Dallas Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Motorcycles are popular across the Unites States, and Texas is no exception. Texas ranks third in the United States when it comes to motorcycle ownership, with approximately half a million bikes on the roadways. We love that. Motorcycles celebrate freedom, something Texans enjoy more than anything else.

While we know you take steps to stay safe when you are riding your motorcycle, sometimes accidents happen and they aren’t your fault. Reckless drivers can really cause harm to motorcyclists. If you need a motorcycle accident attorney in Dallas, turn to the experienced team at The Law Office of Dorothy Hyde. We’ll fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

Owning a motorcycle is a big responsibility, but most of the time it is safe. We know you take precautions when you ride. For some, riding is a family affair. You get your motorcycle license. You may even take a riding safety course. Despite all that, you can’t control the actions of other drivers on the roadway.

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were over2,000 fatalities and injuries in motorcycle crashes in the state for the year 2017. That is a high number and one that should concern you when you start your ride.

• Fatalities and injuries occur more often in wrecks involving motorcycles.
• Why?

Because motorcyclists don’t have the protection that passengers in vehicles do. There is no metal frame. No airbags to dampen the impact. When a vehicle hits a motorcycle, the human body is slammed with thousands of pounds of force and then usually thrown to the ground. That’s two impacts. Common injuries include road rash, bone dislocation, and fractures. Unfortunately, severe internal injuries and head trauma are also common, especially if the rider was not wearing a helmet.

These injuries can cause long hospital stays and extended rehabilitation. People in motorcycle crashes often have to miss work for an extended period of time.

A vehicle driver who is impaired by drugs or alcohol, or is driving while distracted, is much more likely to strike a motorcyclist. Their negligence can have life-changing consequences for a motorcycle owner.

In the aftermath of a motorcycle accident, you will have questions and you may need a Dallas motorcycle accident attorney. At the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde, our team will work to recover compensation for you. We don’t think someone else’s negligence should keep you from supporting yourself or your family. Don’t speak with insurance companies until you’ve sought legal advice and understand all of your options moving forward.  We have over 30 years of experience with these types of cases and we don’t stop until you receive the money you need to cover your medical expenses, lost income, and long-term care if needed. You can contact us for a free consultation by clicking here or calling us at (214) 883-1700. We’ll do the hard work so you can focus on getting better. 

 More and more people are discovering the fun of riding sports bikes, and with more and more sports bikes on the road, sports bike accidents are becoming more prevalent. Sports bikes are lightweight and fairly easy to maneuver, which is the main reason that their popularity is soaring. However, accidents involving sports bikes can be quite serious. Sports bikes are much lighter than motorcycles, so there is usually even more damage to the rider when a car or other object collides with them on the roadway. If you or someone you love has been injured in a sports bike accident, the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde has the experience you need to get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. We have helped thousands of accident victims get their lives back on track in the wake of catastrophic injuries. 

The biggest question after a sports bike accident is invariably, who’s to blame? Oftentimes the at-fault party will try to cast the shadow of blame onto the rider—and while it is sometimes true that a rider may be at fault, that’s generally the exception, not the rule. Cyclists get little respect on the roadway, and drivers of passenger vehicles are often distracted and not on the lookout for smaller vehicles like sports bikes or motorcycles. This is a recipe for disaster, and one that can lead to significant injuries that impact your life forever.

Typically, sports bike accidents result from:

• Inattention by the driver of another vehicle
• Texting or talking on a cell phone while driving
• Failing to yield appropriately to the sports bike rider
• Speeding
• Reckless driving
• Driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Disregarding traffic control devices and stop signs
• Clipping a driver while trying to pass

When someone’s careless, reckless or negligent behavior results in your sports bike accident, you have grounds to sue them to hold them accountable for their actions. Filing a claim begins the process, which sometimes ends in negotiation if a settlement that is fair can be reached but may continue until your attorney litigates the case in court.

 Depending on your injuries, you may be able to collect damages from the at-fault party in the form of your medical bills, future costs of medical care, lost wages, future income loss, and pain and suffering. In the case of particularly grievous or malicious behavior resulting in your injuries, a judge may also see fit to award punitive damages. 

 Don’t delay filing your claim following your sports bike accident. In Texas, you have just two years from the date of your injury to file. After that time, your claim may be barred under Texas’ statute of limitations. Reach out to Dorothy Hyde, Dallas motorcycle accident attorney for a free case consultation now. We can review the particulars of your case and help you weigh your legal options moving forward so that you can get the financial compensation to which you are entitled. 

Cruisers can be loads of fun—until the wrong conditions pop up and cruiser accidents occur. Since riders are riding cruisers without any sort of protection around them, they often experience truly devastating injuries when they are involved in cruiser accidents. Helmets are the only line of a defense a motorcyclist has against other objects, including passenger vehicles, utility poles, and pavement or asphalt. One study found that helmets were only 40 percent effective in preventing deadly head injuries to motorcyclists involved in accidents. Each time that a motorcyclist heads out on his or her cruiser, he or she is literally putting life and limb on the line.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a cruiser accident due to someone else’s actions or negligence, you can hold the at-fault party responsible for losses that result. Contact the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde to discuss your legal options and charter a course forward following your catastrophic accident.

Although sometimes motorcyclists themselves cause accidents, it is usually the case that cruiser accidents result from the actions of other drivers on the road—and most are 100 percent preventable. The main cause cited in these accidents is drivers failing to see the cyclist on the roadway, but the following can also lead to serious or even deadly cruiser crashes:

• Impaired driving due to alcohol or drugs
• Motorists cutting off cruisers in traffic
• Clipping a cruiser while passing
• Rear-ending cruiser at stop sign or traffic control device
• Making unsafe lane changes
• Not checking blind spots
• Speeding
• Inattention and texting while driving
• Failing to yield to motorcyclist

In addition, the cruiser itself may be the cause of a serious accident. It is not unheard of for a bike to be defective, either due to errors in manufacture or design. A bike’s safety, steering or braking systems can fail, leading to horrific results.

 Mile per mile, motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to be killed than occupants or drivers of passenger vehicles. Typical injuries are usually catastrophic due to the nature of the bike, with nothing between the rider and dangerous objects other than air. Open fractures, burns, lacerations, internal bleeding, and traumatic brain injuries or spinal damage are not uncommon. Victims in these accidents may find themselves in need of years or physical therapy and rehab and undergoing countless surgeries to regain normal functionality. 

The at-fault party in a cruiser accident may be on the hook for your medical bills, costs of future medical care, lost wages and diminished capacity to earn a living. If you have a disability as a result of your injuries, your award will be enhanced to reflect that. You may also be awarded damages for pain and suffering.

Contact Dorothy Hyde, Dallas motorcycle accident attorney, right away following your cruiser accident. Schedule your no-cost, no-obligation consultation with our legal team to discuss your options moving forward and the best way to approach your cruiser accident claim.

Most motorcyclists consider their bikes an integral part of their overall lifestyle, and they rarely think that the worst case scenario can happen when they hit the road. Bike accidents are not uncommon; in fact, you are up to 37 times more likely to die from injuries you sustain in a motorcycle crash than an auto wreck. You are also nine times more likely to be injured while riding a motorcycle than riding in a car, truck or SUV, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. If trouble pops up on the road, motorcyclists usually find themselves with serious injuries, some of them even life-threatening. If you have been injured in a bike accident, The Law Office of Dorothy Hyde can help you get your life back in order by holding the responsible party accountable for your injuries. 

Motorcyclists have basically no protection from the pavement upon which they ride if they should be involved in a collision with another vehicle or an object. The helmet that you wear provides just 40 percent protection against traumatic head injury, and you essentially have no other safeguards to turn to. Broken bones, open fractures, burns, road rash, spinal column damage and other injuries are common during bike accidents.

In addition to the effects that the bike accident has on the body, it can also wreak havoc on your financial situation. It is usually the case that victims of bike accidents are left unable to work, at least temporarily. At the other end of the spectrum, some may even find themselves disabled permanently and unable to provide for themselves and their families. Filing a bike accident claim can help.

Your claim encompasses the various losses you’ve experienced as a result of your accident. Some losses are financial, including:

• Medical bills
• Costs of future medical care, rehab and therapy
• Lost wages
• Diminished capacity to earn a living
• Future lost income

Other costs are not financial. These non-economic losses include pain and suffering and mental anguish. For catastrophic injuries, an award of this type is common.

Keep in mind that if you lost a loved one due to a bike accident, you can file a wrongful death claim as a survivor (wife, child, parent, other beneficiary). This claim seeks to rectify the financial loss experienced by the untimely death of a loved one at someone else’s hands.

As soon as possible following your bike accident, contact our law firm to review your case details and determine the legal options open to you. We can help you identify the defendants in your case, whether that’s another driver on the road or a governmental agency that was responsible for a poor stretch of pavement that resulted in your accident. You are not alone. We have helped thousands of accident victims regain their financial status following serious accidents. Schedule your no-cost, no-obligation case consultation with our Dallas motorcycle accident attorney now. 

With everyone looking to go green, scooters are becoming more popular and mainstream than ever before—and with that increased popularity comes the inevitable rise in scooter accidents. Scooters are convenient and inexpensive, and they produce far less emissions than traditional motorcycles and passenger cars. However, they are not safer than other modes of transportation. Scooters pose a great danger for bodily injury because they offer zero protection for the rider’s body if they are involved in a collision with a car or object or if they are involved in a fall or turnover. Sadly, many of the scooter accidents that occur on Lawrence County’s streets are preventable, were it not for the actions of others on the road—or even the conditions of the road upon which scooters travel. If you or a loved one have been involved in a scooter accident, the Law Office of Dorothy Hyde can help you get the compensation you deserve for your injuries. 

While operator error accounts for some scooter accidents, this is usually the exception, not the rule. There are typically extenuating reasons for scooters to be involved in accidents, including:

• Poor visibility by motorists. Scooter riders may not be seen by motorists in time for them to react and avoid a collision.
• Motorists are inattentive. Text messaging and talking on the phone are big distractions for motorists.
• Drunk or inebriated drivers. Drivers under the influence have poor reaction time and poor judgement, both of which can lead to scooter accidents.
• Hazards on the road. Uneven payment, debris, gravel and potholes can result in overturning and serious injury to scooter riders.

Regardless of the cause, the injuries that are sustained in a scooter accident are similar to those seen in motorcycle and bicycle accidents. Burns, road rash, broken bones, fractures, and deep cuts and lacerations are possible. Catastrophic injuries to the brain and spine are not unheard of and can end up being life-threatening.

Getting the compensation you deserve for your injuries is important to rebuilding your life in the aftermath of your scooter accident. In most cases, you can receive compensation for all losses that are related to your accident, including:

• Medical costs
• Future medical care
• Lost wages
• Future lost income
• Pain and suffering or mental anguish

You can also file a wrongful death claim in the event that your loved one was killed during a scooter accident. A wrongful death claim is filed by a decedent’s survivors to hold the person responsible for their loved one’s death accountable financially for their loss. Compensation is usually based on the monetary value of the lost income and/or lost services provided by the deceased as well as loss of love, consortium and community.

Reach out to our Dallas motorcycle accident attorney as soon as possible following your scooter accident. We can help guide you through the legal process of getting your claim filed so that you can get on with your life. Schedule your no-cost consultation now.