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It is the most common and infuriating excuse a driver gives after hitting a motorcyclist: “I just didn’t see him.”
That statement is not a defense; it is a confession. It confesses they were not paying attention, not looking twice before changing lanes on I-64, and not fulfilling their basic duty to share the road safely.
At Walner Law, we know the truth. We know that inattentive drivers, not reckless riders cause most motorcycle accidents. A dedicated St. Louis, MO motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm works to dismantle the excuses and fight for the accountability you deserve.
Key takeaways
After a motorcycle crash, you need more than just a lawyer. You need an advocate who understands the unique physics of the accident and the unfair biases you face. Walner Law provides the focused experience and unwavering support that injured riders in St. Louis need to protect their rights.
We know the first thing an insurance adjuster will try to do is paint you as a risk-taker. They use this unfair stereotype to shift blame and devalue your claim. Our approach counters this from day one. We build your case on a foundation of facts, police reports, and expert testimony that focuses on the other driver’s negligence, not on the type of vehicle you choose to ride.
Motorcycle accidents often result in devastating, life-altering injuries. Our firm has extensive experience handling cases involving traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and severe road rash.
We work with a network of medical specialists and life care planners to fully document the long-term impact of your injuries, ensuring your claim reflects a lifetime of potential needs.
We leave no stone unturned. Our investigative process includes visiting the crash scene, gathering all available traffic and security camera footage, and interviewing witnesses.
We also work with top accident reconstruction experts who can analyze the physical evidence to create a clear, scientific picture of how the other driver’s actions caused the collision.
Insurance companies have teams of lawyers dedicated to minimizing payouts. We level the playing field. We handle all communications, manage all paperwork, and engage in forceful negotiations on your behalf. If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we are fully prepared to take your case to trial.
One of the biggest hurdles for an injured rider is the implicit bias held by many people, including insurance adjusters and potential jurors. They may wrongly assume that because you were on a motorcycle, you must have been speeding, weaving through traffic, or otherwise driving recklessly.
Insurance companies know this bias exists and exploit it. They will scrutinize your driving record, question your speed, and even use the style of your motorcycle against you. They create a narrative where you are at least partially at fault, allowing them to reduce or deny your claim under Missouri’s comparative fault rules.
The most common defense is that the driver simply did not see the motorcycle. Our job is to show that “not seeing” is not an excuse. It is negligence. A driver has a legal duty to see what is there to be seen.
This involves looking twice at intersections, checking blind spots properly before lane changes, and maintaining full situational awareness.
The financial toll of a serious motorcycle accident can be staggering. A personal injury claim is the legal process for holding the at-fault driver responsible for the immense costs associated with your injuries and recovery.
We work to build a comprehensive claim that accounts for every loss you have suffered. This detailed process goes far beyond the initial hospital bills from facilities like Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
It includes every related expense, from medication co-pays to the cost of modifying your home for accessibility.
A successful claim must document a wide range of damages to reflect the full impact of the accident on your life. These damages are categorized to address both your financial expenses and the personal, non-tangible harm you have endured.
Our team meticulously gathers the evidence needed to justify each of these damage categories, presenting a clear picture of your total losses.
Most motorcycle accidents are not “accidents” at all. They are the predictable result of a car or truck driver’s carelessness. In 2022 alone, Missouri recorded 155 motorcyclist fatalities, a tragic number that highlights the vulnerability of riders.
This is the single most common cause of serious motorcycle accidents. A driver turning left at an intersection fails to see an oncoming motorcycle or misjudges its speed, turning directly into its path. State law often places the primary fault on the turning driver in these situations.
Drivers often fail to check their blind spots adequately before changing lanes on busy roads like I-270 or Kingshighway Boulevard. They merge directly into a motorcyclist, giving the rider no time or space to react.
Distracted driving is a major factor in rear-end collisions. A driver looking at their phone may not realize that traffic has stopped ahead, crashing into the back of a stopped motorcycle with devastating force.
Sometimes, the crash is caused not by another driver but by a dangerous condition on the road itself. Unrepaired potholes, loose gravel from construction, or poorly designed intersections can all lead to a loss of control. In these cases, a government entity or contractor might be held liable.
Without the protection of an enclosed vehicle, a rider’s body is exposed to the full force of the impact. This leads to injuries that are often severe, permanent, and require a lifetime of costly medical care.
“Road rash” is a misleadingly mild term for what can be a severe and disfiguring injury. Deep abrasions can scrape away layers of skin, muscle, and tissue, requiring skin grafts and leading to permanent scarring and a high risk of infection.
While a helmet can save your life, it cannot always prevent a traumatic brain injury (TBI). The violent forces in a crash can cause the brain to impact the inside of the skull, leading to concussions or more severe injuries that affect cognitive function, memory, and personality.
An impact that throws a rider from their bike can easily cause fractures to the vertebrae, leading to spinal cord damage. These injuries can result in permanent paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia, forever changing a person’s life.
A strong case is built on the foundation of state law. An experienced St. Louis, MO motorcycle accident lawyer knows how to use these statutes to protect your rights and counter the insurance company’s arguments.
Under Missouri Revised Statute § 302.020, riders 26 and older may operate a motorcycle without a helmet if they maintain qualifying health insurance. Riders under 26, as well as those with instructional permits, must wear a helmet.
You have a limited time to take legal action. According to Missouri Revised Statute 516.120, you generally have five years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. Waiting too long can mean losing your right to pursue compensation forever.
We use the evidence to minimize any percentage of fault assigned to you, fighting to show that the other driver bears the overwhelming responsibility for the crash.
Your absolute first priority is your health. Seek immediate medical attention, even if you feel fine, as some serious injuries have delayed symptoms. Then, contact an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to protect your legal rights and preserve crucial evidence.
Your motorcycle insurance policy may include Medical Payments (MedPay) coverage, which can help pay for your initial medical bills regardless of who was at fault. If the at-fault driver is uninsured, your Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage would apply. We can review your policy to identify all available sources of recovery.
While a traffic ticket issued to the other driver is strong evidence of their negligence, it does not guarantee a successful outcome. The insurance company can still fight the claim. The ticket is one piece of a much larger puzzle that we assemble to build a comprehensive and compelling case on your behalf.
Yes. While you must follow Missouri’s helmet law, not wearing one does not prevent you from filing a claim against the driver who caused the crash. The insurance company may argue that your injuries would have been less severe with a helmet, but the driver’s negligence remains the root cause of the incident.
A police report is an officer’s opinion; it is not the final word. Officers arrive after the fact and can make mistakes. We conduct our own independent investigation to uncover all the facts and determine the true cause of the crash. An incorrect police report does not prevent you from pursuing a valid injury claim.
We advise our clients not to give a recorded statement without consulting us first. Insurance adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to get you to say something that undermines your claim. Let us handle all communications with the insurance company to protect your rights.
While a crash can happen anywhere, some intersections in the St. Louis area see frequent accidents due to heavy traffic, complex layouts, or poor visibility. These include the intersections at Grand Boulevard and Gravois Avenue, Kingshighway Boulevard and Chippewa Street, and Hampton Avenue and Arsenal Street.
Drivers must exercise extra caution and look carefully for motorcycles in these high-risk areas.
You deserve a legal team that respects riders and fights back against the unfair biases you face. A St. Louis, MO motorcycle accident lawyer at Walner Law will be your dedicated advocate, handling the entire legal process so you can concentrate on your physical and emotional recovery.
We invite you to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. Let us show you how we can help. Call us today at 312-410-8496 or fill out our online contact form to get started.
