Arkansas Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
When you are recovering from a motorcycle wreck, you need time to heal. You shouldn’t have to worry about tracking down police reports or negotiating with insurance companies.
Our team of motorcycle accident lawyers at Rainwater, Holt & Sexton understands that. We’re here to handle the complicated details and crucial deadlines of your case, so you can focus all of your energy on your recovery.
During this time, the services of an experienced Arkansas motorcycle accident lawyer can be invaluable. Connect with us today, and we’ll help you seek justice and collect the compensation you deserve.
We’re here to help.
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Why Do I Need an Attorney?
Did you know that special laws apply to motorcyclists who have been in an accident? Our team at Rainwater, Holt & Sexton understand these special laws, and we’re here to make them work for you. We’ll thoroughly examine your case and explore all paths to compensation to ensure you get the money you deserve.
Motorcycle accidents usually result in severe injuries — and all too often, the accident is caused by a vehicle that just wasn’t looking out for a motorcycle. That isn’t fair to you. Our accident attorneys will help hold negligent drivers accountable for their actions while protecting your legal right to fair compensation.
Our Motorcycle Accident Case Results
$1.9MIL
Leg Amputation Motorcycle Accident
$245,000
Third Degree Burns/Severe Skin Abrasions Motorcycle Accident
$125,000
Leg Injury Motorcycle Accident
$400,000
Wrongful Death Motorcycle Accident
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- What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
- Why Choose Rainwater, Holt & Sexton?
- Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
- Get Compensation for Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries
- Motorcycle Accidents in Little Rock, Arkansas
- Arkansas Statue of Limitations for Motorcycle Accident Cases
- Motorcycle Risks and Scenarios
- Motorcycle Accident Frequently Asked Questions
- Motorcycle Accident Resources
- Contact Us
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
If you were involved in a motorcycle accident, your number one priority should be seeking medical attention. This is best done by calling 911 or directing someone at the scene of the accident to call for you. Calling 911 will alert emergency response teams to your location, and it will also ensure that the police arrive on the scene to prevent further injuries.
When the police arrive at the scene of your accident, remain calm and work with them while they fill out their accident report. Answer any questions they may have, but avoid saying anything that could imply that you were at fault for the crash. An accident report is an invaluable piece of evidence that can be used to establish liability after a crash.
If you are not injured badly, snap some pictures at the accident scene. Take photos of the intersection, traffic lights, vehicle damage, and any other relevant details that may help your case.
Gather eyewitness information, including their names and phone numbers. Be sure to write down the make, model, and year of the other vehicles involved in the accident. Collect the other driver’s insurance card data and identifying information, and be prepared to give them yours.
Your next step should be to contact a law firm that specializes in motorcycle accidents, like Rainwater, Holt & Sexton, as soon as possible. You need a tough law firm on your side after a tragic motorcycle accident, and our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers can help. We’ll help you preserve evidence for your case and leverage Arkansas’ motorcycle laws to maximize your compensation.
Explore our comprehensive guide for more information on what to do after a motorcycle accident.
Why Choose Rainwater, Holt & Sexton?
For decades, the experienced and skilled legal team at Rainwater, Holt & Sexton has successfully advocated for motorcycle accident victims throughout Arkansas and Tennessee. Our lawyers have won multi-million dollar jury verdicts and settlements for our injured clients across the state. With 8 offices, 35+ attorneys and 150+ staff members, we are ready and willing to fight for you after a serious motorcycle accident. Here, you are never just a number—you are our number one priority.
At Rainwater, Holt, and Sexton, our Little Rock motorcycle accident lawyers offer compassionate and aggressive legal representation from the start. We understand the complications that can arise after a motorcycle accident, and we know that insurance companies will stop at nothing to reduce their own liabilities. We also know that motorcyclists face an uphill battle when trying to collect the compensation they deserve, and without an attorney on their side, they may fail to secure the money they need to recover.
We have helped injured motorcycle riders and their families throughout Arkansas and Tennessee for years. Our excellent track record is one of the reasons why so many accident victims recommend us to their friends and families. We helped them find justice, and we’re here to help you too.
Injured in a motorcycle accident? Call us.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Even if you’re doing everything right, drivers sometimes fail to recognize a motorcyclist in their path. This is the number one cause of motorcycle accidents every year. Other common types of motorcycle accidents include:
When other vehicles fail to recognize an oncoming motorcyclist, they can inadvertently make a left turn directly into the biker, causing serious injuries.
Inattentive drivers often fail to check their blind spots before changing lanes. This can be disastrous for motorcycle riders, pushing them into other traffic or off of the road.
Rear-end accidents can be devastating for bikers who lack the protection to absorb such hits. Without a bumper on their motorcycles, even rear-end accidents can cause significant injury.
These accidents occur when the driver or passenger of a parked car opens their door into the path of an oncoming motorcyclist.
Speeding is one of the main causes of motorcycle accidents, both single-vehicle accidents and multi-vehicle crashes.
Manufacturers of motorcycles, motorcycle parts, and tires have a responsibility to issue safety recalls when their product is dangerous or defective. Failure to do so can lead to serious and catastrophic motorcycle accidents.
Snow, sleet, rain, and ice increase the risk of getting into a motorcycle accident. Motorcyclists should avoid riding in inclement weather whenever possible.
Poor shoulder design, inadequate turn lanes, potholes, and defective traffic signals can all result in serious motorcycle accidents. In some cases, the city, county, or state entity responsible for designing and maintaining that road may be liable for the accident.
Get Compensation for Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries
In Arkansas and Tennessee, motorcycle accident victims are allowed to recover compensation for a variety of damages – both economic and non-economic.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Medical expenses
- Long-term care
- Loss of future earnings
- Lost wages
- Bike damage
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- PTSD
- Loss of companionship
At Rainwater, Holt, & Sexton, we know how traumatic motorcycling injuries can be. That’s why we work tirelessly with our clients and their medical team to ensure that they have the money they need to recover from their injuries and handle any long-term complications that could arise.
Our personal injury lawyers have successfully represented motorcycle and accident victims who have sustained serious injuries, including:
Brain injuries can be life-threatening and even fatal. Accident victims who sustain a TBI may need assistance performing basic daily care and may be unable to work and provide for their families. These injuries can result in permanent brain damage and disability.
Accident victims who sustain a spinal cord injury could suffer from partial or complete paralysis. They may live with nerve damage, pain, numbness in their extremities and permanent disability for the rest of their lives.
Deep abrasions can damage skin tissue, resulting in long-term disfigurement. Victims are often required to undergo multiple painful surgeries and skin grafts on the road to recovery.
Some injuries will never heal. Severe fractures, abrasions, road rash, and lacerations can all result in permanent disfigurement. Accident victims will need money to help pay for medical expenses, reconstructive surgeries, prosthetics, and therapies.
Motorcyclists are at an increased risk of sustaining severe trauma to their extremities in an accident, sometimes resulting in an amputation. Prosthetics are costly, and accident victims may need years of therapy to regain their mobility and learn to live after an amputation.
Motorcycle riders can sustain serious fractures that could result in long-term disability, pain, and suffering. Serious fractures may require numerous surgeries, extensive hospitalizations, and months of therapy in order to heal.
Motorcycle accident victims are at an increased risk for suffering psychological damage after an accident. Examples include PTSD, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Even at slow speeds, motorcycle riders can sustain serious muscle injuries. They can cause injury to the delicate nerves, muscles, and tendons in the body.
The forces of a motorcycle accident can be extreme resulting in serious internal bleeding and organ damage. These injuries can be life-threatening and can casuse permanent damage to the delicate organs and tissues in the body. Liver damage, punctured lungs, ruptured spleens, and kidney damage are all common after a serious accident.
Motorcycle Accidents in Little Rock, Arkansas
Arkansas roads are dangerous for motorcyclists. In 2021, 85 motorcyclists lost their lives on highways, freeways, and county roads across the state. Over the past five years, fatal motorcycle accidents have risen by 23 percent. From 2019 to 2021, fatal motorcycle crashes jumped 51 %.
The increase in motorcycle fatalities in Little Rock and across the state is primarily due to speeding, reckless driving, and drunk driving. In Arkansas, 28% of fatal motorcycle accidents in 2020 involved the use of alcohol, with 21% involving a rider over the legal limit.
A decline in helmet use also contributes to many fatal Arkansas motorcycle crashes. Arkansas law does not require motorcyclists over 21 to wear helmets while riding motorcycles – even though helmet use can reduce the risk of injury by 70 % and the risk of death by 42 %.
However, even when motorcyclists follow the laws and ride safely, other drivers cause many of these crashes when they fail to recognize bikers on the road.
Where do many of these accidents occur? Motorcycle accidents in Little Rock can happen on any road or freeway in the city, from rear-end motorcycle accidents on W 3rd St to deadly collisions on the I-630.
In Little Rock, some of the most deadly roads and intersections where motorcycle accidents occur include:
- I-630
- I-30
- W. Roosevelt Road
- I-440
- I-40
- Asher Avenue and University Avenue
- N College Avenue and E Joyce Boulevard
- Shackleford and 1-430 with 179
- N 46th Street and W. Walnut Street
It’s not just the city streets that are dangerous for bikers. Rural roads in Arkansas are also hazardous. A recent study from KNWA found that Arkansas’ rate of motorcycle fatalities was the 3rd highest in the United States – only Mississippi and Texas motorcyclists fared worse. Many of those accidents occurred on rural roads across the state.
Motorcycle Risks and Scenarios
Motorcycle accidents can be hazardous, often resulting in severe injury or death. In fact, a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found that motorcyclists are 28 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic accident. Here are major factors that contribute to many motorcycle accidents.
Lane Splitting
When a motorcyclist drives between two lanes of stopped or slow-moving cars, it’s called “lane splitting.”Accidents can occur when drivers change lanes without seeing the motorcyclist.. In Arkansas, no law prevents motorcyclists from lane splitting. However, most drivers do not realize motorcyclists may ride between the lanes. When motorcyclists do, they can startle other drivers and cause them to swerve into oncoming traffic or the motorcycle itself. In 2014, lane splitting was a factor in 17% of all motorcycle accidents in California.
Intersections
Riding through an intersection in Arkansas is dangerous if a car turning left doesn’t see the motorcycle. 42 % of all fatal motorcycle crashes involved a motor vehicle turning left into the path of an oncoming biker.
So, what makes intersection accidents so dangerous for motorcyclists? There are a few factors. First, motorcycles are smaller than other vehicles on the road, so they can be more challenging to see, especially when another vehicle is making a turn. Secondly, motorcycle riders don’t have the same level of protection as people in passenger cars or trucks. When a motorcycle collides with another vehicle, the rider is more likely to be injured or even killed. Finally, motorcycles accelerate faster than other vehicles, making it difficult for riders to stop in time if another vehicle pulls out in front of them.
Blind Spots
Blind spots are also a problem for motorcyclists since they are less visible than cars. According to a study by the NHTSA, nearly half of all collisions between motorcycles and other vehicles happen because the driver didn’t see the motorcycle. In many cases, these accidents could have been avoided if the driver had been more aware of their blind spots.
Low Visibility
Visibility issues are also common for motorcyclists since they are smaller than cars and often ride in groups. Low visibility means motorcyclists are more likely to get hurt or killed in motorcycle accidents.
There are a few reasons why poor visibility is such a big issue for motorcyclists. First, it’s harder for drivers of other vehicles to see motorcycles when it’s dark. Second, headlight glare can make it difficult for oncoming traffic to see motorcycles, especially when there’s rain or snow on the road. And finally, reflective clothing and equipment are less effective in low-light conditions.
Wearing brightly colored clothing and using reflective tape can help make motorcyclists more visible — but it is up to other drivers to look out for motorcyclists on the road.
Riding a motorcycle is inherently more dangerous than driving a car, but there are ways to minimize the risks.
Wearing proper safety gear, such as a helmet, boots, and protective clothing, can help prevent harm in an accident. Following the rules of the road and being aware of your surroundings can also reduce the risk of an accident.
Motorcycle Accident Frequently Asked Questions
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Arkansas, you must act quickly. Accident victims have three years from the date of the accident to file a claim.
Riders over the age of 21 are not legally required to wear a helmet when riding. However, safety experts urge everyone to consider wearing a helmet when riding. Wearing a DOT-approved helmet is the best way to reduce the risk of deadly head injuries.
If you have purchased UM/UIM insurance, you may be able to file a claim with your insurance company. Your attorney can help you determine how to obtain the maximum compensation after a crash.
Arkansas uses a modified comparative fault rule in cases of personal injury. This means that even if you are partly to blame for the accident, you can still collect compensation. However, if you are found to be 50% or more at fault, then you are not eligible to collect any compensation. Again, an experienced car accident attorney can help to sort out who’s at fault and get you the maximum compensation possible.
Yes! Even if you believe that you are uninjured, you still need to file a police report after an accident, and you should be examined by a medical professional. Failure to do so could jeopardize your ability to file a claim. Without a police report, it will just be your word against theirs.
Personal Injury Law Resources
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