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A motorcycle rider has almost nothing standing between their body and the pavement. No seatbelt catches you, no airbag cushions the impact, no steel frame absorbs the force of a collision. A crash a car driver might walk away from with a sore neck can leave a motorcyclist with broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, or worse.
At Bader Murov, we represent motorcyclists across St. Louis who were hurt because someone else on the road wasn’t paying attention, made an unsafe turn, or drove recklessly. We build cases around the facts of the crash, not the assumptions insurance companies often make about motorcyclists.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a motorcycle accident, schedule a free consultation with one of our St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyers today. We can talk about what happened and what your options look like.
Why You Need a St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcyclists face a bias problem that car drivers rarely encounter. Insurance adjusters, defense attorneys, and even jurors sometimes assume a rider was speeding, weaving through traffic, or otherwise being careless simply because they were riding a motorcycle when the crash happened. That assumption can creep into how your claim gets evaluated before anyone has reviewed the police report, the physical evidence, or witness accounts.
That matters because an insurer may use those assumptions to shift more blame onto you than the evidence supports. Under Missouri’s comparative negligence rule, any percentage of fault assigned to you can directly reduce the compensation you recover. And fault is not the only issue insurers may challenge: they may also dispute whether the crash caused all of your injuries, question treatment, point to preexisting conditions, or minimize lost income and other damages.
A motorcycle accident lawyer can push back on those arguments with crash evidence, medical records, income documentation, expert opinions, and other proof supporting both how the collision happened and what you have lost.
Why Choose Bader & Murov for Your Motorcycle Accident Case?
At Bader & Murov, our personal injury attorneys in St. Louis take a hands-on approach to every case, which means clients work directly with Patrick Bader and Jacob Murov rather than being passed between layers of staff. We stay involved from the initial investigation through negotiations and, when necessary, trial.
That approach has produced significant results, including a $3.3 million recovery for a motorcyclist whose leg had to be amputated after a highway crash. Our broader record also includes multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements in serious injury and wrongful death cases, reflecting our willingness to invest the time and resources these cases can require.
Our St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyers can help:
- Investigate how the crash happened, including reviewing the police report, scene evidence, vehicle damage, available video, crash data, and witness accounts.
- Challenge attempts to shift blame onto you by comparing insurer allegations against the physical evidence and the circumstances leading up to the collision.
- Build the medical side of the claim, including documenting treatment, future care needs, permanent limitations, and disputes over causation or preexisting conditions.
- Calculate the full extent of your losses, including lost income, reduced earning capacity, and the ways serious injuries affect daily life.
- Prepare the case for litigation when necessary, rather than building it around whatever settlement the insurance company is initially willing to offer.
Bader & Murov handles motorcycle accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, so there is no upfront attorney fee and no fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Types of Motorcycle Accident Cases We Handle
Motorcycle crashes happen in many different ways, and the legal issues can shift depending on how the collision occurred and who else might be responsible. We handle a range of motorcycle accident claims for riders throughout the St. Louis area, including:
- Collisions with Cars, SUVs, and Trucks – The most common type of motorcycle crash involves another vehicle turning into a rider’s path, merging without checking a blind spot, or rear-ending a motorcycle at a stoplight.
- Multi-Vehicle and Chain-Reaction Crashes – When a motorcycle gets caught in a pileup, sorting out which driver’s actions actually caused the rider’s injuries takes careful investigation.
- Hit-and-Run Motorcycle Accidents – If the driver who hit you fled the scene, you may still have options through your own insurance coverage.
- Accidents Caused by Defective Motorcycle Parts – Sometimes a crash isn’t caused by another driver at all, but by a mechanical failure like a brake defect or a faulty throttle. Our product liability practice covers claims against manufacturers when a defective part contributed to a rider’s injuries.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in St. Louis
Building a strong motorcycle accident claim starts with establishing that someone else’s negligence caused the crash, whether that’s a careless driver, a hazardous road condition, or a mechanical failure. Once we can show how the other party fell short of the care a reasonable person owes to others on the road, we can build the rest of the claim around that breach.
Some of the most common causes we see in St. Louis motorcycle cases include:
Left-Turn & Failure-to-Yield Accidents
Drivers turning left at intersections frequently misjudge a motorcycle’s speed and distance, or simply fail to look for riders before turning across their path.
Distracted Driving
A driver glancing at a phone or reaching for something in the car for even a second or two can miss a motorcyclist entirely, especially in traffic where riders can be harder to spot than larger vehicles.
Speeding and Aggressive Driving
Excessive speed reduces the time a driver has to react to a motorcycle changing lanes or slowing down, and it increases the force of impact when a collision does happen.
Drunk or Impaired Driving
Alcohol and drugs impair the judgment and reaction time drivers need to safely share the road with motorcycles.
Unsafe Lane Changes
Motorcycles can sit in a driver’s blind spot more easily than a car or truck, so a driver who doesn’t check mirrors before changing lanes can sideswipe or force a rider off the road.
Road Hazards and Poor Road Conditions
Potholes, uneven pavement, loose gravel, and debris pose a much greater danger to a motorcycle than a car, since a rider can lose control with far less warning.
Mechanical Defects and Improper Maintenance
Brake failures, tire blowouts, and throttle malfunctions can cause a rider to lose control even when they’re doing everything right, and these cases sometimes point to a manufacturer’s defect rather than driver error.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Because riders have so little physical protection, motorcycle crashes tend to produce injuries that are more severe than what you’d see in a comparable car accident. Federal data shows just how stark that gap can be: per vehicle miles traveled in 2022, the fatality rate for motorcyclists was almost 22 times the passenger car occupant rate. Some of the injuries we see most often in these cases include:
- Traumatic brain injuries from impact with the pavement or another vehicle
- Spinal cord injuries that can cause partial or complete paralysis
- Road rash and disfigurement from sliding across asphalt
- Broken bones, particularly in the legs, arms, hands, and pelvis
- Amputation, when a limb is crushed or so severely damaged that surgeons can’t save it
These aren’t just diagnoses on a chart. A brain injury can affect a rider’s memory, mood, and ability to hold down a job. A spinal cord injury or amputation can mean months of rehabilitation and permanent changes to how someone moves through daily life. A personal injury claim is meant to account for all of that, including medical bills, lost income while you recover, and the toll an injury takes on your ability to work, care for your family, or simply get through your day.
Some motorcycle accidents are fatal. When that happens, surviving family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for their loss, including funeral expenses, lost financial support, and the loss of the relationship they had with their loved one.
What Is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?
No two motorcycle accident claims are worth exactly the same amount. Compensation is based on the losses caused by the crash, which may include:
- Medical expenses, including anticipated future treatment
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Damage to the motorcycle and other property
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Permanent disability, scarring, or disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages when a crash is fatal
The nature and severity of the injuries, whether they are temporary or permanent, the amount of insurance coverage available, the strength of the evidence, and any fault attributed to the rider can all influence the amount that may be recovered.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in St. Louis
What you do in the hours and days after a motorcycle accident can affect both your health and your ability to recover compensation later. A few steps can help protect both:
- Call 911 and don’t leave the scene. Getting police and medical responders involved creates an official record of the crash and gets you medical attention you may not realize you need yet.
- Document the scene and your injuries. Photos of the vehicles, the road, skid marks, and your visible injuries can become important evidence once insurance companies start disputing what happened.
- Don’t repair the bike immediately. Your damaged motorcycle can be physical evidence of how the crash occurred, and repairing or discarding it too soon can make it harder to prove your case later.
- Get medical attention and keep records. Some injuries, especially concussions and soft-tissue damage, don’t show obvious symptoms right away. Prompt treatment protects your health and creates a paper trail connecting your injuries to the crash.
- Avoid recorded statements to insurers. Insurance adjusters, including your own, may ask for a recorded statement early on. It’s reasonable to decline until you’ve talked with an attorney, since anything you say can be used later to argue you were partly at fault.
- Call a motorcycle accident lawyer. The sooner an attorney gets involved, the sooner evidence can be preserved and the sooner you can stop dealing with insurance adjusters directly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Accident Claims
How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident claim in Missouri?
Most personal injury claims in Missouri, including motorcycle accident claims, must be filed within five years of the crash under RSMo 516.120. A wrongful death claim arising from a fatal motorcycle accident has a shorter three-year deadline. Waiting too long can make it harder to gather evidence, and missing the deadline can bar your claim regardless of how strong it was.
What if the driver who hit me fled the scene or was uninsured?
You may still have options through your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, which is designed to step in when the at-fault driver can’t be identified or doesn’t carry enough insurance to cover your losses.
Does not wearing a helmet affect my claim?
Missouri no longer requires all riders to wear a helmet. Under RSMo 302.026, riders 26 or older may ride without one if they carry adequate health insurance covering motorcycle-related injuries, while riders under 26 or those on an instruction permit must wear protective headgear. Not wearing a helmet doesn’t bar your claim, but insurance companies sometimes try to use it to argue your injuries were more severe than they otherwise would have been.
What if I was partially at fault for the accident?
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault rule, so sharing some responsibility for a motorcycle crash does not prevent you from recovering compensation. Instead, your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if your damages total $100,000 and you are found 20% at fault, you could recover $80,000.
Do you have a St. Louis motorcycle accident attorney near me?
Yes. Our office is located at 230 S. Bemiston Ave., Suite 1401, in Clayton, and we represent motorcycle accident victims throughout the St. Louis area.
Speak With a St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If a careless driver, a hazardous road, or a defective part left you dealing with serious injuries, you don’t have to sort out the claims process on your own while insurance companies decide how much your case is worth. Reach out to Bader & Murov for a free consultation to talk through what happened and what your options are. We handle motorcycle accident cases on a contingency basis, so you owe us nothing unless we win your case.
