Before anyone asks how the crash happened, they have often already decided the rider was to blame. That bias costs motorcyclists money, and it is usually wrong. Most riders are hurt because a driver did not look twice before turning or changing lanes.
A Spokane motorcycle accident lawyer at Parker & McConkie fights that assumption and the insurance companies behind it. We represent injured riders across Spokane and Washington, we tell your side with evidence, and you pay nothing unless we win. The first consultation is free.
If a driver left you injured on your bike, call our Spokane office at (509) 374-3111.
Was the Motorcycle Crash Really the Rider's Fault?
Usually not. In a large share of motorcycle crashes, the other driver caused it, most often by turning left across a rider's path or merging into a lane without seeing the motorcycle. The problem is not reckless riding. It is that drivers look for cars and miss bikes.
Insurers lean on the stereotype anyway, because blaming the rider is the cheapest way to close a claim. They will suggest you were speeding or weaving with no proof at all. We do not let that stand.
Our Spokane attorneys reconstruct what actually happened using the physical evidence, the road, the vehicle damage, and independent witnesses, so the facts replace the assumption.
Does Washington's Helmet Law Affect My Claim?
Yes, and it helps to understand it. Washington requires every motorcycle rider and passenger to wear a helmet that meets federal safety standards. That rule comes from RCW 46.37.530. Because helmet use is mandatory, wearing one keeps a common insurance argument off the table.
If you were wearing a helmet, an insurer cannot fairly claim you made your head injuries worse. If you were not, that does not automatically end your claim, but it can become a point of dispute, especially for head and brain injuries. Either way, the other driver's responsibility for causing the crash does not disappear.
We know how insurers try to use the helmet question, and we keep it in its proper place rather than letting it swallow your case.
What Injuries Do Motorcycle Crashes Cause?
Motorcycle injuries tend to be severe, because a rider has almost nothing between them and the road. The same crash that dents a car can put a rider in the hospital for weeks. That reality shapes the value of your claim.
Common motorcycle crash injuries include road rash, meaning deep skin abrasions from sliding across pavement, broken bones, spinal cord damage, and a traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which is lasting harm to how the brain works. Many of these require surgery, long rehabilitation, and time away from work.
Because the harm is often serious and lasting, we build claims that look years down the road, covering future surgeries, ongoing therapy, and reduced earning ability, not just the first round of bills.
Riders also carry costs that car occupants rarely face, from a totaled bike and custom gear to skin-graft surgeries for severe road rash. We make sure those losses are counted too, because an estimate built for a fender bender will never fit a motorcycle crash.
Why Spokane Riders End Up in Crashes
Spokane's roads and riding season create specific hazards for motorcyclists. The heaviest riding months are spring and summer, when more bikes share the road with drivers who have spent all winter watching only for other cars.
Several conditions raise the risk here. Left-turning drivers at busy intersections along Division Street and Sprague Avenue, gravel and sand left on curves after winter, potholes and seams on aging pavement, and scenic routes out toward the Palouse on US-195 where speed and blind curves combine. A hazard a car would shrug off can throw a rider from the bike.
We investigate the real cause rather than accepting the insurer's shortcut that the rider must have been careless.
What Are the Most Common Types of Motorcycle Crashes?
Most motorcycle crashes fall into a few patterns, and nearly all of them involve a driver who failed to account for the rider. Naming the pattern helps prove the driver, not the motorcyclist, was at fault.
Left-turn collisions
The most common and most dangerous is the left-turning car. A driver turns across an oncoming rider's path, usually claiming they never saw the motorcycle. That failure to look is the driver's fault, not the rider's.
Lane-change and blind-spot crashes
Drivers who change lanes without checking for a motorcycle sideswipe riders or force them off the road. A motorcycle fits easily into a car's blind spot, and a driver who does not look twice puts the rider in danger.
Road-hazard crashes
Gravel on a curve, a deep pothole, or a car door opened into traffic can throw a rider from the bike. When a hazard was someone else's responsibility to prevent or warn about, that party can share the blame.
We reconstruct which pattern caused your crash, because that detail defeats the reflex to blame the rider.
How Much Time Do You Have to File a Motorcycle Accident Claim?
You generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a motorcycle injury lawsuit in Washington, set by RCW 4.16.080. If you miss it, you usually lose your right to recover, however clear the other driver's fault.
With serious injuries, treatment and recovery can eat up months before you even think about the legal side. That is normal, but the evidence does not wait. Skid marks fade and vehicles get repaired. Calling early lets us preserve what proves your case.
We help everyday people stand up for What's Right.
How Do We Prove the Driver Caused the Crash?
We prove it with objective evidence, so your claim does not come down to your word against the driver's. Because riders face bias, we build motorcycle cases on facts an insurer cannot easily wave away.
That evidence usually starts at the scene. Skid marks, debris fields, and the damage patterns on both vehicles can reveal speed and the point of impact. We pair that with independent witness accounts, any traffic or business surveillance video nearby, and the responding officer's report.
When fault is disputed, we bring in accident reconstruction experts who can show, step by step, exactly how the collision happened.
We also look closely at the driver's conduct. Were they turning left across your lane, checking a phone, or changing lanes without looking? A driver's own statements, phone records, and the road layout often reveal the mistake that caused the crash.
The point of all of it is to replace the stereotype of the reckless rider with a clear, documented picture of what the driver did wrong. That is what moves an adjuster off a lowball position, and what persuades a jury if your case goes to trial.
Why Injured Riders Choose Parker & McConkie
We treat riders like the crash victims they are, not like suspects, and we build cases that make an insurer or a jury see the same. Our attorneys have recovered significant results for injured clients across our states. Past results never promise a future outcome, but they show we prepare hard and are willing to try a case rather than accept a lowball offer.
Our Spokane office represents riders throughout Spokane County. We bring in accident reconstruction experts when fault is disputed, coordinate with your doctors, and counter the rider stereotype head-on with evidence.
You also take on no financial risk. We handle motorcycle cases on contingency, so our fee comes only from a recovery, and the first consultation is free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer after a motorcycle accident in Spokane?
For any crash with injuries, yes. Riders face bias that car drivers do not, and insurers use it to pay less. A Spokane motorcycle accident lawyer counters that stereotype with evidence, handles the insurer, and pursues the full value of injuries that are often more serious than the other side wants to admit.
How much does a Spokane motorcycle accident lawyer cost?
Nothing out of pocket. We work on contingency, so our fee is a share of what we recover and applies only if we win, with no fee at all if we do not. The consultation is free and we advance the costs, so you can hire experienced help while you concentrate on recovering.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault for the crash?
Yes. Washington's pure comparative negligence rule reduces your compensation by your share of fault but does not bar you, even if you were partly responsible. Insurers exaggerate a rider's share to cut the payout, and we push back on that with the actual evidence from the scene.
What if the driver who hit me had no insurance?
You may still be covered. Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage can pay for your injuries when the at-fault driver cannot. This is coverage you already paid for, and using it should not be treated as your fault. We review your policy to find every layer that applies.
Will my motorcycle accident claim settle or go to trial?
Most claims settle, but we prepare yours for trial from day one, because that is what produces fair offers. Insurers routinely discount motorcycle claims, counting on riders to accept less, and a credible willingness to go before a jury changes that calculation.
Many cases resolve through negotiation once the evidence clearly shows the driver was at fault. If the insurer will not be reasonable, we are ready to file suit and try the case rather than pressure you into a low settlement. Being trial-ready is not about forcing a courtroom fight. It is the most effective way to get an insurance company to take your claim seriously.
I was not wearing a helmet when I crashed in Spokane. Can I still recover?
Possibly, yes. Not wearing a helmet does not erase the other driver's responsibility for causing the crash. It may become a dispute over head or brain injuries specifically, but it does not bar a claim for your other harms. Let a lawyer review the facts before you assume you have no case.
The driver says they never saw my motorcycle. Does that help or hurt me?
It usually helps you. "I never saw the motorcycle" is close to an admission that the driver failed to look carefully, which is exactly the duty every driver owes. Failing to see a visible motorcycle is not a defense. It is often evidence of the driver's negligence.
My bike was badly damaged. Is that part of my injury claim?
It is handled alongside it, usually on a separate track. The damage to your motorcycle is a property damage claim that can often be resolved faster than your injury claim. We can help make sure the valuation is fair, including custom parts and gear that standard estimates tend to overlook.
Talk to a Spokane Motorcycle Accident Attorney
You should not have to fight a stereotype and an insurance company while you are recovering from a serious crash. Our Spokane attorneys put the facts first, hold the driver who hit you accountable, and pursue the full cost of your injuries.
Reach us at our Spokane office, (509) 374-3111, or on our toll-free line at (833) 782-6387. We stand up for injured riders across Washington, and your first conversation is free.