Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Alpharetta, GA

The crash that happens most

The most common serious motorcycle crash has a familiar shape: a car turns left across the rider’s path at an intersection or a driveway. The driver almost always says the same thing — “I didn’t see him.” That is not a defense. It is usually an admission that the driver did not look properly.

Other common patterns include a car changing lanes into a rider in its blind spot. Rear-end impacts in stop-and-go traffic and opened car doors are common too.

The bias problem

Insurers and some jurors start from an assumption that the rider was speeding or riding recklessly. Your claim has to answer that assumption with evidence, not with argument:

• Physical evidence — where the vehicles came to rest, the damage to each, skid marks.
• Video — business cameras, traffic cameras, other drivers’ dashcams, a helmet camera.
• Your gear — keep the helmet, jacket and boots, unwashed and unrepaired. Damage to gear tells the story of the impact.
• The motorcycle itself — do not let it be scrapped or repaired before it has been photographed and, if needed, inspected.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is funded by auto insurers, publishes its motorcycle crash research openly. It is a useful check on assumptions about riders.

Georgia rules riders need to know

Helmets are required for every rider and passenger in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315). If you were not wearing one, expect the insurer to raise it — especially in a head-injury claim. How much it matters depends on the injury. It is an argument about damages, not automatically the end of the claim.

Lane splitting is not legal in Georgia. Two motorcycles may ride side by side in one lane, but passing a car within its lane is prohibited (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-312). If the crash happened while you were filtering through traffic, the fault picture gets more complicated.

Comparative fault applies. Georgia reduces your recovery by your share of fault and bars it at 50% (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). That is why the bias problem matters so much — every percentage point an insurer can shift onto you comes straight off the claim.

The injuries

Riders have no frame around them. Road rash that needs grafting, broken legs and arms, pelvic fractures, spinal injuries and traumatic brain injury are all common, and the recovery is long. That length matters: the claim should not be valued until the medical picture is clear. See catastrophic injuries and brain injuries.

What we do

Secure the evidence early, especially video. Find every policy — the driver’s liability cover, your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, and anyone else who may share responsibility. Track the treatment. Build the demand once the injuries are understood.

Generally you have two years from the crash to file suit (O.C.G.A. § 9-3-33).

Motorcycle crashes sit with the other vehicle cases under our Alpharetta truck crash work. Both turn on fast evidence and a full search for coverage.

Related: truck accidents · pedestrian accidents · bicycle accidents

Common questions

Is lane splitting legal in Georgia?

No. Two motorcycles may ride side by side in one lane, but passing a car within its lane is prohibited (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-312). If you were filtering through traffic, the fault picture gets more complicated, but it does not automatically end the claim.

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

Often, yes. Georgia requires helmets (O.C.G.A. § 40-6-315), and the insurer will raise it, especially in a head-injury claim. It is an argument about damages, not an automatic bar.

The driver said they didn't see me. Does that help or hurt?

It usually helps. "I didn't see him" is not a defense. In most left-turn crashes it is an admission that the driver did not look properly.

What should I do with my bike and gear after the crash?

Keep them as they are. Do not repair the motorcycle or wash the helmet, jacket and boots until they have been photographed. Damage to the gear shows how the impact happened.

How does Georgia's comparative fault rule affect riders?

Your recovery is reduced by your share of fault and barred at 50% (O.C.G.A. § 51-12-33). That is why insurers push the reckless-rider story, and why the evidence matters so much.