Have you or a family member suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle crash in Laredo, TX? When another motorist’s negligence turns your life upside down, you deserve accountability and compensation.
At Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C., our dedicated Laredo motorcycle accident lawyers can help you get both. Contact our Laredo office at (956) 606-4878 to schedule a free consultation.
Why Choose Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. for Your Laredo Motorcycle Claim?
Following a major collision, riders frequently face unfair prejudice from insurance representatives who blame them, accuse them of not wearing adequate protective gear, or indulge stereotypes about the dangerousness of motorcycles.
We don’t let those old tactics threaten your right to compensation.
Motorcycle crash victims across Laredo, Texas rely on our firm because:
- Our lead litigator brings a proven courtroom record with over 300 successful trials and arbitrations taken to verdict
- Our Laredo personal injury lawyers have secured millions of dollars in financial recoveries for our clients
- Our work has earned honors from prestigious legal organizations, including Texas Lawyer Magazine and the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
- Our legal team offers decades of shared trial experience
- You owe us nothing up front or out of pocket; we work entirely on contingency
Reach out today to connect with a Laredo motorcycle accident attorney who will protect your rights.
Determining the Value of a Laredo Motorcycle Accident Claim
Every motorcycle collision involves unique circumstances and varying degrees of harm. Therefore, there is no standard formula or pre-set payout amount for an injury claim.
Key elements that influence your compensation include:
- The nature and long-term impact of your injuries
- Current health expenses and future costs
- Length of time away from your job and your total unearned wages
- Whether you suffered disfigurement or loss of mobility
- The coverage limits of the at-fault driver’s insurance policy
- Identifying every party responsible for the crash
- Comparative fault claims made by defense insurers
The best way to determine the value of your damages is to speak with an experienced attorney who can assess your claim and work with experts to establish its value.
Available Damages in a Texas Motorcycle Accident Claim
Texas law allows injured riders to pursue compensation for the full financial and personal cost of their crash, split into two broad categories.
Economic damages generally cover direct financial losses, such as:
- Emergency medical transport and paramedic services
- Hospital stays and surgical procedures
- Physical therapy, specialized treatment, and rehabilitation
- Anticipated future medical care and long-term treatment
- Lost income while recovering from work
- Reduced earning capacity or permanent inability to work
- Repairs or replacement for your motorcycle
- Replacement of damaged riding gear and personal items
Non-economic damages address personal, non-financial impacts, such as:
- Pain and ongoing discomfort
- Emotional distress
- Psychological trauma
- Permanent disability
- Severe scarring
- Loss of enjoyment of life and valued activities
An experienced Laredo motorcycle accident attorney will document the full extent of your losses to help ensure you recover fair compensation.
Wrongful Death Damages for Motorcyclists
Texas law allows certain surviving family members of a deceased rider (generally a spouse, children, and parents) to pursue a wrongful death claim against the driver responsible for their crash.
Recovered damages are meant to compensate the family for their own losses, not the rider’s, and can include the financial support the rider would have provided going forward. It can also include the loss of their companionship, guidance, and care, and the mental anguish suffered by surviving loved ones. Funeral and burial expenses are also recoverable.
A separate survival action may also be available. A survival action allows the deceased rider’s estate to recover for what the rider personally experienced between the crash and their death, including pain and suffering and any medical expenses incurred during that time.
How Texas Helmet Laws Affect Your Injury Claim
Helmet laws in Texas depend on age and safety requirements. Under Texas Transportation Code Section 661.003, riders and passengers under 21 must always wear a helmet. Riders 21 and older may ride without one only if they have completed an approved safety course or carry health insurance that covers motorcycle injuries. Riders who do not meet these criteria must wear a helmet.
Riding without a helmet never prevents you from recovering compensation if an unsafe driver causes a crash. However, insurance companies often use a lack of protective gear to try to reduce settlements. They may argue that your injuries would have been less severe if you had worn a helmet. Overcoming these arguments requires an attorney who can anticipate these strategies and use the law to argue your case.
Shared Fault Rules in Texas
Texas uses a modified comparative fault system under Chapter 33 of the Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code. This rule allows injured riders to recover compensation as long as they are no more than 50% responsible for the crash.
If you are assigned a percentage of fault at or below 50%, your total compensation is reduced by that percentage. For example, if your total damages equal $350,000 and you are found 15% at fault, your recoverable compensation would be $297,500. However, if your share of fault reaches 51% or higher, state law prevents you from recovering any compensation.
Insurance adjusters regularly use comparative fault rules to assign undue blame to riders. For example, while qualified riders over 21 may lawfully ride without a helmet, adjusters often argue that going helmetless worsened the injuries. This tactic attempts to confuse liability with damage severity, making experienced legal counsel essential to protecting your rights.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Laredo, TX
Due to the force of a collision, motorcyclists often suffer head and spinal cord injuries that take months or years to heal, or never truly do. The worst impacts cause fatal injuries that take a beloved rider from their family.
Our legal team represents riders who have suffered severe injuries, including:
- Crush injuries
- Traumatic amputations
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Severe bone fractures
- Road rash and skin damage
- Internal organ injuries
- Facial trauma
- Permanent scarring
- Post-traumatic stress
- Wrongful death
If you suffered these or other injuries, you should consider pursuing a motorcycle accident claim immediately. An experienced attorney can help you navigate your rights.
What Causes Most Motorcycle Accidents in Laredo?
Most motorcycle crashes are caused by motor vehicle drivers failing to pay attention to their surroundings, rather than rider negligence. They result from failures to share the road, as much as anything else.
Heavy traffic along I-35 and routes near border crossings makes riding in Laredo particularly dangerous.
Common causes of motorcycle collisions in Laredo include:
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way on left turns
- Unsafe lane changes
- Impaired driving
- Heavy semi-truck traffic around commercial corridors
- Dangerous road conditions, such as potholes and debris
Many crashes involve multiple contributing factors. Our team investigates the full circumstances of your crash to determine liability and pursue full compensation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit in Texas?
In Texas, injured riders generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Missing this deadline typically forfeits your right to seek compensation through the courts.
Certain legal exceptions can affect filing deadlines, so it is best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after a crash.
How a Laredo Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
Building a strong motorcycle injury case requires experience. Experience handling claims against insurers. Experience countering bogus blame allegations and scare tactics used to deny compensation.
An experienced attorney can help by:
- Assessing immediate and future financial losses to pursue complete coverage for your damages
- Managing settlement discussions directly with insurance representatives
- Pinpointing all responsible parties and available insurance coverage options
- Challenging arguments regarding protective helmet usage
- Securing local surveillance footage and eyewitness statements before crucial details fade
- Partnering with crash reconstructionists and medical experts to build a clear claim
- Compiling medical documentation and gathering official police collision reports
- Taking your case to court and trying it before a jury if insurers refuse to negotiate fairly
Partnering with an experienced personal injury attorney lets you focus on recovery while we handle the legal process on your behalf.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Laredo Motorcycle Attorney?
Personal injury attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis, where you pay no upfront retainers or hourly legal fees. Instead, your fee is calculated as an agreed-upon percentage (usually between 33% and 40%) of the final recovery obtained through a settlement or trial verdict.
This payment structure is client-friendly and ensures you do not face out-of-pocket expenses while also dealing with medical bills and lost income. Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. offers free consultations to evaluate claims across Webb County.
Contact a Laredo Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
A serious motorcycle crash can disrupt your health, finances, and future. Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. is here to help you hold responsible drivers accountable and pursue full compensation.
Contact Trujillo Gonzalez, P.C. today to schedule a free consultation with a Laredo motorcycle accident lawyer and protect your rights.
Visit Our Laredo Personal Injury Law Office
At Trujillo Gonzalez, we serve injury victims in Laredo and across Webb County.
