Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Louisiana

A motorcycle injury can change your life permanently. The lasting effects of motorcycle injuries can cause problems for you and your family for years. The motorcycle injury lawyers in Louisiana at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys understand the pain, suffering, and frustration you’re experiencing after being the victim of a motorcycle accident. That’s why our Louisiana personal injury lawyers serve all our clients with compassion.

We’re as passionate about our motorcycle accident clients as they are about their bikes. You can rest assured that we’ll do everything in our power to help you find the compensation to heal after your motorcycle accident injury. If you’ve been injured while riding a motorcycle due to another party’s negligence, call the Get Gordon team today at 888.501.7888 to receive the compensation you deserve.

Louisiana Motorcycle Laws

The best way to ensure you’ll receive the compensation you deserve after a motorcycle crash is to follow all of the motorcycle laws of Louisiana. These have also been written with motorcycle safety in mind, so they’re not only legal requirements—they’re proven methods to keep you safe on every ride.

Here are some of the most important Louisiana motorcycle laws. For more information, refer to Louisiana Revised Statute 32, Subpart G, on the Operation of Motorcycles, Motor-Driven Cycles and Bicycles.

Inspection and licensing

Before hitting the open road on your motorcycle, you need a motorcycle endorsement on your license. You can get endorsed to ride a motorcycle by passing a motorcycle knowledge and skills test. You’ll also need to pay applicable taxes and have your bike inspected within 40 days of purchase in order to ride.

Louisiana helmet laws

Both motorcycle operators and passengers are required to wear suitable helmets while the bike is moving. Suitable helmets include those with adequate padding and lining around the head, an eye visor, and a secure chin strap.

Eye protection

If your motorcycle doesn’t have a high-enough windshield to protect your face, you’ll need protective eyewear to protect your eyes on the road.

Louisiana traffic lane laws

Louisiana motorcyclists have full use of traffic lanes. However, motorcyclists may not ride side-by-side in a single lane, and you cannot pass another vehicle in their lane or drive your bike between traffic lanes.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

There are a number of possible causes of motorcycle accidents, but one of the most common is driver negligence. Because motorcycles are smaller than passenger cars, they can be harder to see or notice, but passenger car drivers should be alert to all vehicles on the road.  Negligent driving can include the following:

• Driving dangerously or aggressively, for example by speeding, failing to yield, tailgating, or failing to pay attention to traffic
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Driving distracted or drowsy
• Swerving in front of a motorcyclist
• Cutting off a motorcyclist at an intersection

Another common cause of motorcycle wrecks is a failure to yield by the car driver. Many times, these are caused by drivers who misjudge a motorcyclist’s speed or distance when making a left-hand turn.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep the road safe for everyone else. If you’re on a motorcycle, always drive defensively and predictably, make sure you’re visible to other vehicles on the road, and always follow motorcycle safety best practices! If you’re in a passenger car, keep an eye out for motorcycles on the road and give them the respect they deserve.

Injuries You Could Sustain in a Motorcycle Wreck

A motorcycle accident can affect your health for weeks, months, years, or even for the rest of your life. If you’re injured in a motorcycle wreck, you could be looking at significant medical bills, intense physical therapy, and a long road to recovery. In extreme cases, you might be left paralyzed, unable to work, or worse.

Some of the severe injuries sustained in Louisiana motorcycle accidents can include

• Bone fractures
• Loss of limbs
• Scrapes and bruises, road rash, and even disfigurement
• Spinal cord injuries leading to partial or total paralysis, debilitating pain, and other lasting side-effects
• Traumatic brain injuries can leave you unable to care for yourself for the rest of your life
• Wrongful death

Even though motorcycles make up only 3% of registered vehicles in the US, motorcycle riders are involved in 15% of all traffic accident fatalities. That means that riders are 26 times more likely to die in a crash than victims of car accidents.

Wrongful Death Claim: What You Need to Do

A wrongful death occurs when a person’s death is directly brought on by the wrongdoing or negligence of another person or establishment. The actions listed below should be taken if a loved one you care about was killed in a motorcycle accident (All of the below relations also include those relations by adoption).

First: It’s very important to remember that a wrongful death lawsuit in Louisiana can only be carried out by certain survivors of the car accident victim. The survivors of the victim who can file a claim are:

• The surviving spouse and/or children of the deceased or
• If both spouse and children are dead, the surviving parents of the deceased or
• If the spouse, children, and parents are dead, the surviving siblings of the deceased or
• If the spouse, children, parents, and siblings are deceased, the surviving grandparents of the deceased

Next: Don’t forget that you need to get with an attorney to file this claim within 2 years of the motorcycle accident because Louisiana abides by a 2-year statute of limitations. 

Last: Get in touch with our Louisiana Wrongful Death Attorneys to get familiar with your legal options and get the help you rightfully deserve.

Statute of Limitation Changes in Louisiana:

Recent changes in Louisiana law have extended the statute of limitations for personal injury claims occurring on or after July 1, 2024, from one year to two years. Any injuries that occurred before July 1, 2024 will still have a 1-year statute of limitation. Learn more about Louisiana’s New Statute of Limitations here.

• 1-year for injuries sustained before July 1, 2024.
• 2-years for injuries suffered after July 1, 2024.

The statute of limitations is a legal deadline that sets a time frame for filing a lawsuit. In Louisiana, this is known as the “prescriptive period,” which determines how long you have to take legal action against the responsible party after an injury occurs.

What to Do If You’re a Victim of a Motorcycle Crash

If you’ve been a victim of, or witness to, a motorcycle accident, the first thing you should do is move to a safe location and call 911, especially if you’re not at fault. Paramedics will be able to address your injuries and keep you stable, and the police on the scene will put their findings into an official police report. This report will be important evidence in your motorcycle accident claim.

As soon as you’re able, you should call an experienced motorcycle accident attorney at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys for a free consultation about your case. Our experienced team of personal injury lawyers knows how to help you get the highest possible compensation for your injuries, lost wages, property damage, and other costs you’ve incurred due to the accident.

Remember: your insurance company is only concerned about their bottom line; they don’t have your interests and healing at heart. The Get Gordon team is a law firm in Louisiana that cares about all of our clients, and we do our very best to help them get the compensation they deserve in their personal injury cases.

Call our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm Today!

Give Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys a call today at 888.501.7888 to begin your path to healing. We offer free consultations, considered legal advice, and the G Guarantee: you don’t pay us a dime until we win your motorcycle accident case.