Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Buffalo

Helping Injured Clients Since 1968. Representing Buffalo Motorcycle Riders Today.

Motorcycle injury claims can involve severe injuries, disputed liability, insurance coverage questions, and allegations about the rider’s own conduct. Our firm, Faraci Lange, LLP, focuses solely on personal injury law and has helped injured clients since 1968. We opened our Buffalo office in 2012 after years of representing clients in Erie and Niagara Counties.

At Faraci Lange, LLP, we provide personalized legal services to riders and families affected by serious collisions. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Buffalo investigate how a crash occurred, identify the parties and insurance policies involved, and assess the full effect of the injuries. We remain available to answer questions and guide clients through each stage of a claim.

Motorcycles don’t provide the physical protection of closed passenger vehicles. When a rider is thrown from a motorcycle or struck by a larger vehicle, the resulting injuries can require emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and time away from work. Our attorneys apply their understanding of New York law and experience handling personal injury law matters to each client’s specific circumstances.

Call (888) 997-4110 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with our Buffalo motorcycle accident attorneys.

On This Page:

• Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
• Where, When, & Why Motorcycle Accidents Occur
• New York State Motorcycle Laws
• Can You Still Recover Damages If You Weren’t Wearing a Helmet?
• What Is the Average Compensation for a Motorcycle Accident?
• Why Hire a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
• Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
• Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident
• FAQs About Motorcycle Accidents in Buffalo

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Common motorcycle accident injuries include:

• Road rash
• Broken bones
• Facial scarring and disfigurement
• Head and brain injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Internal injuries
• Muscle strains and sprains
• Wrongful death

Serious injuries in motorcycle accidents often require extensive medical treatment and rehabilitation, leading to significant medical bills. Victims may also experience emotional distress that affects their quality of life and ability to perform daily tasks. Recovery may require both physical rehabilitation and mental health care.

Temporary or permanent disabilities may also affect a rider’s ability to return to the same occupation or perform household responsibilities. We handle serious personal injury matters as well as wrongful death claims brought after fatal crashes.

Where, When & Why Motorcycle Accidents Occur

Motorcycle crashes occur on city streets, at busy intersections, and along rural highways. Many crashes occur from noon through midnight, including during weekday rush hours and weekend evenings.

In Buffalo traffic, a driver may overlook a motorcycle before turning, entering an intersection, opening a vehicle door, or changing lanes. On rural highways, higher travel speeds and limited visibility can leave riders with less time and space to respond. Liability must be determined from the available evidence rather than assumptions about motorcyclists.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Factors that may contribute to a collision include:

• Distracted driving: Behaviors such as texting, programming navigation systems, or eating behind the wheel can cause drivers to overlook nearby motorcycles.
• Poor road conditions: Potholes, uneven pavement, debris, unsafe construction areas, and intersection-design issues can contribute to a rider losing control.
• Defective motorcycle parts: Faulty brakes, tires, steering components, or other parts may require an investigation of the motorcycle’s design, manufacture, or maintenance history.
• Impaired driving: Motorists driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol often have delayed reaction times and impaired judgment, putting motorcyclists at risk.
• Failure to look for motorcyclists: Drivers who don’t check blind spots or mirrors before turning or changing lanes may collide with motorcycles.
• Dooring incidents: A vehicle occupant may open a door into the path of an approaching motorcyclist.
• Reckless driving: Speeding, tailgating, and unsafe lane changes create situations in which a motorcyclist has little room to avoid a collision.

Weather can also affect motorcycle handling and visibility. Wet roads, ice, and fog may be more dangerous for a two-wheeled vehicle than for an enclosed passenger vehicle. An investigation may need to distinguish between a rider’s actions, another driver’s negligence, a defective component, and a hazardous roadway condition.

Depending on the evidence and applicable law, a potentially responsible party could be another driver, a vehicle or motorcycle manufacturer, a contractor, or a government entity responsible for a road condition. Claims involving public entities can be governed by different notice requirements and deadlines, making prompt legal review important.

New York Motorcycle Laws That Can Affect a Claim

New York requires all motorcycle operators and passengers to wear approved helmets. Operators must also use approved eye protection.

Other laws New York motorcyclists and motorists should be aware of include:

• A motorcycle must have required equipment in working order, including lights, brakes, horns, mirrors, and mufflers.
• Required motorcycle lighting must be used while the motorcycle is operated on the road.
• Approved eye protection is required for operators.
• Two motorcycles may operate side by side in a single lane.

New York allows two motorcycles to ride abreast within one lane. Riders can’t ride abreast of a non-motorcycle vehicle, travel between lanes of traffic, or ride between moving traffic and parked vehicles. New York Vehicle and Traffic Law section 381 addresses motorcycle equipment, protective helmets, and related requirements.

An alleged traffic or equipment violation doesn’t answer every liability question. Its legal effect may depend on whether the conduct contributed to the collision, whether it caused or worsened a particular injury, and how New York’s comparative negligence rules apply. Our attorneys examine the rule at issue together with the physical evidence, medical records, and other facts.

Can I Recover Damages If I Wasn’t Wearing a Helmet?

If the motorcycle accident wasn’t your fault, or was only partially your fault, you may still pursue a claim against the motorist or other party that caused the collision, regardless of whether you were wearing a helmet at the time.

However, due to New York State’s comparative negligence laws, if you weren’t wearing a helmet at the time of your accident, the compensation awarded to you may be reduced if you suffered a head injury that could have been avoided or reduced with helmet use. Comparative negligence means that a person’s recovery can be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to that person’s own conduct. For example, a jury could determine that a rider didn’t cause the collision but contributed to the extent of a head injury by not wearing a helmet.

Not wearing a helmet doesn’t automatically eliminate a claim for broken bones, road rash, internal injuries, or other harm unrelated to helmet use. Medical evidence may be needed to determine whether an approved helmet would have prevented or reduced a specific head or brain injury. Our Buffalo motorcycle accident lawyers analyze collision liability separately from allegations about injury causation.

Compensation in a Motorcycle Accident Claim

There is no “average settlement amount” when it comes to motorcycle accident claims. A case’s value depends on factors such as liability, injury severity, medical prognosis, available insurance coverage, income records, property damage, and the strength of the supporting evidence.

Potential damages may include:

• Past and future medical bills
• Pain and suffering
• Lost income or wages
• Ongoing therapy, rehabilitation, or surgeries
• Prescription medications and medical equipment
• Damage to the motorcycle and other property
• Effects on daily activities and quality of life

Medical records, physician opinions, employment records, tax documents, repair estimates, and testimony about the rider’s daily limitations may all affect the assessment. Future losses generally require evidence showing why continued care, reduced earning capacity, or other long-term needs are connected to the collision.

If you have lost a loved one in a fatal motorcycle accident, you may be eligible to file a wrongful death claim on their behalf and seek damages such as lost financial support, funeral expenses, and burial expenses. The damages available depend on the claimant’s relationship to the deceased person and the facts of the case.

How Our Buffalo Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Build a Claim

A motorcycle claim may involve disputed liability, insurance coverage questions, and comparative negligence allegations. We investigate the evidence and communicate with insurers while clients focus on medical care.

Our firm represents clients through all stages of litigation. Our legal staff includes full-time nurse consultants, experienced paralegals, and legal assistants who support the review of medical evidence, damages, and case documentation. We keep clients informed and remain available to answer questions throughout the legal process.

Our representation can include:

• Investigating the accident to identify potentially responsible parties
• Collecting and preserving photographs, police records, witness information, video, vehicle data, and roadway evidence
• Reviewing medical records with our nurse consultants and appropriate medical professionals
• Evaluating medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, future care, and property damage
• Examining all potentially applicable insurance policies
• Communicating and negotiating with insurance companies on the client’s behalf
• Preparing the case for trial when a resolution isn’t reached through negotiation

Some cases may also require accident reconstruction, which is a technical analysis of vehicle movement, impact points, roadway marks, and other physical evidence. Preserving the motorcycle, riding gear, electronic data, photographs, and damaged components may be important when the cause of the crash is disputed.

Faraci Lange, LLP has 12 attorneys selected for inclusion in the annual Upstate New York Super Lawyers list and 11 attorneys listed in Best Lawyers in America under personal injury law. Our firm has also been named a Best Law Firm in Buffalo and Rochester.

Steps to Take After a Buffalo Motorcycle Accident

After a motorcycle accident, prioritize your safety by following instructions from emergency responders and seeking medical attention, even if you believe your injuries are minor. Some injuries may not be immediately apparent, and a medical professional can properly assess your condition.

Once you’re safe, contact local law enforcement to report the accident. An official police report can provide a record of the incident, including details about the time, location, vehicles, and potential witnesses. Evidence may change after vehicles, debris, or damaged motorcycle parts are removed from the scene.

After the immediate emergency has passed, consider these steps:

• Gather on-scene evidence: If you’re able, take photographs of vehicle positions, damage, skid marks, traffic signals, road conditions, and visible injuries before the scene is cleared.
• Exchange information: Collect names, contact details, and insurance information from all drivers involved, and note license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions.
• Identify witnesses: Ask bystanders who saw the collision for their names and phone numbers so they can be contacted later.
• Notify your insurer: Report the accident promptly, but keep your statements brief and factual.
• Avoid admitting fault: Don’t speculate about what happened or accept blame because those statements may later be disputed or used against you.
• Keep records: Save medical bills, repair estimates, prescription receipts, missed-work documentation, and notes about how your injuries affect daily activities.

Before providing a recorded statement, signing insurance documents, or discussing settlement terms, consider consulting a motorcycle accident attorney. Medical records and consistent follow-up care can document the nature and progression of crash-related injuries. Timely legal review also gives an attorney an opportunity to identify evidence that should be requested or preserved.