| Should I hire a lawyer after a motorcycle accident in Tacoma? If you suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle crash, having a reliable Tacoma personal injury lawyer can make a significant difference. Motorcycle claims often involve a tougher fight over fault because drivers and insurers may argue they “never saw the motorcycle” and try to shift blame to the rider. Under Washington’s comparative negligence rule (RCW 4.22.005), any fault assigned to you can reduce your compensation, making it especially important to have someone protecting your interests after a serious crash on SR-16, I-5, or other Tacoma roads. |
Most motorcycle crashes are not a fair fight, on the road or afterward. A rider has no cage, no airbags, and no steel around them, so the injuries run deep. Then the insurer starts from the assumption that the person on two wheels was the reckless one. You need someone who knows how to take that assumption apart.
Bernard Law Group represents injured riders in Tacoma and across Washington. Our attorneys look at the crash location, the driver’s conduct, the available coverage, any road or maintenance problem, and how the injury changes your daily life.
- $500 million+ reported in verdicts and settlements recovered across the firm’s injury practice, including a record $18.5 million motorcycle result.
- Nearly four decades serving injured Washingtonians, with 10,000+ clients helped and real client reviews.
- Hands-on experience with the full range of motor vehicle claims: motorcycle, car, truck, pedestrian, and bicycle crashes, plus wrongful death.
- Available 24/7 with a free case review, so you can ask questions before you decide anything.
- Rated Superb by AVVO and listed in Super Lawyers, with membership in the American Association for Justice.
What should a rider do at the scene of a Tacoma crash?
Call 911, get medical care, and preserve everything you can before you leave. How you handle the first hour shapes the whole claim.
- Call 911 and ask for police and medics. Under RCW 46.52.030, a crash that causes injury or serious property damage must be reported. When an officer responds and writes it up, that duty is met, and the report names the driver.
- Stay put and get the driver’s information. RCW 46.52.020 requires drivers to stop, share name, address, insurance, and plate, and help anyone hurt. Leaving the scene of an injury crash is a felony.
- Accept medical care, even if adrenaline has you feeling fine. Head injuries and internal bleeding often hide for hours. Prompt records tie your injuries to the crash.
- Photograph the scene and both vehicles. Capture the road, skid marks, signals, your motorcycle’s resting position, and your gear before anything is moved.
- Keep your helmet, jacket, and boots exactly as they are. Do not clean or toss them. Scarred gear can show the force of the impact and prove you were protected.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurer, including your own, until you speak with a lawyer. Early words get used to shrink your claim.
How are highway motorcycle crashes handled in Tacoma?
Where you request your report depends on who responded. For a crash on a Tacoma city street, the Tacoma Police Department handles it, and records run through South Sound 911, the agency that manages dispatch and records for Tacoma and much of Pierce County. Many serious motorcycle crashes happen on state routes such as I-5, SR-16, and SR-509, where the Washington State Patrol usually investigates. In that case, you request the report from WSP instead. Either way, plan on a wait of a few weeks before the report is ready.
There is one thing riders often overlook: your motorcycle is evidence. Newer bikes store speed, throttle, and braking data, and the damage pattern helps an expert reconstruct the crash. That machine can prove the other driver, not you, caused the wreck, so what happens to it after the crash matters as much as the paperwork.
What are the leading causes of motorcycle accidents in Tacoma?
The most common causes are drivers turning left across a rider’s path, failing to yield, driving impaired, and speeding. Pinning down which one caused your crash is the first step toward proving who is responsible.
- Left-Turn and Failure-to-Yield Crashes: Many serious motorcycle collisions happen when a driver turns left at an intersection and never sees the oncoming rider, or pulls out from a side street or driveway.
- Impaired Driving: Alcohol and drugs remain a leading factor in fatal Washington motorcycle crashes. A rider hurt by an impaired driver has a civil claim separate from any criminal case.
- Speeding: Higher speeds reduce reaction time and multiply injury severity, and arterials like Pacific Avenue and Canyon Road East invite it.
- Unsafe Lane Changes and Blind Spots: Drivers who do not check for a motorcycle sideswipe or cut off riders on busy roads like I-5 and SR-16.
- Road Hazards: Potholes, gravel, poor signal timing, and construction defects are far more dangerous to a two-wheeled vehicle than to a car.
What injuries do riders face after a Tacoma wreck?
The most common serious injuries are road rash, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and broken bones. Because a motorcycle offers no steel cage, airbags, or seat belts, riders absorb crash forces directly.
- Road rash and Degloving: Sliding across pavement tears skin and tissue, sometimes down to muscle or bone. Severe cases require surgery and skin grafts, leaving lasting scars.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: A helmet lowers the risk but does not erase it. Concussions and worse can follow, with cognitive and emotional effects that must be fully documented.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Herniated discs, nerve damage, and, in the worst case, paralysis. These often mean surgery, long rehab, and a changed life.
- Fractures and Crush Injuries: Legs, hips, wrists, and pelvis take the brunt when a rider is thrown or pinned.
- Internal Injuries: Blunt force can damage organs and cause bleeding that is not obvious at the scene, which is why prompt medical care matters so much.
Who can be held responsible when a Tacoma rider is hurt?
Washington is a fault-based state, so the driver who caused the crash and their insurer owe you damages. Proving that means showing four things: a duty to drive safely, a breach of that duty, a direct link between the breach and your injuries, and real harm you can measure.
Responsibility does not always rest with one driver. Depending on the facts, other parties may share it:
- An employer, if the at-fault driver was working when the crash happened.
- A vehicle or parts maker, if a defect made the crash or your injuries worse.
- A government agency, if bad road design, missing signs, or poor maintenance created the hazard, which is common in road-defect motorcycle cases.
- A bar or restaurant, if it over-served a driver who was clearly drunk before the crash, under Washington’s dram shop rules.
We investigate every angle. Finding all responsible parties is often what separates a partial recovery from a full one.
Attorney Insight
Whether you wore a helmet has nothing to do with who caused the crash, and an insurer that blends the two is doing it on purpose. At most, helmet use can affect specific head injuries, and only with medical proof. We handle the causation question and the injury question separately, and we back the injury side with treating-physician records so an adjuster cannot quietly use your gear, or lack of it, to discount a claim the other driver caused.
What types of compensation can you recover after a crash?
Washington law lets injured riders recover both economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages cover measurable losses:
- Emergency care, surgery, hospital stays, and follow-up treatment
- Physical therapy, rehabilitation, and future medical needs
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity if you cannot return to the same work
- Repair or replacement of your motorcycle, helmet, and riding gear
Non-economic damages cover the human cost:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and mental anguish
- Loss of the activities and riding you enjoyed before the crash
- Loss of consortium, meaning the strain on your relationship with a spouse or partner
Insurers routinely undervalue the non-economic side. A large part of our job is building the records that make those losses hard to dismiss.
How long does a Tacoma rider have to file a claim?
Under RCW 4.16.080, you generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit in Washington. Miss that window and your right to sue is usually gone, no matter how clear the driver’s fault was.
Pitfall Alert
Do not let your motorcycle be repaired, sold, or scrapped. After a crash, the insurer may declare your bike a total loss and move to haul it off within days. Once it is gone, so is some of your best proof: the stored speed and braking data, the impact pattern, and the parts that show a defect or the other vehicle’s point of contact. Riders lose leverage every day by signing off on the bike before anyone inspects it. Hold onto the motorcycle, and the damaged gear, until your lawyer has locked in what they show.
How do insurers treat motorcycle riders differently?
Motorcycle riders can face unfair assumptions after a crash. Insurance adjusters may quickly question the rider’s speed, visibility, or judgment instead of focusing on the other driver’s actions. A motorcycle accident lawyer can push back against these tactics, protect you from blame-shifting, and handle the evidence and insurance issues that can make these claims more complicated.
The Opponent Playbook, and How We Counter It
In a left-turn crash, insurers may argue that the motorcycle was traveling too fast for the driver to see or react to. Under RCW 4.22.005, any fault assigned to you can reduce your recovery, so challenging these arguments matters.
We counter these tactics by:
- Testing the speed argument: We examine skid and gouge marks, motorcycle data, damage patterns, and other physical evidence to determine what actually happened.
- Reconstructing the crash: Accident reconstruction can help establish sight lines, stopping distances, vehicle positions, and what a reasonably attentive driver should have seen.
- Challenging the “I never saw the motorcycle” defense: A driver’s failure to see a motorcycle does not automatically make the rider responsible. We look at visibility, road conditions, traffic signals, and the driver’s actions.
- Securing video quickly: Traffic and business surveillance footage can be overwritten, so we act quickly to identify and preserve relevant recordings.
- Looking beyond the individual driver: If a commercial vehicle, employer, or government entity may be involved, we investigate those additional sources of liability and insurance coverage.
- Protecting you from the insurer: We handle communications and negotiations so you don’t have to make statements or respond to tactics that could be used against your claim.
Our contingency arrangement means you pay nothing for our legal fees unless we recover compensation for you, and your initial consultation is free.
What makes a motorcycle claim harder than a car claim?
Motorcycle cases carry issues a typical fender-bender does not. A few we handle often:
- The conspicuity fight. “I didn’t see him” is the defining motorcycle defense, and beating it takes sight-line analysis and reconstruction, not just a police report.
- Endorsement and licensing questions. Insurers often blame riders for lacking a motorcycle license endorsement (RCW 46.20.500), even when that had nothing to do with causing the crash.
- Lane-position and lane-splitting claims. Riding between lanes is not legal in Washington (RCW 46.61.608), and adjusters raise it even when it did not happen, to muddy fault.
- Helmet-and-injury apportionment. The mandatory helmet law (RCW 46.37.530) becomes a tool insurers use to argue about which injuries “count.”
- Underinsured coverage. Many at-fault drivers carry too little insurance for a serious rider injury, which sends the claim to your own UM/UIM policy.
- Severe, long-tail injuries. Degloving, nerve damage, and spinal harm often need life-care and future-cost planning to value correctly.
How do we build a Tacoma motorcycle case for trial?
We prepare every claim as if it will go before a Pierce County jury, because that is what makes insurers negotiate seriously. Getting there means:
- Locking down evidence early. We send preservation letters for surveillance video, vehicle data, and the motorcycle itself, and we photograph the scene, the bike, and the gear before anything is repaired or cleared.
- Bringing in the right experts. Accident reconstructionists, treating physicians, and, when injuries are lasting, life-care planners and economists, to show both what happened and what recovery will cost.
- Preparing for the courtroom. When an insurer will not offer a fair number, we are ready to try the case at Pierce County Superior Court in the County-City Building on Tacoma Avenue South. Our verdict record is the reason our demands carry weight long before it reaches that point.
What are the stages of a Tacoma motorcycle claim?
A claim at Bernard Law Group moves through six stages. Most resolve before trial, but we prepare each one for court from the start.
- Free consultation. You tell us what happened. We review it and tell you honestly whether you have a claim and what it may be worth. No cost, no obligation.
- Investigation. We get the police report, request video, interview witnesses, secure the motorcycle and its data, and collect your medical records. Evidence has a short shelf life, so we act fast.
- Medical treatment. We ask you to finish treatment before we settle, so a demand reflects your full recovery and future needs.
- Demand package. Once your condition is stable, we document every economic and non-economic loss and send a full demand to the at-fault insurer.
- Negotiation. We handle the back-and-forth, decline lowball offers, and escalate when the insurer will not reach a fair number.
- Settlement or trial. Most cases resolve here. When they do not, we take yours to Pierce County Superior Court or the proper venue.
How should you choose a Tacoma motorcycle accident lawyer?
Choose a Tacoma motorcycle accident lawyer who has specific experience representing injured riders, knows Pierce County courts and Washington insurance practices, and is prepared to take your case to trial. Motorcycle claims often involve unique defenses around speed, visibility, and rider fault, so you want a firm that knows how to challenge those arguments, not one that simply handles motorcycle cases alongside everything else.
Look past the billboards and ask three questions:
- Do they actually handle motorcycle cases? Ask whether the firm regularly represents injured riders and understands the conspicuity and speed defenses insurers often raise. Bernard Law Group has represented Washington crash victims for nearly four decades, including a reported $18.5 million motorcycle settlement.
- Do they know Pierce County courts and Washington insurers? A lawyer familiar with Pierce County Superior Court, local court procedures, and how regional insurers approach claims can bring valuable insight to your case.
- Are they truly trial-ready? Insurers know which firms are willing to take cases to court. A lawyer with genuine trial experience can put pressure on the insurance company to take your claim seriously and offer fair compensation.
At Bernard Law Group, we understand that motorcycle accident claims require more than a standard approach. Our team brings decades of experience representing Washington injury victims and the resources to investigate your crash, challenge unfair fault arguments, and pursue the compensation you deserve.
DIsclaimer: Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case depends on its own facts.
What past clients say
“As a result of the settlement that Bernard Law Group won for me, I’m able to put myself through school and plan a wedding. I’m doing really well financially.” — Kirk Henderson
“I had a broken leg, broken in three places, and my knee was broken in two places. It was professional all the way through, and that was very helpful. If I had it to do over again, I would definitely hire the Bernard Law Group.” — Alice Johnson
“We were stopped at a red light, and a gentlemen came off and hit us. I had back surgery in January of 2008 and that alone was a hundred and seven thousand dollars. Bernard Law Group was there with me every step of the way. I just felt really at ease going with someone that I thought would really help us and I feel like Bernard Law Group helped us fantastically.” — Lashalle Jones
You can read more on our testimonials page.
Disclaimer: Client reviews are individual experiences and are not a guarantee of any particular result.
You Were Hurt. We Can Help.
Over $500 Million recovered for our past clients. Let us help YOU! Call 24/7 for your FREE injury consultation.
Recent results for injured Washington riders
Bernard Law Group has represented Washington clients in serious and catastrophic crash cases, focused on the medical care, lost income, and long-term support they need. A few past results:
- $18.5 Million record settlement in a motorcycle collision caused by a dump truck’s illegal U-turn.
- $5.5 Million settlement in a motorcycle crash tied to a roadway construction defect.
- $27 Million jury award in a truck crash case, one of the firm’s largest results.
More outcomes are on our case results page.
Disclaimer: Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict a future outcome. Every case is unique and depends on its own facts and legal circumstances.
Need Justice? Reach Out Today for Legal Counsel
Where we represent injured riders
Bernard Law Group represents motorcycle riders across the South Sound and throughout Washington, including:
- Seattle
- Bellevue
- Bellingham
- Everett
- Federal Way
- Kent
- Kirkland
- Olympia
- Redmond
- Renton
- Spokane
- Tacoma
- Vancouver
- Wenatchee
- Yakima
Local resources for Tacoma riders after a crash
These resources may help after a crash in Tacoma or Pierce County. Bernard Law Group does not endorse or profit from any of them.
Medical care
- MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital — 315 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
- St. Joseph Medical Center — 1717 South J Street, Tacoma, WA 98405
- Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital — 317 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Tacoma, WA 98405
Crash reports and records
- Tacoma Police Department and South Sound 911 — request reports for crashes on Tacoma city streets
- Washington State Patrol — request reports for crashes on I-5, SR-16, SR-509, and other state routes
- Washington Traffic Safety Commission — motorcycle safety data and rider resources
Rider licensing and records
- Washington State Department of Licensing — motorcycle endorsement information and the at-fault driver’s abstract driving record
Courts
- Pierce County Superior Court — County-City Building, 930 Tacoma Ave S, Tacoma, WA 98402 | (253) 798-3654
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still recover if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?
Washington requires helmets under RCW 46.37.530, so riding without one can let an insurer argue you share fault for certain head injuries. It does not erase your claim. Under comparative negligence, your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, not blocked, and a Tacoma motorcycle accident lawyer can push back on an overstated helmet defense.
What if I didn’t have a motorcycle endorsement?
You may still recover. A missing endorsement (RCW 46.20.500) can bring a fine and gives insurers a talking point, but it does not automatically make you at fault. What matters is who caused the crash. If a driver turned into you on Pacific Avenue or I-5, the endorsement issue is usually a distraction, and we treat it that way.
Is lane splitting legal in Washington?
No. Under RCW 46.61.608, a motorcycle gets full use of a lane, but riding between lanes or rows of stopped traffic is not allowed in Washington. If you were splitting lanes when a Tacoma crash happened, expect the insurer to raise it. That does not end your claim, and the other driver’s own negligence still counts.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance or fled?
You may still be covered. Washington requires liability insurance under RCW 46.30.020, but many drivers ignore it. After an uninsured or hit-and-run crash, the UM/UIM coverage on your own auto policy usually applies even while you are on your motorcycle. Report the crash so a police record exists, then call us to open the UM/UIM claim correctly.
Hurt on your motorcycle? Talk to us today.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a Tacoma motorcycle crash, do not wait. The insurance company is already building its side of the case. Let us build yours.
We answer the phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call or send our online contact form, and we will call you right back. There is no fee unless we win.
Bernard Law Group — Tacoma Office 401 Broadway STE 100, Tacoma, WA 98402 Phone: +1 206-350-2205 — free consultation, available 24/7
This content is for information only and is not legal advice. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; every case depends on its own facts.
Attorney review and office information
This page has been prepared for review by Washington-licensed attorneys at Bernard Law Group to reflect current Washington law, including RCW 4.16.080 (statute of limitations), RCW 4.22.005 (comparative negligence), and RCW 46.37.530 (motorcycle helmet law). Legal services are provided by attorneys licensed in Washington and California.
Bernard Law Group — Tacoma Office 401 Broadway STE 100, Tacoma, WA 98402
Phone: +1 206-350-2205 — available 24/7
