Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

A motorcycle can be an enjoyable way to get around Indianapolis, though it is not necessarily a safe one, as the victims of the 317 motorcycle accidents recorded in the city in 2022 know all too well.  Moreover, riders can incur punishing injuries that might demand prolonged treatment that few Hoosiers could manage without assistance. 

Fortunately, that assistance could be available when somebody else is responsible for your motorcycle injuries, and the amount that you obtain could be even greater if you partner with the Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group.  Our firm has been standing up for the seriously injured for more than 25 years, and we would be honored to get justice for you and your family. 

You can arrange a complimentary case review with a knowledgeable Indianapolis motorcycle accident attorney by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form at your earliest convenience. 

Alarming Indiana Motorcycle Accident Statistics 

Recent studies have revealed that motorcycle accidents are some of the most cataclysmic events on Indiana’s roads, representing approximately 14 percent of the state’s lethal collisions despite making up less than two percent of its crashes.   

Almost half of motorcycle accidents involve other vehicles, whose drivers are likelier to be at fault for them, yet riders are far likelier to suffer the consequences, facing four times the rate of injury and 24 times the rate of death that car and truck occupants face.  

Why are cyclists so vulnerable?  The reality is that many of the qualities that make motorcycles so appealing to riders are the same qualities that may put riders in jeopardy.  Motorcycles feature little shielding compared to cars and trucks, which could expose cyclists to direct contact with metal and asphalt, and their compact frames and lower weights give them much shorter stopping distances that may increase the odds of rear-end collisions. 

Given how frequently motorcyclists are at risk of grievous bodily harm, other drivers have an obligation to watch out for them, give them extra room, and slow down more gradually in their presence.  If they shirk this obligation, a major crash could be just around the corner, but Hensley’s tenacious Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyers will be there to hold them to account. 

Tips for Avoiding Indianapolis Motorcycle Accidents 

Indianapolis motorcycle accidents can obviously have dire consequences, but there are a number of tips that could allow you to either avoid them altogether or lessen their impact.  If you are contemplating going out for a ride, remember to:  

• Boost your visibility – Drivers who see you generally won’t hit you, so boost your visibility by dressing in brightly colored clothing, attaching reflectors to your motorcycle, and flashing your lights when you approach other vehicles.  

• Travel at an appropriate speed – Be sure to observe the posted speed limit and be prepared to decelerate when the circumstances call for it, since speeding can make an Indianapolis motorcycle accident more probable and more destructive.  

• Stay attentive – Focus on what you are doing and be mindful of your surroundings when you are on your bike, as distraction is nearly as big a contributor as speeding to motor vehicle accidents.   

• Exercise caution at intersections – It is critical to exercise heightened caution when you pull up to intersections, where more than a third of motorcycle accidents take place. 

• Maintain your distance from other vehicles – Getting too close to other vehicles could subject you to a devastating collision from the side or the rear.   

• Merge with care – Because you could end up in other drivers’ blind spots during a merge, try to make eye contact with them or signal to them so that they are aware of your intentions before you switch lanes. 

• Remain sober – Intoxication factors into more than a quarter of fatal motorcycle accidents, but you won’t have to be a statistic if you only ride when you are sober.   

• Get your rest – Fatigue can be as detrimental to driving as drunkenness, with one study concluding that going more than twenty hours without sleep can induce a level of impairment that is equivalent to having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08 percent.  

• Wear a helmet – You have a better chance of walking away from a motorcycle accident if you are wearing a helmet, which has been shown to be 67 percent effective in preventing brain injuries and 37 percent effective in preventing casualties. 

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Indianapolis 

We hope that these guidelines are useful.  Nevertheless, a crash may still occur regardless of how many precautions you take, though it will often be compensable when it is the result of someone else’s negligence, usually another driver’s.  Some of the most common driver-based causes of motorcycle accidents in Indianapolis are: 

• Speeding 

• Inadequate space cushions (tailgating) 

• Abrupt turns 

• Neglecting to yield the right of way  

• Swerving 

• Changing lanes suddenly 

• Not checking blind spots 

• Cutting off motorcycles 

• Ignoring riders at intersections 

• Opening doors in front of cyclists (dooring)  

• Distraction

• Using a cellphone behind the wheel 

• Drowsy driving

• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

If an Indianapolis motorcycle accident is caused by such misbehavior, the driver who engaged in it could be civilly pursued for any injuries, as could the owner of his or her vehicle (if separate from the driver) and potentially others too. 

Aside from driver errors, external elements could sometimes play a role in an Indianapolis motorcycle accident.  When those elements are “Acts of God,” such as inclement weather conditions like rain, snow, sleet, hail, or ice that could hinder traction or visibility, there may not be grounds for a case.  However, other external elements might justify a claim.   

For example, roads and highways in Indiana tend to undergo heavy wear and tear over time, particularly during the state’s harsh winters, and large potholes and other hazards could develop that might make a motorcycle accident inevitable without routine road maintenance.  If that maintenance is not performed, then an injured motorcyclist might be able to go after the state agency in charge of the road, along with any contractors in its employ.   

Similarly, if a motorcycle accident is precipitated by a mechanical breakdown, the mechanic who improperly repaired that motorcycle could be culpable, as could the manufacturer of the motorcycle itself or of one of its components when there is an underlying defect. 

In some instances, multiple defendants could share varying degrees of legal liability simultaneously, thereby creating a tangled situation that a skilled Indianapolis motorcycle accident attorney may have to unravel. 

You Have Limited Time to Take Action After a Motorcycle Accident 

As you can imagine, a host of individuals and entities could be liable for an Indianapolis motorcycle accident, and you have limited time to take action against them, known as the Statute of Limitations, which is the window after an incident in which legal proceedings may be initiated. 

The Statute is two years for most motorcycle accident cases in Indiana, though it can be much narrower in claims against the government.  Additional requirements may also have to be addressed under Indiana’s Tort Claims Act, such as filing a Notice of Tort Claim with the relevant government entity within 270 days of the date of loss (or 180 days in claims against some “political subdivisions”). 

Failing to satisfy every stipulation and deadline could forever bar you from getting what you deserve – the sort of senseless oversight that our Indianapolis injury lawyers will not tolerate.  

What Our Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Can Do for You 

An Indianapolis motorcycle accident can turn your world upside down, burying you beneath a mountain of medical bills while robbing you of the ability to go to work to cover them.  Very soon, you could have trouble merely making ends meet, much less acquiring the resources to stave off ruin.  

When worse comes to worst, you need attorneys with the compassion to support you through your struggles and the wisdom to guide you past them – like the seasoned Indianapolis motorcycle accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group.  No task is too daunting or adversary too intimidating to keep us from doing everything in our power to serve our clients’ interests. 

If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation to identify the roots of your Indianapolis motorcycle accident and all of the parties who may be to blame for it, then establish valid claims against them by sending them formal notification in writing and alerting their insurers.  If the facts warrant it, a lawsuit could be filed as well in a court with the authority to issue a binding judgment. 

Next, we will move swiftly to amass the materials to build your claim, including both evidence of your losses and of the defendants’ guilt, such as: 

• Police reports  

• Citations and dispositions  

• Eyewitness statements  

• Crash scene photos  

• Dash cam, streetlight, and surveillance footage  

• Black box data  

• Phone records  

• Driving histories  

• Vehicular servicing logs  

• Forensic analysis and accident reconstruction 

If proof of wrongdoing exists, our Indianapolis motorcycle accident lawyers will work tirelessly to find it. 

Get Compensated for the Totality of Your Losses 

After assembling an airtight case, we will enter into negotiations with the defendants’ insurance companies, who might normally exploit unfavorable public sentiment about the perceived recklessness of motorcyclists so that they can resolve your claim for less.  We won’t let them.  Instead, we will endeavor to get you compensated for the totality of your losses, including your:  

• Medical expenses – Your costs for related hospitalizations, surgeries, therapy regimens, prescription drugs, assistive devices, and other past, present, and future medical interventions should be recouped. 

• Lost wages – Reimbursement could be provided for the wages that you have lost because were unable to work following your motorcycle accident and for any diminishment to your long-term earning capacity. 

• Pain and suffering – You may be remunerated if you experience intense discomfort in the aftermath of your Indianapolis motorcycle accident. 

• Mental and emotional trauma – Your psychological scars can be as enduring as your physical ones, and your verdict or settlement should acknowledge them. 

• Mobility restrictions – Permanent disability that is associated with your collision may be taken into consideration. 

• Loss of consortium – A claim could be made for deprivation of the benefits of a marital relationship secondary to the motorcycle accident. 

• Punitive damages – Courts may decide to impose tougher fiscal penalties on defendants who display a notable lack of concern for others or deep moral turpitude. 

• Wrongful death – If a loved one dies in an Indianapolis motorcycle accident, the economic burden of that unexpected passing could be alleviated with a wrongful death claim. 

And in stark contrast to many of our competitors, who seldom, if ever, venture into a courtroom – and end up leaving money on the table that should have gone into the client’s pocket – we are not afraid to go to trial if we do not receive an offer that is worthy of your case. 

No two Indianapolis motorcycle accident cases are exactly alike, but Hensley Legal Group will always strive to maximize the value of yours. 

You Will Not Have to Pay Us Anything Unless We Win  

We realize that you may be reluctant to agree to more expenditures when you can least afford them, but you should know that our firm works on a contingency basis.  This means that you will not have to pay us anything unless our Indianapolis motorcycle accident attorneys win your case. 

At Hensley, we take on clients because we believe in them, and we are willing to do whatever it takes to reward their belief in us. 

Our Indianapolis Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Will Be Ready to Help 

Hensley Legal Group was founded in 1998 on the principle that everybody should get a fair shake after an accident, no matter what they have or who they know, and that principle has shaped this firm ever since.  If you are uncertain about what to do in the wake of a serious injury, our Indianapolis personal injury lawyers will be ready to help. 

You can call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation with a dedicated Indianapolis motorcycle accident attorney today.