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Motorcycles can be exhilarating to ride, but they are inherently more dangerous than typical passenger vehicles for several reasons. Riders are often difficult for passenger vehicle drivers to see and are afforded little protection in a collision. The motorcycle accident attorneys at Goldblatt + Singer understand how to handle complex motorcycle collision claims and have a strong track record of success doing so. If you or a loved one has been injured, contact our St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyer today for a free case evaluation.
After suffering injuries in a motorcycle collision, victims have several major concerns, including medical bills, dealing with insurance companies, missed time from work, coordinating vehicle repairs, and most importantly, medical recovery. A motorcycle crash attorney can handle a crash victim’s legal issues and provide other types of support, so the client can focus on healing. Our St. motorcycle accident attorneys will know how to deal with insurance companies to prevent any unnecessary delays or unjustified pushback for clients’ claims.
Some people experience car accidents or other injury-causing events and believe they can handle the resulting legal matters on their own. While it’s true that some individuals have successfully represented their own interests in court, doing so is not a wise choice for most people. The average person doesn’t have legal experience or any professional training, and these voids can destroy a lawsuit before it even begins. Missing a filing deadline with the court or forgetting crucial paperwork can spur a judge to throw out a case before it even reaches the trial phase. Additionally, the average person probably doesn’t know all the places to look for compensation after a motorcycle accident.
Instead of risking your chance of securing compensation for your damages by attempting to represent your own case, find a reliable motorcycle wreck lawyer with a solid track record of success.
According to data gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a total of 6,335 motorcyclists died in fatal crashes in 2023 alone, representing 15% of all vehicle accident fatalities that year. Although motorcycle accident deaths overall have declined in recent years, 2023 was a record-setting year for motorcycle collision fatalities in Missouri. The Missouri Department of Transportation reported 175 motorcycle accident fatalities in 2023.
Motorcycles are inherently more dangerous than passenger vehicles because they afford very little protection to riders and passengers. While cars and trucks have seat belts and enclosed cabins for occupants, motorcycles leave their riders exposed to external forces and have no safety restraints. It’s common for a crash to send a motorcyclist sprawling, leading to serious injuries. The danger of serious or fatal injuries greatly increases at higher speeds.
The biggest risk that motorcycle riders face is inattentive drivers in other vehicles. It can be difficult to see motorcycles on the road, even when a driver is paying full attention to their surroundings. If that driver is distracted, not paying close enough attention, or looking in a different direction, the consequences for a motorcyclist can be disastrous. These can take the form of:
Other dangerous elements involved in motorcycle accidents include a lack of helmet use, driving under the influence, and aggressive driving. Missouri follows a universal motorcycle helmet law, meaning every driver and passenger must wear a Department of Transportation-approved helmet while in motion on a motorcycle. The IIHS reports that approved helmets are 37% effective at preventing deaths and 67% effective in preventing traumatic brain injuries.
Driving under the influence is illegal and dangerous in any vehicle, but this practice can have especially disastrous consequences for motorcyclists. Alcohol and other illicit drugs can impair judgment, slow reaction time, blur vision, and otherwise distort a rider’s perception to the point where he or she cannot operate the vehicle safely. When a sudden change on the road appears, the intoxicated motorcyclist will likely fail to react in time, resulting in serious injuries.
Another dangerous practice is “lane splitting,” or traveling between two adjacent, occupied lanes of traffic. Motorcycles are much smaller than typical passenger vehicles, and some motorcyclists use this to their advantage to slip between lanes of slower-moving traffic. While some states have specific laws banning or restricting this practice, Missouri has no such law. While lane splitting technically isn’t illegal, it can be extremely dangerous, especially at high speeds. To learn more about lane splitting, speak to a motorcycle accident lawyer in St. Louis.
Motorcyclists are far more vulnerable than occupants of cars or trucks, and their injuries often result in long-term consequences. Without the protection of seat belts, airbags, or a vehicle frame, even low-speed collisions can lead to serious harm.
Here are the most common types of injuries we see in motorcycle crash cases:
Even with helmets, motorcyclists can suffer serious head trauma. TBIs can lead to memory loss, speech difficulties, mood swings, and long-term cognitive impairment. Severe cases may require years of therapy, assisted living, and continued neurological care. These injuries often affect a person’s ability to work, manage daily responsibilities, and maintain relationships, making recovery a deeply personal and financially demanding journey.
When the spinal column is damaged, victims can face partial or total paralysis. These injuries often involve permanent disability and significant changes to a person’s lifestyle, income, and independence. Victims may require ongoing medical treatments, physical therapy, and home modifications to accommodate mobility aids. Additionally, the emotional and psychological impact of spinal cord injuries can be overwhelming, affecting mental health and overall quality of life.
Arm, leg, collarbone, and rib fractures are common in crashes involving side impacts or ejection from the motorcycle. Some breaks require multiple surgeries, hardware implants, or long-term physical therapy. In severe cases, these fractures can lead to permanent limitations on mobility, chronic pain, and the need for ongoing care, affecting the individual’s ability to work or engage in daily activities.
Sliding across asphalt during a crash often causes deep skin abrasions known as “road rash.” While it may sound minor, road rash can lead to serious complications such as skin grafts, nerve damage, permanent scarring, and severe infection. In some cases, it may also result in extended recovery periods, a restricted range of motion, and long-term skin sensitivity. Without prompt and proper medical care, these injuries can become increasingly painful and may significantly interfere with daily life.
Blunt force trauma to the chest or abdomen can cause internal bleeding and injuries to the lungs, liver, spleen, or kidneys. These injuries may not be visible but can become life-threatening without immediate medical intervention. They often require emergency surgery, intensive care, and extended hospitalization, and may result in long-term health complications that affect digestion, respiration, and overall physical function.
In severe collisions involving entrapment, crushing, or violent impact, amputation may be immediate or surgically necessary later. The loss of a limb drastically alters quality of life and can lead to chronic pain (phantom limb syndrome), the need for prosthetics and mobility aids, career loss or functional disability, psychological trauma, and depression. Victims often require long-term rehabilitation, adaptive equipment, and emotional support to adjust to the physical and mental challenges of living with limb loss.
Each injury brings more than physical pain. It brings financial hardship, lost wages, emotional suffering, and, in many cases, permanent disability. This is why it’s essential to work with a law firm that understands both the legal complexities and the personal impact these accidents have on your daily life and future.
Under Missouri law, you must stop at the scene of an accident. According to the Missouri Department of Revenue, leaving the scene without proper steps can result in criminal penalties. Here’s what you should do immediately:
You should also:
These early actions can significantly impact the outcome of your injury claim or lawsuit. At Goldblatt + Singer, we guide clients through every step of this process to protect their rights.
To win a motorcycle accident case in Missouri, you must prove that another party’s negligence directly caused your injuries.
Negligence refers to the failure to exercise reasonable care under the circumstances. In legal terms, proving a claim involves establishing four key elements:
To build a strong case, our attorneys collect and examine:
We also evaluate comparative fault, since Missouri follows a “pure comparative negligence” rule. If you’re found partially at fault, your compensation is reduced proportionally; however, you can still recover damages even if you’re 99% at fault.
Fatalities are common in serious motorcycle accidents. A wrongful death claim can take the place of a personal injury lawsuit when the victim does not survive his or her injuries. Wrongful death claims function very similarly to personal injury claims, with some notable exceptions, particularly when it comes to determining who may file a wrongful death claim.
Similar to a personal injury claim, plaintiffs in a wrongful death claim can secure economic and non-economic damages after a wrongful death. To succeed in such a claim, the plaintiff will need to prove that the defendant in the case was negligent and that his or her negligence directly caused the death in question. Damages work a bit differently as well. The surviving family of a wrongful death victim can secure economic and non-economic damages that compensate the suffering and economic losses the decedent experienced as well as the family’s suffering due to the untimely death.
Missouri carefully outlines how to proceed with a wrongful death claim. The first people who have the right to file a wrongful death claim in Missouri include a deceased person’s surviving spouse, children, or grandchildren. If no such kin exists, then a parent or sibling may file instead. If these relatives are unavailable, a personal representative of the deceased person’s estate may file a claim, and if no representative exists, the court will appoint a plaintiff “ad litem” to act as the plaintiff in the wrongful death case, but such an individual must represent an individual entitled to a share of the deceased’s estate.
Damages in Missouri wrongful death claims include those found in most personal injury claims, such as property damage, medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost income. These damages apply to what the victim experienced prior to his or her death. This includes the cost of treatment and pain and suffering experienced during the victim’s final illness or injury, as well as wages lost in that time. The family can then collect compensation for funeral and burial expenses, loss of consortium, and lost earning potential provided by the decedent. Missouri allows claimants three years from the date of death to file a wrongful death claim.
Whether your motorcycle accident case is a personal injury lawsuit, product liability claim, or a wrongful death claim for a lost loved one, your success hinges on your ability to prove the defendant’s negligence in the situation. This requires proving the defendant owed the victim a duty of care, failed to meet that duty, and directly caused the victim’s damages. When motorcycle accidents happen due to faulty vehicles or vehicle parts, injured victims can instead pursue product liability claims against the manufacturer. Unlike personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits, plaintiffs in product liability claims do not necessarily need to prove the manufacturer was negligent to secure compensation, only that the device in question was defective and the defect caused the plaintiff’s damages.
Regardless of what form your motorcycle accident case takes, the right St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyer will make an enormous difference in the outcome. The St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyers of Goldblatt + Singer are a team of attorneys with diverse legal backgrounds, but they share one top priority in every case: client recovery. We’ve handled all types of civil actions for our clients in the St. Louis, MO area since 1949, so let us put that experience to work in your case. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation, and we’ll get to work investigating your case.
Jeff Singer, Managing Partner at Goldblatt + Singer for over a decade, is a seasoned personal injury attorney known for his compassionate yet tough advocacy. He has resolved hundreds of cases and recovered millions for clients. Recognized as a Missouri Super Lawyer and Top 100 National Trial Lawyer, Jeff also serves on the Missouri Bar’s Chief Disciplinary Committee and the Board of Governors for the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.
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Five years. In Missouri, you generally have five years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit under RSMo § 516.120. Failing to file within this time can permanently bar your claim, regardless of the severity of your injuries or the strength of your case. Acting early allows your attorney to preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and build the strongest possible claim before deadlines become a barrier.
Look for experience, results, and client trust. Choose an attorney who understands motorcycle law, can prove negligence, and has recovered significant settlements. Make sure they offer contingency-based fees and personal attention to your case. A strong motorcycle accident lawyer in St. Louis should also have trial experience, access to expert witnesses, and a clear communication style that keeps you informed and confident throughout your legal journey.
It depends. Simple cases may settle in 3 to 6 months, but more serious or disputed claims can take a year or more, particularly when court involvement becomes necessary. At Goldblatt + Singer, we move efficiently without sacrificing the quality or value of your case, ensuring that each step is handled with care, precision, and attention to your long-term recovery needs.
This page has been created, edited, and reviewed by a team of legal writers following our thorough editorial guidelines. It was approved by our Founding Partner, Jeffrey Singer, who has over 30 years of experience as a personal injury attorney.
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