Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers

Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Kansas City

Aggressive representation for riders and passengers injured in motorcycle accidents in Missouri and Kansas

Many car and truck drivers fail to respect the rights of motorcycle operators. Motorcycle operators may lack the necessary rider skills. When motorcycle accidents happen, riders are likely to suffer catastrophic and permanent injuries. Sadly, motorcycle accidents are often fatal.

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, our lawyers work with investigators, the police, and other liability professionals to show how your accident happened and who is liable. We work with your doctors to show the severity of your injuries. Our Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers are skilled insurance negotiators. We’re also seasoned trial attorneys who can persuasively argue your case before a local judge and jury. Contact us now to assert your right to compensation.

Our motorcycle accident results

Our firm’s record of success in motorcycle accident claims, including:

  • A $4.5 million settlement of a motorcycle accident case. Our Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers represented a motorcycle rider who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by defective equipment at a Kansas City metro construction site. The recovery included showing through extensive litigation that the construction company had additional coverage over and above its initial claim that it only had $1 million in coverage. We showed, with the help of multiple experts, that the construction company was liable.
  • $3 million motorcycle accident settlement. We obtained this sum for a motorcycle rider who was struck by a flower delivery van. Our client suffered multiple fractures, requiring multiple surgeries. We worked with an accident reconstruction expert to show that the delivery van driver was responsible. We also worked with a life care planner to show the full scope of medical and home health care our client will need for the rest of his life.

Please know that past results do not guarantee future outcomes. We can seek all the compensation you deserve.

How can our Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers help?

Do I have a case?

Call now or fill out a form to receive a free confidential consultation

Practice Areas

Why do motorcycle accident victims choose your motorcycle accident lawyers?

If you were in a motorcycle accident caused by another car or vehicle, call the Kansas City attorney who knows what it's like to be a biker – Attorney James Roswold has been representing motorcycle accident victims since 1990.

James rides motorcycles himself and plays in the KC Biker Band, playing to raise money for injured children through the Roswold Foundation for Injured Children charity. James knows first-hand how motorists react to and treat motorcyclists on the road, and he, just like every single one of us at Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, is here to help if you've been injured in an accident while on your bike.

We work with investigators, police officers, traffic reconstruction experts, and motorcycle product safety experts to help establish fault. Our attorneys question everyone with knowledge of your accident. Our team personally reviews your injuries with your doctors. We work to obtain all other evidence to support your claim.

Why are motorcycle accidents so dangerous?

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety’s 2024 statistics state that 138 people died (15 percent of all traffic fatalities) in motorcycle crashes. 74 riders were wearing DOT-compliant helmets. 52 had no helmet. The other riders wore noncompliant helmets, or their helmet use was unknown.

According to estimates from the Kansas Department of Transportation, 40 motorcycle riders died and 794 suffered injuries in motorcycle crashes in Kansas in 2023. Less than half of these riders were wearing helmets.

Motorcycle riders are much more vulnerable to serious injuries and deaths than car and truck occupants. However, that doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily their fault when they are injured. In many cases, other drivers fail to look out for smaller vehicles on the road, which makes them liable for the harm they cause.

Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Kansas City

What are the different types of Kansas City motorcycle accidents?

Our Kansas City motorcycle accident attorneys handle all types of motorcycle accidents, including the following accidents (which may be caused by cars, trucks, and other motorcycles):

  • Lane-changing accidents, such as when a driver on U.S. 71, I-70, or I-635 changes lanes
  • Intersection accidents
  • Left-turn accidents
  • Dooring accidents
  • Road hazard accidents
  • Head-on crashes
  • Rear-end accidents
  • Broadsides
  • Accidents due to poor visibility
  • Construction zone accidents

According to the NHTSA, in 2022, 44 percent (1,436) of fatal two-vehicle crashes involving a motorcycle and another type of vehicle involved the other vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was passing another vehicle, overtaking another vehicle, or going straight.

Why do motorcycle accidents happen in Kansas and Missouri?

Motorcycle riders in Kansas and Missouri need to understand what equipment their bikes need and how to drive on different types of roads. They need to understand how to ride in groups and on their own. Motorcycle operators should take educational courses before driving.

Some of the common reasons for motorcycle crashes include:

  • Drunk driving or driving while impaired by drugs
  • Driver distraction
  • Speeding and driving too fast for the weather or traffic conditions
  • Driver fatigue
  • Not respecting the right of motorcycle riders to drive on the same road
  • Failing to see motorcycle riders due to a car or truck driver’s blind spots, or failing to look for motorcycles
  • Failing to understand a motorcycle operator’s hand signals
  • Failing to comply with the state traffic laws

Motorcycle riders can cause a crash if they:

  • Ride on uneven roads or roads near construction sites
  • Ride on roads with roadkill or potholes
  • Don’t understand how to handle curves
  • Don’t understand how to handle turns
  • Don’t understand how to drive on wet roads or when the weather is bad
  • Pass or merge improperly
  • Don’t understand the requirements for riding with a passenger
  • Share a lane improperly

Be sure to check out our free books: the KC Biker Bible, a thorough collection of tips and strategies for staying safe on the road and avoiding accidents, and The Devil's Advocate, a biker's guide to causes of accidents and common injuries.

KC Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Who do your Kansas and Missouri motorcycle accident lawyers hold accountable for motorcycle accidents?

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we file personal injury and wrongful death claims against everyone responsible for your motorcycle accident. The defendants may include:

  • Car drivers
  • Car owners
  • Truck drivers
  • Trucking companies, including truck owners and the trucks involved in a shipment
  • Employers of negligent drivers
  • Other motorcycle operators
  • Manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of defective motorcycle parts
  • Governmental agencies and entities, such as the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Kansas Department of Transportation, where state law permits
  • Sellers of alcohol, according to state law

What injuries do motorcycle accidents cause?

At Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys, we represent motorcycle accident victims who suffer any type of serious injury, including catastrophic, permanent, and chronic injuries. These injuries can all cause long-term disabilities.

Common severe motorcycle accident injuries include:

  • TBIs (traumatic brain injuries). Motorcycle riders are susceptible to these head injuries, especially if the rider does not wear a helmet. A TBI can cause cognitive impairment, physical pain, and emotional trauma. Many victims never fully recover.
  • Spinal cord injuries. Motorcycle accidents can cause paralysis, herniated discs, and severe neck and back pain. Many spinal cord injuries are not reversible.
  • Fractures and broken bones. Riders who fall off a motorcycle are likely to break a leg, arm, hip, or other body parts.
  • Road rash. A rider can develop road rash when they slide across the asphalt, which can break their skin. Debris from the vehicles in the crash or the road can enter the body, increasing the possibility of an infection or sepsis. Motorcycle accident victims may require a tetanus shot, skin grafts, and plastic or reconstructive surgery.
  • Crush and loss of limb injuries. Motorcycle crashes can cause a traumatic amputation of a body part, internal organ damage, broken ribs, and other very serious injuries due to a collision with another vehicle or the hard road.
  • Other serious injuries, including:
    • Burns
    • Nerve, muscle, tissue, ligament, and tendon damage
    • Back, neck, shoulder, collarbone, and knee injuries
    • Scars and disfigurement
    • Emotional trauma
  • Death

What are the helmet laws in Kansas and Missouri?

The IIHS/HLDI states that:

  • In Kansas, motorcycle operators and passengers under age 18 must wear helmets.
  • In Missouri, motorcycle operators and passengers under age 26, and riders operating under an instruction permit, must wear helmets. Riders 26 or older who are not operating with an instruction permit may ride without a helmet if they meet Missouri’s financial responsibility requirements and carry health insurance or other coverage providing medical benefits for motorcycle injuries.

Riders should consider wearing a helmet even if there is no legal helmet requirement. A helmet may help save your life.

Missouri and Kansas also have motorcycle laws that regulate:

  • Safety eyewear
  • How to ride with passengers
  • Lane-splitting
  • The equipment the motorcycle should have

How much is a motorcycle accident claim worth?

Our Kansas City biker accident injury attorneys seek compensation for the following damages (past and future):

  • Medical expenses. These include all your emergency transport, hospital (the University of Kansas Hospital, for example), doctor, and rehabilitative therapy bills, the cost of any assistive devices/technology, and medications.
  • Income loss. We demand that defendants pay you for lost income and benefits due to your injuries, including future disability compensation.
  • Pain and suffering. We seek compensation for every day and every way you hurt – physically and emotionally.
  • Scarring and disfigurement. Motorcycle riders who suffer from scars or disfigurement, especially facial scars and disfigurement, can seek compensation for their physical pain and emotional trauma.
  • Property damage. We seek compensation for the cost to repair or replace your motorcycle.
  • Other damages include:
    • The inability to use a body part
    • The inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
    • Loss of consortium

Where Missouri and Kansas law permit, we may also seek punitive damages.

Our attorneys can also seek wrongful death damages if a motorcycle accident takes the life of a loved one.

Motorcycle owners and drivers in Missouri should have the minimum insurance liability coverage. They should also consider UM/UIM, medical payments coverage, collision insurance, and other coverages. In Kansas, motorcyclists should consider UM/UIM (uninsured/underinsured) coverage and, where available, other optional coverages such as medical payments or collision coverage.

Kansas City motorcycle accident FAQs

What should I do after a motorcycle accident in Kansas City?

You should do the following:

  • Call the police. They can help anyone who has serious injuries, clear traffic, investigate the accident, and obtain everyone’s information (driver’s license, vehicle registration, insurance information, and contact information).
  • Seek medical attention. In many cases, the police may arrange to transport you to a nearby ER. Otherwise, don’t wait. Get a medical evaluation at an ER or with your family doctor immediately.
  • Contact our Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers. We’re here to explain your rights, review your medical care, answer your questions, and start the claims process.

If you feel well enough and it’s safe to do so, take photos or a video of the accident site and your injuries. You should notify your own insurance company, but do not speak with the insurance companies for those responsible.

What if the driver says they did not see my motorcycle?

Lack of visibility is generally not an excuse. Drivers of all types of vehicles have a duty to look for motorcycles, especially when changing lanes or turning. We can work to show that the driver should have seen you, and that the failure to see helps to prove the defendant’s liability.

Can I still recover compensation if I was not wearing a helmet?

The failure to wear a helmet does not automatically bar recovery, though defendants may attempt to argue that the failure to use a helmet contributed to your injuries.

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident claim in Missouri?

Don’t wait. The sooner we meet with you, the better.

Generally, motorcycle accident victims in Missouri must file their claim within five years from the date of the accident or injury. Wrongful death claims in Missouri and claims against the government may have shorter timelines.

Kansas generally has a two-year statute of limitations for personal injury and wrongful death claims.

Depending on the state, governmental claims may have different deadlines. The deadlines may be tolled or lengthened in some cases.

Do motorcycle accident cases usually go to court?

Our Kansas City motorcycle crash lawyers settle many cases. We work to show that the defendant(s) are fully responsible for your injuries and to verify all your damages, often with the help of expert witnesses. Insurance companies understand that we are always willing to present your case to a jury if we think their settlement is unfair.

How do insurance companies treat motorcycle accident claims?

Our motorcycle accident lawyers understand that insurance companies may have a bias against motorcycle riders. They may argue or think that bikers are, by definition, more reckless and willing to take risks than drivers in cars and trucks. Such biases are unfair and should never influence a liability analysis.

It doesn’t matter what vehicle you were using. The at-fault person should be held responsible for the injuries they caused. We work to demonstrate fact-based liability and to dismantle these unfair biases.

Where do your Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers meet clients?

Our Kansas City office is located at 510 Walnut, Suite 100, near City Hall. We can travel to your home or another location if necessary. Our attorneys also consult with clients by phone or video.

Our Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers also meet clients at the following locations by appointment:

Contact our Kansas City motorcycle accident lawyers now

Kansas City Accident Injury Attorneys anticipates the arguments insurance companies and defense lawyers are likely to assert to try to deny or limit your claim. We understand how much your case is worth. To discuss your right to compensation, please call or complete our contact form. We handle motorcycle accident claims on a contingency fee basis.

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