At The Levin Firm Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand that representing motorcycle accident victims requires particular skills and knowledge, as well as the ability to understand the rights of motorcyclists, who are often taken for granted.
Our Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorneys fight to recover the many types of damages and compensation to which our clients are entitled, including medical expenses, hospital bills, rehabilitation expenses, lost earnings, future wage losses, lost earnings capacity, physical disabilities, scars, losses of limbs, brain and head injuries, emotional distress, depression, anxiety, grief, and pain and suffering.
Our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers understand these issues and work with our clients, their friends and families, as well as their doctors, psychologists, long-term care planners, and others, to ensure that our clients receive not only the finest legal representation but also the finest support and medical care.
The Advantage of Having The Levin Firm on Your Side After a Motorcycle Accident
Pursuing a motorcycle accident claim independently can be challenging, particularly when you’re recovering from serious injuries. An experienced personal injury firm can relieve you of that burden and help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Here are some of the advantages you’ll enjoy when you work with The Levin Firm on your case:
Real Results We’ve Achieved for Injured Clients
Our reputation speaks for itself. We’ve recovered millions in settlements and verdicts on behalf of clients just like you, including:
- $10,500,000 in a truck accident claim
- $3,000,000 in a motor vehicle accident claim
- $2,500,000 in a motorcycle accident claim
When someone’s negligent or reckless behavior causes life-altering physical, emotional, or financial damage, we fight to hold them accountable and to recover maximum compensation for our clients.
Legal Awards and Professional Distinctions
Our team has earned industry recognition for the quality of legal services we provide. Owner and founder Attorney Gabriel Levin was recognized as one of the top-rated personal injury attorneys in Philadelphia by Super Lawyers every year from 2010 to 2024. Mr. Levin has also been honored among the Top 100 National Trial Lawyers.
Attorney James Stinson, a partner at The Levin Firm, was selected as a Top 40 Under 40 National Trial Lawyer. This honorable distinction is bestowed on the country’s best trial lawyers under the age of 40.
The Levin Firm has also earned a 10.0 Superb rating on online legal marketplace Avvo.
Real Stories from the People We’ve Helped
We’re proud of the results we’ve achieved and the recognition we’ve received at The Levin Firm, but we’re far prouder of the kind words our satisfied clients have shared:
“The team helped me after an accident and made the whole process easy and stress-free! They were always prompt to respond to any questions or concerns I had and provided great service. Gabe was great and took care of anything and everything. Thankful for everything The Levin Firm has done for me!!” — Cheeto Z.
“From the beginning, I have been well taken care of. Everyone is pleasant. They are very responsive and kept me in the loop. To top it off, I have received 2 unexpected checks after my case settled. I will forever use them.” — Todra B.
How We Support You from Consultation to Resolution
Our legal team will begin fighting for your rights from the moment you call. We’ll help you through the legal process and continue on the path toward financial recovery by:
- Reviewing Your Case for Free: We sit down with you, listen to your story, ask some key questions, and inform you of your legal options, free of charge.
- Investigating the Accident: Our team will investigate the accident to identify all liable parties and build a compelling case for the compensation you deserve.
- Calculating Compensation: We work with medical and financial experts to determine the full value of your claim.
- Negotiating and Litigating: We fight for a fair settlement at the negotiating table. If insurers won’t play fair, we’ll take your case to court and fight for a favorable verdict.
Your Trusted Legal Advocates
You need someone you can trust to protect your rights when seeking justice for a motorcycle accident. When you choose The Levin Firm, you receive award-winning legal guidance from a skilled team of reputable attorneys with a long track record of success. Contact us today for your free consultation.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Philadelphia?
Distracted Driving
Distracted drivers are less aware of their surroundings and often do not see motorcyclists until it is too late. While many of use tend to immediately think about smartphones when we think about distracted driving distractions can take be much less high-tech.
Some examples of the kinds of things that drivers can do and distract themselves include the following:
- Grooming
- Eating
- Texting
- Adjusting the radio
- Using a GPS device
- Reading
- Talking
- Looking at scenery
- Looking for objects in the car
- Tending to children
- Drunk Driving
Despite public education campaigns aimed at educating people about the dangers of drunk driving and harsh penalties for even first-time offenders, people continue to drive drunk on a daily basis in the Philadelphia area. Drunk drivers pose a significant safety risk to motorcyclists as alcohol intoxication can affect a person’s spatial awareness, reaction time, and judgment.
If you suspect that the driver who caused your accident was drunk, you should be sure to call the police.
Poor Road Maintenance
Poor road maintenance is a significant factor in many accidents, especially those involving just one vehicle. Issues like potholes, overgrown vegetation, inadequate signage, faded paint, broken stoplights, poor drainage, and excessive grade can very easily cause a serious motorcycle crash.
It is important for the victim to be aware of the fact that when accidents caused by poor road maintenance occur on public property, claims arising from them are subject to a special set of legal rules that govern legal actions against public entities. These kinds of claims are subject to significant time limits, so victims should be certain to speak to an attorney as soon as possible.
Defective Road Conditions
Motorcycle operators must take care to appreciate the road conditions and operate their motorcycles accordingly. Common examples of dangerous road conditions that lead to serious motorcycle accidents include potholes, sharp curves, and steep hills.
Defective Motorcycles
Defectively manufactured, designed, or marketed motorcycles cause severe accidents, often with little to no warning.
Some examples of defects that often lead to crashes include brake failures, steering mechanism problems, defective tires, and fuel system defects. Victims of these kinds of incidents can often recover compensation from the motorcycle’s manufacturer.
Traffic Violations
Traffic laws exist to keep us all safe, and motorists who violate them can cause extremely serious injury-causing accidents. Some examples of the kinds of traffic violations that often lead to accidents involving motorcycles include the following:
- Speeding
- Failure to yield
- Following too closely
- Improper turns
- Running stop signs or stop lights
Fortunately for victims, evidence that a driver violated a traffic law is often sufficient to establish liability. For this reason, it is important to contact law enforcement after an accident where a traffic violation may have occurred.
Who Are the Potential Defendants in Motorcycle Accident Cases?
Motorcycle accident claims can involve multiple defendants, depending on how the crash occurred. Identifying all responsible parties is essential to recovering full compensation.
When the Motorcycle Operator May Be Liable
In some cases, the motorcycle rider may be responsible for the accident. For example:
- A passenger may bring a claim against the operator for negligent driving
- This could include speeding, unsafe maneuvers, or failing to adjust to road conditions
Even a single mistake can lead to serious consequences for passengers.
Liability of Other Drivers
Many motorcycle accidents are caused by negligent drivers of other vehicles. These drivers may be held accountable for:
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Not checking blind spots
- Distracted or reckless driving
In these cases, injured motorcyclists or passengers can pursue compensation from the at-fault driver.
Road Hazards and Construction Liability
Dangerous road conditions can also contribute to motorcycle accidents. Liability may fall on:
- Construction companies responsible for roadwork
- Contractors who create unsafe conditions
- Parties that fail to properly maintain or repair hazardous roadways
Motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to uneven surfaces, debris, and potholes.
Government Liability in Motorcycle Accidents
If a government entity is responsible for unsafe road conditions, it may be held liable. However, these claims involve:
- Special notice requirements
- Strict filing deadlines
- Additional legal limitations
Government claims are more complex and must be handled carefully to avoid losing your right to compensation.
Why Identifying All Defendants Matters
When multiple parties are involved:
- Each may be responsible for a portion of your damages
- More insurance coverage may be available
- Your total compensation may increase
Failing to identify all liable parties can limit your recovery.
Philadelphia Motorcycle Accident FAQ:
The Information You Want to Get the Help That You Need
The freedom of riding on an open road makes many motorcyclists feel invincible. However, no matter how exhilarating riding a motorcycle can feel, Philadelphia-area motorcyclists nevertheless rely on other motorists to exercise caution and to keep them safe. Unfortunately, when those motorists ignore motorcyclist safety, devastating accidents can often result.
A motorcycle crash can leave a rider struggling with catastrophic injuries, emotional trauma, and financial ruin. Victims of these accidents often have questions about their legal rights to compensation. Below, we answer some of the most frequently asked of those questions. For answers to questions specific to your Philly motorcycle accident injuries, contact our experienced motorcycle crash attorneys today.
Most individuals who have experienced a motor vehicle or motorcycle accident often assume that their own or someone else’s insurance company will help them through the ordeal by paying benefits that cover medical costs and other expenses. After all, isn’t that what insurance is for?
Maybe so, but the fact of the matter is that insurance companies have every incentive not to pay the full value of motorcycle accident claims and the like. Instead, they look for any reason at all to nickel-and-dime claimants, or to deny claims altogether, so that they can keep a little extra money in their own pockets.
Hiring an experienced attorney who has handled insurance claims and has experience in insurance negotiations helps ensure that any insurance company that should pay you for your injuries and losses pays the highest possible value of your claim.
Every motorcycle crash case we handle has its own unique circumstances that determine who might have legal liability to you for the harm you suffered. Generally speaking, anyone who made a dangerous decision or took a careless or reckless action that led to your Philadelphia motorcycle accident could owe you money damages as compensation for your injuries.
In a typical motorcycle accident, those parties might include:
- Another motorist. Most Philly motorcycle wrecks result from the careless or reckless actions of someone behind the wheel of a car or truck. Drivers make a variety of mistakes that can put motorcyclists at serious risk of an accident, from turning left into the path of an oncoming motorcycle, merging into a biker’s lane without checking blind spots, to opening a car or truck door in front of a motorcycle. Any of these dangerous, preventable actions could make the motorists legally-liable to the motorcyclist for damages.
- A business that employed the motorist who caused the accident while working, or that operated a vehicle involved in the accident in a manner that contributed to it happening;
- A car, truck, or motorcycle maker if the accident happened because of a defective vehicle or vehicle part that company made; and
- A local government entity if the accident involved a city vehicle, or resulted from a preventable and unreasonably dangerous road condition the government should have fixed or warned about.
These are just a few examples, of course. Every Philadelphia motorcycle accident is different. The best way to determine who may have legal liability to you for injuries you suffered in a crash is to speak with an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney right away.
One of the most popular questions many motorcycle accident victims have is: How much is my case worth? Unfortunately, we can never give a cut-and-dried answer to that question, because many factors affect the overall worth of a legal claim for damages, and (as we’ve said) every case is different.
As a general matter, the money damages a Philadelphia motorcycle accident victim may seek consist of two broad categories of compensation: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages, also referred to as special damages, consist of the real and tangible financial losses that a motorcycle accident victim suffers because of an injury, such as:
- Medical expenses, including current medical bills, rehab services, hospital stay, nursing care services, at-home care, and any future medical costs;
- Property damages, including repairs or the replacement costs to a motorcycle and any other personal property that was damaged as a result of the accident; and
- Lost wages and income, including any current and future, lost wages, as well as a crash victim’s reduced earning capacity.
Non-economic damages, also called general damages, reflect the subjective harm done by an accident and its resulting injuries, which can vary widely from person-to-person depending on the victim’s injuries, age, and general state of health, among other factors. These include:
- A victim’s physical pain and emotional suffering stemming from the injuries;
- A victim’s diminished quality of life resulting from the injuries, such as an inability to engage in favorite activities; and
- Harm done to a victim’s important personal relationships by the accident and injuries, such as how the injuries interfere with intimacy with a spouse.
In rare cases, victims of Philadelphia motorcycle crashes may also have the legal right to pursue so-called punitive damages, which a court may award when the conduct that led to a crash was particularly outrageous or reckless. Speak with an experienced Philly motorcycle accident injury lawyer to find out if you may seek punitive damages in your case.
Pennsylvania has a two-year statute of limitations, which means that Philadelphia motorcycle accident victims generally have two years from the date of the accident to take legal action against the parties at fault. If this deadline passes without legal action, a victim generally loses the right to seek compensation for crash injuries.
In some cases, however, victims have more or less than two years to file a lawsuit, so consult our experienced Philadelphia motorcycle accident lawyers as soon as possible after an accident to make sure you meet any applicable deadline. The sooner a lawyer starts working on behalf of an injured Philly motorcycle crash victim, the better that lawyer’s chances of securing important evidence and of building the strongest possible case against any parties who caused harm.
To begin, you should always keep in mind that there is no guarantee of payment for your injuries. Hiring an experienced Philadelphia motorcycle crash lawyer gives you the best chance, however, of achieving a favorable result.
The timeline for resolving a legal claim and getting money for motorcycle accident injuries depends on lots of factors, only some of which lie within your or your lawyer’s ability to control. We have represented clients in Philadelphia motorcycle accident injury cases that concluded in just a few months, and in others that have taken more than a year.
Some of the factors that influence that timeline include:
- How soon after an accident you seek legal advice;
- The amount of money at stake;
- The degree of dispute over legal and factual issues;
- The number of parties with legal interests in your claim; and
- The willingness of the parties to negotiate a settlement.
You can speed things along principally by hiring a lawyer with experience representing motorcycle crash victims like you as soon as possible, and taking care of yourself by seeking and following medical advice.
Motorcycle accident victims come to our firm for legal help during an intensely stressful and challenging time in their lives. Oftentimes, they have sustained severe injuries that cause them significant physical, emotional, and financial pain. They may even feel confused and overwhelmed by the prospect of taking legal action.
Hiring an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney helps these victims and their families make sense of the decisions they need to make, and often reduces the stress they feel about their predicament.
Every case is different, but often knowledgeable motorcycle crash injury lawyers serve their clients’ interests by:
- Identifying parties with legal liability: A seasoned motorcycle accident lawyer has the resources and experience to investigate the facts and circumstances of a crash to determine who may have legal liability to a client for damages. Conducting this investigation may involve gathering a wide range of evidence from various sources, including photographs of the accident scene, witness statements, and opinions from forensic and medical experts. Experienced lawyers know that the more individuals and entities who may have legal liability for damages, the better a client’s chances of recovering maximum compensation.
- Calculating damages: Philadelphia motorcycle accident injury lawyers also know the critical importance of assessing the full measure of damages a client deserves to recover from legally-liable parties. These may include medical costs, lost present and future wages, and an amount to compensate for the pain, suffering, and diminished quality of life a crash victim has suffered. By paying close attention to the details of a case, a seasoned lawyer can ensure that a client seeks enough money as damages to meet current and future financial needs.
- Negotiating settlements: Attorneys for Philly motorcycle crash victims frequently engage in negotiations with insurance companies and defense lawyers, hoping to convince them to pay an injured client money as a settlement of a claim. Most any case can settle for some amount, but experienced motorcycle accident attorneys have the skill and know-how to push for the maximum possible settlement for an injured client.
- Going to trial: If the settlement negotiations fail, a skilled Philadelphia motorcycle accident attorney has the resources and experience to take a case to trial in Pennsylvania courts, to present the strongest possible case for damages to a judge and jury.
Victims of Philadelphia motorcycle accidents often have important questions and understandable worries about the future, not only for themselves but for their families as well. These victims want to understand their rights and to feel confident that someone will fight for the compensation they deserve.
If a motorcycle accident left you or a family member injured, contact the experienced motorcycle accident injury attorneys at The Levin Firm today for a free evaluation of your rights to obtain compensation for your injuries and losses. Do not delay. The sooner you have an attorney working for you, the better your chances of receiving the money you need to heal and rebuild from this difficult time.
Pennsylvania is home to some of the most scenic motorcycle routes in the country. Motorcyclists can follow the Lake Erie coastline, travel one of the federal or state-designated Scenic Byways, roll through the hills and valleys of the Pocono Mountains, visit one of the charming country towns in Amish country, or travel to the cradle of American independence in Philadelphia.
But no matter how enjoyable, traveling by motorcycle also comes with serious risks. Motorcycle riders have virtually no protection from the impact of a collision. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 4,985 motorcyclists died in crashes in 2018 on U.S. roads.
Although this number represents a welcome decrease of almost 5 percent from the previous year, motorcycle riders still account for 14 percent of all traffic-related fatalities. Based on 2018 statistics, in Pennsylvania, there were 164 motorcycle fatalities. Of these, 153 (93.3 percent) were riders, and 11 (6.7 percent) were passengers.
Before you hit the open road, get to know the answers to the following important questions about motorcycle accidents.
If you or a loved one were injured in a motorcycle accident, contact an experienced motorcycle accident injury attorney as soon as possible.
All Pennsylvania and New Jersey drivers owe affirmative duties to other drivers to operate their vehicles in reasonably safe and prudent ways at all times. They must drive their vehicles in careful manners and must always take into account current weather and traffic conditions.
