Motorcycle vs. Truck Crashes

Motorcycle crashes can always be serious, but they can be even more so when a collision involves a large truck and a motorcycle. Speak with an Austin motorcycle accident lawyer about your injuries and legal rights. 

When a car hits a motorcycle, it can result in serious injuries to the motorcyclist, as they do not have the protection of the frame of a vehicle and other car safety features. The situation becomes significantly more serious when the vehicle that hits the motorcycle is a truck. For example, in August 2021, a crash between a motorcyclist and a pickup truck on northbound I-35 in Austin resulted in fatal injuries to the motorcyclist. 

Even more dangerous to motorcyclists than a pickup, however, is a semi-truck. Semi-trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds when they have a full load, and the average motorcycle weighs about 700 pounds. Even a large bike is no match for a massive tractor-trailer, and these crashes regularly result in life-changing or fatal injuries. 

If you suffered injuries in a crash or lost a loved one, learn how an Austin motorcycle accident lawyer can help. 

Causes of Truck-Motorcycle Collisions

Trucks and motorcycles can collide for many reasons and in many ways. Motorcycles are more difficult to see on the road, and trucks have substantially larger blind spots than smaller vehicles. This combination makes it all too easy for a truck driver to miss a motorcyclist and fail to yield or make a dangerous lane change. 

Some truck driver errors that can lead to motorcycle accidents include:

• Distracted driving
• Impaired driving
• Fatigued driving
• Failing to check blind spots
• Driving too fast for conditions
• Jackknifed trailers

When truck drivers make such negligent mistakes, they can strike a motorcycle and permanently alter the life of the motorcyclist or their families. 

How Motorcyclists or Family Members Can Recover

If you suffered catastrophic injuries when a truck hit your motorcycle, or you lost a spouse, child, or parent in a truck-motorcycle crash, you might have the legal right to compensation for your extensive losses. First, you must determine who can be held liable for the accident, which might include:

• A negligent truck driver
• The trucking company that employed the driver
• Truck or tire manufacturers
• Construction crews or agencies that allowed road hazards

If a truck driver hit you while they were on the clock, their employer can often be held liable for your losses, as well. This is important because a trucking company will have larger insurance policies than individual drivers in most cases. When motorcyclists suffer catastrophic injuries in truck crashes, their losses often exceed the policy limits of individual insurance policies, so having access to corporate coverage can be highly beneficial. 

The right attorney can identify all sources of compensation for injured motorcyclists or the family members who lost a loved one in a crash. 

Speak With Austin Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

If a truck hit you on your motorcycle, or if you were involved in any other type of crash, you want TK Injury Lawyers on your side. Our Austin motorcycle accident attorneys handle complex cases involving serious injuries. Call (512)-910-2000 or contact us online for your free case evaluation as soon as possible.