Fort Worth Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Bikers Deserve Full Legal Protection — We Fight for Yours

Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable road users, and when something goes wrong, the consequences are almost always severe. A motorcycle offers virtually no structural protection in a crash. There are no airbags, no crumple zones, no door panels between you and the pavement — or the vehicle that just hit you.

To make a difficult situation worse, motorcyclists frequently face a specific kind of bias from insurance companies and even from juries. Insurers often try to paint riders as reckless or as having assumed the risk of their injuries. This is both legally wrong and morally unfair, and Patterson Law Group fights it directly and aggressively.

Our Fort Worth motorcycle accident attorneys have represented riders across Tarrant County and North Texas for over 30 years. We know how to dismantle the anti-biker narrative, establish fault, document the full extent of your injuries, and recover maximum compensation — including for pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of the sport you love.

Texas Helmet Laws — What You Need to Know

Texas law requires all motorcycle riders and passengers to wear a helmet — with an important exception. Under Texas Transportation Code § 661.003, riders 21 years of age or older who have completed an approved motorcycle operator training and safety course, or who are covered by an applicable health insurance plan, may ride without a helmet.

If you were riding without a helmet at the time of your accident, an insurance company will almost certainly try to use that against you, arguing your injuries were partially your own fault. This is a legitimate concern — but it does not necessarily eliminate your right to recover compensation.

Texas's comparative fault rules allow recovery as long as you were 50% or less responsible for your injuries. Our attorneys have extensive experience countering helmet-based arguments and showing that the at-fault driver's negligence — not your choice of protective gear — was the dominant cause of your accident and injuries.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Worth

The majority of motorcycle accidents in Texas are caused by the negligence of other drivers — not by the motorcyclist. The most common scenarios our attorneys see include:

Lane Splitting in Texas — Where Does the Law Stand?

Lane splitting — the practice of riding a motorcycle between lanes of slow-moving or stopped traffic — is currently not legal in Texas. Texas Transportation Code § 545.060 requires motorcycles to remain within a single lane, just like any other vehicle. There has been ongoing legislative discussion about changing this law, but as of the current date it remains prohibited.

If you were lane splitting at the time of your accident, the other driver's insurance company will use this against you. However, even if you were engaging in lane splitting, you may still be entitled to partial compensation if the other driver was also negligent — for example, if they suddenly changed lanes without signaling into a path you were occupying.

Do not assume that because you were lane splitting, your case has no value. Speak with our attorneys before making any assumptions.

Injuries Commonly Seen in Motorcycle Accidents

Because motorcycles provide so little physical protection, injuries from motorcycle crashes are typically far more severe than those from car accidents at similar speeds. Injuries our attorneys commonly see in these cases include:

Insurance Challenges That Motorcyclists Face

Motorcycle accident victims routinely face an uphill battle with insurance companies that goes beyond the typical challenges faced by car accident victims. Insurers often deploy the following tactics specifically against motorcyclists:

• Assumed Risk Arguments Insurers claim that choosing to ride a motorcycle means you "assumed the risk" of serious injury. This is not a complete defense in Texas but is used to pressure victims into accepting lower settlements.
• Helmet Allegations If you weren't wearing a helmet (or even if you were), adjusters try to shift blame onto you for the severity of your injuries.
• Speeding and Reckless Riding Claims Without solid evidence, adjusters frequently claim the rider was speeding or riding recklessly to inflate the motorcyclist's comparative fault percentage.
• Minimizing Injuries Insurance medical examiners often downplay the severity of motorcycle injuries, particularly soft tissue injuries, road rash, and psychological trauma.

Patterson Law Group fights back against every one of these tactics. We gather evidence, work with accident reconstruction experts, and present your case in a way that accurately reflects what happened and what you've suffered.

Compensation Available in Motorcycle Accident Cases

As a motorcycle accident victim, you may be entitled to recover compensation for: