Johnson City Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Serving Johnson City & Nearby Areas of Tennessee

A motorcycle accident can have devastating consequences. Riders often suffer serious, life-altering injuries. In the worst-case scenario, a motorcyclist may be killed in a crash with another vehicle.

The Haynes Firm can help if you or a member of your family suffered harm in a motorcycle crash. Call 423-928-0165 to speak with a motorcycle accident lawyer for FREE. Our attorneys serve clients in Johnson City and other areas of Tennessee.

Why Choose The Haynes Firm?

At The Haynes Firm, we recognize the serious toll a crash can take on good people who are injured due to someone else’s negligence. Pursuing compensation for losses incurred due to the actions of other people isn’t easy, but it is right.

We take pride in fighting for the outcome our clients deserve. The benefits of working with a motorcycle accident lawyer at The Haynes Firm include:

• 70+ years of combined experience in personal injury law
• Millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for our clients
• People-centric lawyers and staff who are committed to your values, your convictions, and your honor
• Dedication to doing the right thing, whether that’s negotiating a settlement or taking your case to trial
• A promise to never leave money on the table

Some law firms are content just chasing checks. At The Haynes Firm, our primary concern is pursuing justice and fighting for what’s fair.

How a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You

Claims involving motorcycle crashes can involve a number of challenges. The deck is stacked against motorcyclists, who are often wrongly accused by drivers and insurance companies alike of causing accidents.

To overcome these difficulties, a motorcycle accident lawyer should confide many types of potential evidence, including:

• Photographing the scene
• Speaking to eyewitnesses
• Collecting debris and any other physical evidence
• Obtaining any available video footage of the crash
• Reviewing the police report
• Talking with your doctors to understand your injuries
• Reconstructing the accident

Lawyers at The Haynes Firm work with leading experts to prepare your case. This may include medical professionals, experts in your occupation, accident reconstructionists, and more. Ultimately, their testimony enables our motorcycle accident lawyers to determine how the wreck occurred, who is at fault, all of the ways the crash has affected your life, and the damages you are due.

What Kind of Injuries Can You Get from a Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycle crashes often result in serious injuries. Some of the most common include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Neck and back injuries
• Injuries to the chest
• Abdominal injuries
• Broken bones; fractures of bones in the lower extremities—including the pelvis, femur, lower leg, ankle, and foot—are particularly common
• Soft tissue damage
• Amputation injuries
• Road rash
• Burn injuries
• Spinal cord injuries (potentially resulting in paralysis)

All of your injuries need to be thoroughly documented. A motorcycle accident attorney will review your medical records, consult with your doctors and any other providers involved in treating your injuries, and potentially hire experts to assess your condition. Strong evidence and expert testimony will enable our lawyers to pursue maximum compensation on your behalf.

Tragically, motorcycle crashes often result in the death of the motorcyclist. If the negligence of a motorist or other party caused your loved one to suffer fatal injuries, The Haynes Firm can prepare a wrongful death claim. No monetary award or settlement can make up for the loss of a member of your family, but the result we achieve may help your family carry on.

Tennessee Motorcycle Accident Statistics

From 2016 to 2021, there were a total of 17,127 motorcycle crashes in Tennessee. According to a report prepared by the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, 914 motorcyclists died and 4,227 riders are suspected to have suffered serious injuries in accidents over this six-year period.

There were 1,007 motorcycle crashes in and around Johnson City (Sullivan, Washington, and Carter counties) between 2016 and 2021. Overall, the wrecks in the Johnson City area accounted for approximately 5.85% of all motorcycle accidents in Tennessee.

Most motorcycle crashes occurred in the daytime (72%) and in clear weather (95.1%). While a variety of factors can lead to an accident, poor lighting and adverse weather conditions do not tend to be the biggest dangers for motorcyclists.

What Causes Motorcycle Accidents?

Human error is the number-one cause of motor vehicle accidents in general. This encompasses a wide range of actions and behaviors that can endanger people on the road—including motorcyclists.

It is crucial to investigate the behavior of the other driver in any collision between a car and a motorcycle. Your attorney’s investigation may uncover evidence of negligence such as:

• Speeding
• Ignoring stop lights and traffic signs
• Failing to check blind spots before changing lanes or merging
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Following too closely
• Not allowing enough time to make a turn in front of an oncoming motorcycle
• Aggressive driving
• Distracted driving
• Opening the door of the vehicle into the path of a motorcyclist

Sometimes motorcyclists are able to avoid a crash with a negligent driver only to lose control and wreck themselves. Although the driver did not collide with the motorcycle in this scenario, the rider may still have a claim against a driver whose negligence caused the crash.

Other potential causes of motorcycle crashes include unsafe roads and defects with a bike’s design or component parts. It is always worthwhile to consult a motorcycle accident lawyer if the crash was not your fault; an experienced attorney can determine whether you have a product liability claim or grounds for filing a lawsuit against the government entity responsible for the road.

Who Is Responsible for Most Motorcycle Accidents?

No two crashes are exactly alike. It is important never to assume that one party or another is always responsible for an accident. This is especially true for motorcyclists, who are often unfairly blamed for wrecks that actually occur due to the carelessness of a driver.

More often than not, we find that the drivers of cars, trucks, vans, and other vehicles are responsible for collisions with riders—not the other way around. Negligence on the part of a motorist can lead to a number of different crashes, including:

• Rear-end collisions: When one car hits another from behind at low speed, it is called a “fender bender.” For motorcyclists, however, the consequences of being rear-ended can be dire even at slow speeds.
• Side-impact or T-bone accidents: Approximately one-third of motorcycle crashes in Tennessee occur in and around intersections. Riders may be struck by a turning vehicle while they are traveling straight through the intersection, or a vehicle may turn in front of them and a T-bone crash is unavoidable.
• Head-on collisions: A head-on crash is catastrophic no matter what type of vehicle is involved. However, without the safety features found in automobiles, the risk of serious injury and death is extremely high for those riding motorcycles.
• Sideswipe accidents: Drivers are responsible for checking their blindspots before changing lanes and merging into traffic. The small size of motorcycles makes them more difficult to see. When drivers are inattentive, they may crash into the side of a motorcycle in the next lane or force the rider off the road.
• Overturn accidents: Motorcycles are inherently less stable than vehicles with three and four wheels. This makes it very likely that a motorcycle will overturn or rollover in the event of an accident.

According to the 2020 Crash Facts report on motorcycles, motorcyclists are approximately five times more likely to be injured or die in a crash than the occupants of a passenger vehicle.

Given the serious toll a wreck can take, it is important to talk with a motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to determine who is at fault and start assembling your case.

Contact The Haynes Firm Today

Damages in Your Claim

If it can be shown that a careless driver and/or another party is responsible for your injuries, you may be entitled to recovery of damages. A Johnson City motorcycle accident lawyer will seek to hold all of the liable parties to account.

At The Haynes Firm, we don’t leave money on the table. We account for every dollar in damages you are owed and aggressively pursue compensation for losses such as:

• Hospital and emergency room bills
• The cost of physical therapy, surgery, and other current and future medical expenses
• Out-of-pocket costs for prescriptions, medical equipment, etc.
• The cost of retrofitting your home or vehicle
• Lost wages
• The loss of earning capacity, if you are unable to work going forward
• Pain and suffering
• Disability
• Scarring and disfigurement

Your family may be entitled to compensation for damages such as the loss of household services you previously provided as well as the loss of companionship and support if your relationship with a spouse, children, and other relatives is impacted. If the crash proved fatal, our motorcycle accident attorneys can pursue wrongful death damages for funeral and burial expenses, the cost of medical care provided prior to death, and more.

What If I Was Partially At Fault for the Accident?

Sometimes the evidence will show that both the plaintiff and the defendant(s) are partly responsible for an accident. If this is the case, you may still have a viable personal injury claim; however, the amount of damages you are entitled to may be reduced.

Tennessee operates on the basis of comparative negligence in personal injury matters. Plaintiffs can still recover compensation, provided that their responsibility for the injury is less than 50%. However, a finding of comparative negligence will result in any damages awarded to the plaintiff being reduced by a percentage equal to the level of fault.

If you suspect that you may have been partly responsible for the crash, a motorcycle accident attorney can review your case and discuss your right to recovery. You should never assume that you were at fault or take a defendant or insurance company at their word.

Important Motorcycle Laws in Tennessee

Obeying the law isn’t just important for preserving your right to compensation after a motorcycle accident. Your safety and even your life can depend on your abiding by Tennessee’s rules for motorcyclists.

All riders need to be aware of the following laws:

Licensing

Motorcyclists are required to carry a Class-M license. In Tennessee, anyone 16 and older can apply for a motorcycle license. Applicants will need to pass a vision screening, a written test, an inspection of their motorcycle, and a road test (unless the applicant has a valid Tennessee driver’s license and passes a Motorcycle Rider Education Program, in which case these requirements are waived).

Helmet Laws

Both motorcycle riders and passengers are required to wear a helmet. Motorcycle helmets must meet federal safety standards (see Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-9-302).

If the motorcycle does not have a windshield, motorcyclists and passengers must wear some form of face protection. This provision may be satisfied by wearing a helmet with a face shield, or by wearing safety glasses or goggles (see Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-9-304).

Lane Splitting

The practice of riding a motorcycle in between lanes of traffic is known as lane splitting. In Tennessee, motorcyclists are prohibited from engaging in lane splitting (see Tennessee Code Annotated § 55-8-182).

Insurance Requirements

Just like drivers, motorcyclists in Tennessee are required to carry minimum levels of liability insurance. The mandatory minimums are:

• $25,000 bodily injury liability coverage per person
• $50,000 bodily injury liability coverage per accident
• $25,000 property damage coverage per accident

Unfortunately, not all drivers follow the law and purchase the required insurance. If this is the case, a motorcycle accident lawyer can evaluate other options for recovery. This may involve filing a claim on your uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance (NOTE: this coverage is not mandatory in Tennessee, but strongly recommended), bringing a personal injury claim directly against the careless driver, and/or identifying additional liable parties.

Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Johnson City Today

The Haynes Firm serves good people who find themselves in bad circumstances. If you were injured while riding a motorcycle or a loved one died in a crash caused by a careless driver, our motorcycle accident attorneys can help.

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Our lawyers understand the challenges of motorcycle accident claims. We are committed to helping people in need, providing relentless legal advocacy without ever losing sight of the unique needs and goals of the individual clients we represent.

For a FREE evaluation, call The Haynes Firm at 423-928-0165 today. Our motorcycle accident lawyers serve clients in Johnson City and other areas of Tennessee.