal organ damage and bleeding;
• Nerve injuries;
• Severe road rash and skin injuries;
• Amputations;
• Facial injuries; and
• Scarring and disfigurement.

The medical treatment is only part of what an injury can mean for the rider. Multiple fractures may require several surgeries and months of physical therapy. Damage to a hand, arm, leg, or spine can affect whether someone returns to the same work. A traumatic brain injury may affect memory, concentration, communication, or independence.

For families dealing with a fatal motorcycle crash, Texas law also provides a potential avenue for pursuing a wrongful death claim against those responsible.

Can I File a Claim If Another Driver Caused My Motorcycle Accident?

If another driver caused the collision through negligence, you may have grounds to seek compensation for your injuries and resulting losses. A claim may also involve a business or another party whose actions contributed to the crash.

Texas follows a proportionate responsibility rule. If an injured person is found more than 50% responsible, they generally cannot recover damages. At 50% or less, compensation is reduced according to the percentage of responsibility assigned to them.

That gives an insurance company a financial reason to argue that a rider contributed to the collision. An allegation that the motorcycle was speeding, for instance, should be supported by evidence rather than accepted simply because the other driver or insurer says so.

A Houston motorcycle accident attorney can examine the evidence and challenge attempts to place responsibility on a rider for a crash another driver caused.

How Do You Prove the Other Driver Was at Fault?

The answer depends on how the crash occurred.

In a left-turn accident, investigators may examine who had the right of way, the traffic signals, sight distance, and where each vehicle was positioned before impact. After a lane-change collision, damage to the motorcycle and vehicle may help establish where contact occurred and which vehicle entered the other's lane.

Distracted-driving cases may require phone records or other electronic evidence. A commercial vehicle crash can involve driver records, company documents, onboard data, and evidence concerning the driver's work at the time.

A Houston motorcycle crash lawyer can also work with accident reconstruction professionals when the physical evidence requires more detailed analysis.

Proving fault matters even when the driver received a citation. An insurance claim or lawsuit has its own evidentiary requirements, and the insurer may still dispute its driver's responsibility.

What Evidence Can Show How a Motorcycle Crash Happened?

Some evidence begins disappearing soon after the collision. Nearby surveillance systems may overwrite recordings, vehicles are eventually repaired, and debris or markings on the roadway are cleared.

Depending on the accident, useful evidence can include:

• Police crash reports;
• Photographs and videos;
• Helmet or motorcycle-camera footage;
• Dashcam recordings;
• Surveillance video from nearby businesses;
• Witness statements;
• Damage to the motorcycle and other vehicles;
• Skid marks and roadway evidence;
• Cellphone records when distraction is suspected;
• Vehicle event data; and
• Accident reconstruction analysis.

This evidence becomes especially important when the rider was hospitalized before speaking with police or the other driver disputes how the collision occurred.

Pierce Skrabanek has experience trying disputed motor vehicle cases in Houston. In one case where the defendant contested fault, attorneys Paul Skrabanek and Mike Pierce secured a unanimous $639,000 Harris County jury verdict for an injured motorist.

For an injured rider, an early investigation can preserve independent evidence of the crash before it is lost.

How Much Compensation Can I Get After a Motorcycle Accident?

There is no standard value for a motorcycle accident claim. The amount depends heavily on the injuries and how much they change the rider’s health, work, and independence.

A rider with multiple fractures may face several surgeries and months of rehabilitation before returning to work. A spinal cord injury may require mobility equipment, help at home, or medical care for years. Brain injuries can affect memory, concentration, communication, and the ability to return to the same career.

A motorcycle accident claim may seek compensation for:

• Emergency treatment and hospitalization;
• Surgery, rehabilitation, and therapy;
• Future medical care;
• Lost income;
• Reduced earning capacity;
• Pain and suffering;
• Physical impairment;
• Scarring and disfigurement; and
• Damage to the motorcycle and other property.

A Houston motorcycle accident attorney can also look beyond the bills that have already arrived. When doctors expect additional surgery, rehabilitation, or permanent limitations, those future needs need to be accounted for before the claim is resolved.

For families who have lost a rider, compensation is handled differently. Texas wrongful death law allows certain surviving family members to pursue a claim for losses resulting from the death.

A serious motorcycle injury can affect your finances for months or years after the crash. Contact Pierce Skrabanek at (832) 690-7000 to discuss what those losses could mean for your claim.

Should I Give the Insurance Company a Recorded Statement?

You may hear from the other driver’s insurance company surprisingly soon after a motorcycle crash. The adjuster may sound helpful and ask to record a statement so they can “get your side” of what happened.

You do not generally have to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and there are good reasons to speak with an attorney before agreeing to one.

You may still be taking pain medication, recovering from surgery, or have little memory of the crash because of a concussion or head injury. You may also be asked questions you cannot accurately answer yet. How fast were you going? When did you first see the vehicle? How far away was it? Did you have time to brake?

Guessing does not help you.

The adjuster may also ask about your injuries before you know their full extent. Saying your shoulder “seems okay” a few days after the crash can become a problem if an MRI later reveals an injury requiring surgery.

There is an important distinction with your own insurance company. Your policy may require you to cooperate with its investigation, particularly if you are making a claim for uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. That does not mean you have to handle the conversation without understanding your rights or policy obligations first.

If an adjuster is already asking for a recorded statement, a Houston motorcycle accident attorney can review the request and determine whether you are required to provide one and how to respond.

How Long Does a Motorcycle Accident Case Take in Texas?

A motorcycle accident case may resolve within several months or take a year or longer. Pierce Skrabanek explains that the timeline of a Texas personal injury case depends on factors including the severity of the injuries, the available evidence, and whether responsibility is disputed.

For a seriously injured rider, medical recovery can have a major effect on timing. If doctors are still determining whether another surgery will be necessary or whether an injury will cause permanent limitations, there may still be important unanswered questions about the rider’s future losses.

Other factors include:

• Whether the other driver disputes fault;
• Whether the insurance company disputes the severity or cause of an injury;
• Whether accident reconstruction or other expert analysis is necessary;
• Whether more than one person or business is responsible;
• How long settlement negotiations take; and
• Whether a lawsuit ultimately goes to trial.

Texas generally gives someone two years to file a personal injury lawsuit from the date the claim accrues. The same two-year limitations period generally applies to an action for an injury resulting in death, although that claim accrues on the date of death.

The filing deadline and the time it takes to resolve a case are two separate issues. A lawsuit can be filed within the required period and continue beyond that date.

How Our Houston Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Prepare Your Case

A motorcycle accident case may eventually come down to details that seemed small immediately after the crash. Where did the vehicles make contact? How far away was the motorcycle when the driver began turning? Does the physical damage match what the driver told police?

Pierce Skrabanek prepares cases with the possibility that an insurance company will refuse to accept responsibility or offer fair compensation. Our attorneys have taken motor vehicle cases through trial and appeal when necessary. 

In one disputed-liability case, Paul Skrabanek and Mike Pierce secured a unanimous $639,000 Harris County jury verdict after a week-long trial. Other motor vehicle results include a $2 million recovery and a $600,000 verdict that was upheld on appeal.

Those results reflect the kind of work that happens well before anyone enters a courtroom: investigating how the collision occurred, developing the medical evidence, working with experts when needed, and being prepared to prove the case if settlement negotiations fail.

Results from other cases do not guarantee what will happen in a motorcycle accident claim. They do show that our attorneys have experience taking vehicle accident disputes beyond the negotiating table when necessary.

“I had an excellent experience with Pierce | Skrabanek PLLC. From day one, the attorneys and staff were professional, responsive, and truly cared about my case. They kept me informed at every step and fought hard to get the best result possible. I highly recommend them to anyone who needs serious, trustworthy representation.”

— Alessandro F. | Verified Google Review

Why Hire a Lawyer After a Serious Motorcycle Accident?

When injuries are severe, there may be much more to evaluate than the amount of the current medical bills.

Future surgeries, rehabilitation, permanent physical limitations, reduced earning ability, and the possibility that someone will never return to the same work can substantially affect the losses involved. The other driver’s insurer has its own attorneys and adjusters evaluating those issues from the insurer’s perspective.

Research also suggests that representation can make a significant difference. In a nationwide survey, more than 9 out of 10 people who hired a personal injury lawyer received a settlement or award, compared with about half of those who handled their claims themselves. No survey can predict the result of an individual case, but the findings offer useful context for someone deciding whether to handle a serious injury claim alone.

For a motorcycle rider, legal representation can also be important when the insurer disputes how the crash occurred or tries to assign some responsibility to the rider.

Proudly Representing Houston Residents