Motorcyclists face a variety of risks when traveling through the state of Arizona. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident that you believe was caused by a negligent driver, Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm is here for you.
A Mesa motorcycle accident lawyer from our law office will provide unmatched legal representation as you pursue maximum compensation for your injuries, lost wages, medical expenses, and more. We don’t shy away from complex cases, and in all that we do, we prioritize the attorney-client relationship. Contact our law firm today for an opportunity to meet with a motorcycle accident attorney for a no-obligation free consultation.
Arizona Motorcycle Accident Statistics
With beautiful desert scenery, forests, mountains, the Grand Canyon, and two dozen national monuments, memorials, historic sites, and parks, Arizona is an ideal state to explore from the back of a motorcycle.
Unfortunately, for all our state has to offer, it also poses a significant threat to the average motorcycle rider. Crash data from the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) shows that in 2021:
- There were 2,594 motorcycle accidents
- Motorcycles represented 89% of all registered vehicles and were involved in 2.14% of all accidents
- 163 people were killed in accidents involving motorcycles
- Drunk driving caused approximately 27% of fatal motorcycle crashes
ADOT data also shows that you are most likely to be involved in a motorcycle crash between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. Additionally, motorcycle accidents are also more likely to occur in urban settings during daylight hours. Certain road conditions, including wet or gravel-covered roads, also increase the risk of suffering injuries in a motorcycle wreck.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Mesa
When filing a personal injury claim for a motorcycle accident, it is important to determine the cause of the collision. When you identify both the responsible party and the cause of the crash, you will be better positioned to secure just compensation for your injuries and other related damages.
Your legal team of Mesa motorcycle accident attorneys will utilize all possible sources of evidence to determine what may have caused your accident, including:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Speeding
- Driving too fast for conditions
Many motorcycle accidents can be traced back to one uniting factor—driver error. ADOT cites driver behavior as the cause of at least 90% of all crashes, making it the leading cause of all traffic collisions, including those involving motorcycles. If you suffered injuries because the other driver engaged in poor behind-the-wheel behavior, contact a Mesa, AZ motorcycle accident lawyer to discuss your legal options.
Injuries Motorcycle Accident Victims Suffer
Motorcycle crashes tend to cause much more severe injuries than accidents involving two larger motor vehicles. This is because motorcyclists lack many of the basic protections that are afforded to car passengers, such as seat belts and air bags.
In particular, catastrophic injuries are far more common. A catastrophic injury is a type of severe injury that occurs to the spinal cord, spine, brain, or head, often suddenly and without warning. These types of injuries often require extensive and even life-long medical care.
As your legal counsel, it is our job to help you recover compensation for all of your motorcycle crash injuries, including the following common injuries:
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Crushed limbs
- Loss of limb (amputation)
- Road rash (abrasion caused by friction with road surfaces)
- Burns
- Cuts and lacerations
- Death
Whether you suffered life-threatening injuries, need medical attention for a few, or are facing repeated surgeries for extensive injuries, an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer is here for you.
The personal injury lawyers here at Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm know what it takes to stand up to the insurance company, and our reputation precedes us. We are known for being uncompromising advocates on behalf of victims of Mesa motorcycle accidents—we don’t back down until we secure full compensation for our clients.
Fatal Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm extends its sincerest condolences to anyone who has lost a family member in what should have been a preventable motorcycle accident. When serious injuries become fatal and the loss of a loved one is felt deeply by surviving family members, our Mesa motorcycle accident lawyers have the knowledge and experience required to compassionately guide families through the process of filing a wrongful death case.
What Is My Motorcycle Accident Claim Worth?
For many victims, life after a Mesa motorcycle accident will never be the same. If you were injured and are unable to work, can no longer engage in your hobbies, and struggle to maintain your social life, you already know that your life has been irreparably harmed.
You need to work with an attorney who sees the myriad of ways your life has been impacted by a motorcycle accident injury.
A Mesa motorcycle accident attorney from Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm will form a strong attorney-client relationship with you in order to determine how your life has been affected. If you’ve suffered a financial loss, we’ll know about it. If you no longer find enjoyment in life, we’ll fight for justice.
The point of personal injury accident claims is to secure compensation for those who have been injured by the negligence of other drivers. Getting to know you on a personal level will allow us to correctly value how much you are owed for your economic damages:
- Lost wages
- Medical bills
- Property damage
And your non-economic damages:
- Mental anguish
- Loss of enjoyment in life
- Physical pain and suffering
You have legal rights to address these losses. An experienced mesa motorcycle accident lawyer from Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm has the requisite legal knowledge and experience to ensure that those rights are respected and upheld.
Our combined experience representing those that have been injured by other vehicles has given us a deep insight into the inner workings of the insurance company, and we never allow their tricks or tactics to lower our clients’ settlements.
Why Work With a Mesa Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
A competent Mesa motorcycle accident lawyer will strengthen your personal injury claim. Our legal team will investigate your motorcycle wreck to determine liability and value the worth of your claim. During this investigation, we’ll draw on all available evidence, including:
- Pictures and videos of the accident scene
- The police accident report
- Eyewitness statements
- Dash cam footage of the motorcycle wreck
When necessary, we also utilize the help of professionals in other fields. In our two decades representing injury victims across the southwest, we have developed strong relationships with medical experts and accident reconstructionists. If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident in Mesa, AZ, we are confident that there is no better law firm to help you recover maximum compensation than Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm.
We Stand Up to the Insurance Company
As Mesa motorcycle accident lawyers, we spend a significant amount of time dealing with big insurance companies. This is because most accident settlements are not paid directly by the at-fault driver but rather by their auto insurer. One of the most important things to keep in mind is that these profit-minded businesses are not your friend.
The insurance company will waste no time in contacting you soon after your accident. We advise that you:
- Do not give a recorded statement
- Do refer questions to your Mesa motorcycle accident lawyer
- Do not speculate on what might have caused the accident
- Do stick to the facts
- Do not go into details about your accident injury
- Do disclose that you are currently undergoing medical care
Our Mesa motorcycle injury lawyers regularly take over all communications with the insurance company on behalf of our clients. We find that this approach allows our clients to rest and focus on recovering from their serious injuries and prevents the insurance company from tricking or bullying them into saying anything that might compromise their ability to recover compensation.
Arizona Motorcycle Laws
Arizona allows drivers as young as 15 years and six months to obtain a motorcycle instruction permit. This is the youngest age at which the law allows a person to begin learning how to ride a motorcycle. At age 16, a person may obtain a motorcycle license or a Class M endorsement on their driver’s license.
Motorcycle licenses do not expire until the holder reaches the age of 65, although you are required to undergo an eye test and update your license photo every 12 years.
Motorcycle Helmet Laws
ARS 28-964 requires anyone who is under the age of 18 to wear a helmet while driving or riding a motorcycle in the state of Arizona. This law requires riders to wear a full-face helmet or an open-face helmet with a transparent face shield, glasses, or goggles.
Adults aged 18 and older are not required to wear a helmet. However, all motorcyclists, regardless of age, must wear some form of eye protective gear unless their motorcycle has a windscreen.
Even if you are not required by law to wear a helmet, the Mesa motorcycle accident attorneys of Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm strongly recommend that you do so anyway. According to the CDC, motorcycle helmets are 37% effective at preventing deaths among riders.
Lane Filtering Laws
Lane filtering is a controversial practice that leaves both the motorcycle community and the population at large divided. While SB1273 legalized the practice, riders must practice lane filtering responsibly or risk causing a Mesa motorcycle accident. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- Lane filtering is not the same as lane splitting—you cannot filter between moving traffic.
- You may only practice lane filtering on streets with speed limits of 45 mph or slower.
- Your motorcycle may not travel faster than 15 mph when lane filtering.
- Lane filtering is only permitted on streets with at least two lanes of traffic going in the same direction.
If you were legally engaged in lane filtering when you were hurt by a negligent driver, get in touch with a Mesa motorcycle accident attorney today. We’ll make sure you have the resources and support necessary to file a personal injury claim.
Talk With Top-Rated Mesa Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, you can make your voice heard through the filing of a personal injury claim. Buckingham Barrera Vega Law Firm will be your steadfast guide through this process.
For an opportunity to speak one-on-one with our highly-rated Mesa motorcycle accident attorneys, contact our law office today to claim your free consultation.
