Manchester Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
25 years of experience fighting for bikers and passengers
Motorcycles are not just vehicles; they have become a lifestyle for many people. Being a part of New England, Connecticut offers beautiful scenery along the coast and inland for cruising around during the warmer months. Motorcycles also offer inexpensive transportation and friendship with those who also enjoy riding.
Unfortunately, motorcycle riding is dangerous. When accidents do happen, riders have virtually no protection. Many motorcycle accidents are fatal or cause severe injuries. If you have been injured due to the fault of others, our Manchester motorcycle injury attorneys have the experience and working relationships with experts to help you pursue justice and seek compensation under Connecticut law. At Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC, we work to pursue fair compensation. Our job is to help you, and we take our job very seriously.
How can we help?
- Why are motorcycle crashes so dangerous?
- What types of motorcycle accidents do you handle in Manchester?
- Why do motorcycle accidents happen?
- What injuries do motorcycle accidents cause?
- What laws govern motorcycle riding in Manchester?
- Who do you hold accountable for motorcycle accidents?
- What compensation can I receive for a motorcycle accident in Connecticut?
- Do you have a Manchester motorcycle accident lawyer near me?
Why are motorcycle crashes so dangerous?
Motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely than drivers or passengers of cars and trucks to die in a vehicle collision, as reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Unlike cars and trucks, motorcycles do not have hoods, trunks, roofs, or doors to protect riders. When motorcycle accidents happen, riders are likely to suffer two impacts, one with another vehicle and a second with the hard asphalt.
It might not come as a surprise, but there is a difference between riding a more substantial cruiser, such as a Harley Davidson, or a sports bike like a Kawasaki Ninja, when it comes to injuries and deaths. Cruising bikes tend to be used for more relaxed, long-distance traveling, while racing bikes are built for high-speed performance and primarily are used for shorter travel distances. Supersport motorcycles have higher death rates than other types.
What types of motorcycle accidents do you handle in Manchester?
At Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC, we handle all types of motorcycle accidents, including accidents due to car and truck drivers and accidents due to other motorcycle riders. These accidents include:
- Head-on collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- T-bone (side-impact) collisions
- Turning accidents
- Intersection accidents
- Passing and merging accidents
- Single-motorcycle accidents
- Multi-vehicle accidents
- Dooring accidents
Why do motorcycle accidents happen?
The causes of motorcycle accidents include the following:
- Bigger vehicles. The failure of drivers of cars and trucks to respect the right of motorcyclists to be on the road or understand how to react when motorcycle operators are nearby causes many motorcycle accidents.
- Dangerous road conditions. You cannot predict how your vehicle will respond to various road conditions. Hazards won’t always be easily visible. There could be an obstacle in the road, causing you to swerve instinctively. There may be black ice – an invisible danger everyone in Connecticut understands all too well. Until you skid across it, you won’t know it’s there. Drivers can easily lose control of their vehicle due to potholes, roadkill, a deer crossing, or other roadway dangers, violently taking a motorcycle and its rider down to the ground.
- Driving under the influence. Driving while you are intoxicated or drugged means your ability to react to traffic situations is severely compromised. Everyone around you is placed in danger because you cannot quickly make judgments and maneuver accordingly, including when vulnerable motorcycles are around you. Knocking into a 2-wheeled vehicle can have catastrophic consequences for its driver and passenger.
- Driver distraction. Drivers of any vehicle who text, use a mobile phone, look at a GPS, eat, drink, fail to focus on the roadway, take a hand off the steering wheel, or fail to anticipate emergencies can easily cause a motorcycle accident to happen.
- Improper lane changes. Turn signals, rearview mirrors, and side mirrors exist on vehicles for a reason. Drivers are required to check their mirrors for surrounding traffic and even turn to look at their blind spot before signaling a lane change. Motorcycles, being naturally smaller than the average car or truck, can be more difficult to see unless car and truck drivers properly follow the rules of the road. Failing to check traffic and to signal are negligent behaviors that can injure or kill a motorcyclist.
- Manufacturing defects. Equipment on a motorcycle or automobile can fail, causing serious injury. If your helmet doesn’t do its job, you could experience a concussion, brain damage, or even death. If your helmet, or any part of your motorcycle (such as the brakes, clutch, or electrical systems) fails to protect you, you could have a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
- Other causes. These include motorcycle riders who lack the experience to ride, and drivers who speed, pass improperly, stop suddenly, fail to yield, or violate any Connecticut motor vehicle traffic safety rule.
The passionate motorcycle accident attorneys at Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC are here to help secure fair compensation to get you up on your feet and back on the road.
What injuries do motorcycle accidents cause?
Unfortunately, the very qualities that make motorcycles attractive also attract injuries and deaths.
Our Manchester motorcycle accident lawyers work with doctors (including your doctors) who handle all types of serious injuries, including:
- Traumatic brain injury. Though helmets are supposed to protect against injuries to your head, brain injuries are still likely to occur just by the sheer force of your protected head powerfully knocking against the ground or bouncing off another vehicle. The risk of a traumatic brain injury increases if you are not wearing a helmet.
- Amputations. When a collision results in a motorcycle and rider becoming separated, or a bike sliding under a vehicle, a rider or passenger can be launched into traffic, pinned by a vehicle, or impaled by an object, all causing potential loss of a limb.
- Broken bones. Anytime a body is forcefully thrown into contact with a solid surface, bones are likely to become broken.
- Burns. When your motorcycle is involved in a crash with another vehicle, you are at risk for coming into contact with exhaust pipes from your bike or the other vehicle, causing burns that may require surgery, skin grafts, and plastic surgery. Many burn victims suffer from severe emotional trauma, in addition to physical pain.
- Road rash. Many motorcycle riders wear long sleeves, pants, closed-toed boots, and other protective gear to prevent road rash. But even the best intentions may not prevent road rash if the accident is severe enough.
- Spinal cord injury. Vehicle crashes with motorcycles pose a serious risk of riders becoming airborne and landing hard on another vehicle, the ground, or other surfaces in the area. Spinal cord damage can easily occur if your neck is struck in the wrong place.
- Wrongful death. Motorcycle-related deaths from collisions with automobiles are increasing at a fast rate. Because motorcycles lack the 360-degree protection of a car or truck, motorcycle drivers are much more vulnerable to succumbing to fatal injuries from collisions.
What laws govern motorcycle riding in Manchester?
Motorcycle riders who are 21 years old or younger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet.
Lane splitting is illegal. Generally, Connecticut bans a muffler or mufflers lacking interior baffle plates or other effective muffling devices, a gutted muffler, a muffler cutout or a straight exhaust. Motorcycle operators must have a Class M endorsement on their Connecticut driver’s license. The minimum liability insurance requirements are $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, and $25,000 in property damage coverage.
Motorcyclists should take basic education courses for riding a motorcycle. Advanced courses are also helpful.
Who do you hold accountable for motorcycle accidents?
At Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC, we can work with investigators, the police, and other professionals to help establish fault. We can also formally question everyone with knowledge about your accident and review various types of physical evidence to help establish fault.
We can file claims against one or more of the following:
- The driver
- The owner of the driver’s vehicle (if the driver and owner differ)
- The driver’s employer
- A manufacturer of defective truck parts
- A licensed seller of alcohol who sells to a minor or visibly intoxicated person, who then causes an accident due to their intoxication
- A Connecticut, Hartford County, or Manchester government agency or entity, subject to applicable sovereign-immunity procedures
- Any other responsible parties
What compensation can I receive for a motorcycle accident in Connecticut?
Because the attorneys at Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC live and work in the Manchester and Hartford areas, we consider it a privilege to take care of our neighbors and our community. Obtaining the results that make our clients happy is what’s most important to us, and that is what we strive to do every day.
When you hire us to handle your personal injury case, we can pursue damages and seek compensation for:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Current and future loss of income
- Physical pain and emotional suffering
- The damage to your motorcycle or vehicle
- The loss of bodily function
- Any scars or disfigurement
- The inability to enjoy life’s pleasures
- Punitive damages, if permitted under Connecticut law, are limited to litigation expenses unless authorized by statute
- Wrongful death damages
No family should ever experience the pain of losing a loved one due to a motorcycle accident. Our attorneys can fight for your right to recover wrongful death compensation that can help honor your loved one and help families begin to heal.
Do you have a Manchester motorcycle accident lawyer near me?
Yes. We can meet motorcycle accident victims and their families at our office, located at 989 Main Street in Manchester, Connecticut. We’re located right off I-84 or I-384 in Manchester.
Our lawyers also conduct consultations by phone and online video. We can meet you away from the office if your injuries prevent you from traveling.
We’ve helped many accident victims obtain strong recoveries.
Get help from our experienced Manchester motorcycle accident attorneys now
Our attorneys know that when you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, your entire life has been thrown into an upheaval. If you have been hurt in a motorcycle accident, speak with one of our Manchester motorcycle injury attorneys at Barry, Taylor & Levesque, LLC. To schedule a free consultation, contact us. We handle motorcycle accident claims on a contingency fee basis.