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Weslaco Office
702 W. Expressway 83Suite 100
Weslaco, Texas 78596
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1200 Auburn Ave Bldg 200Ste 275
McAllen, Texas 78504
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203 W. Wall StSuite 70
Midland, TX 79701
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A motorcycle crash can turn life upside down in a matter of seconds. Because riders do not have the protection of a passenger vehicle around them, a collision can result in severe injuries, long-term medical needs, and financial pressure for an injured rider and their family. Understanding how these crashes happen can help riders and drivers take safer steps on the road and help injured people recognize when another party may be responsible.
At Ezequiel Reyna Law Office, we help riders throughout Weslaco, McAllen, and the surrounding area recover from serious motorcycle accidents. Call (956) 968-9556 to speak with our team.
Unlike people inside passenger vehicles, motorcyclists are not surrounded by a metal frame, airbags, or seatbelts during a collision. A crash that causes limited damage between two cars can still leave a rider with serious injuries after being thrown from the motorcycle or striking the roadway.
Motorcycle crashes can cause:
The severity often depends on the speed of the vehicles, the type of collision, and the protective gear involved. The following are 10 common motorcycle crash scenarios and the circumstances that may lead to them.
One of the most common and dangerous scenarios involves a driver making a left turn directly into a motorcyclist’s path, often because the driver misjudges the motorcycle’s speed or does not see it approaching. In 2024, 45% of fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes involved another vehicle turning left while the motorcycle was going straight, passing, or overtaking.
These crashes can happen at busy intersections and frontage roads throughout the Rio Grande Valley, including heavily traveled areas in Weslaco, McAllen, Edinburg, and Mission, where drivers may be turning across several lanes of traffic.
Intersections are a common setting for motorcycle crashes, often because a driver fails to yield the right of way to an approaching rider. In 2024, 38% of motorcyclist fatalities occurred at intersections, according to NHTSA.
A driver who changes lanes without checking mirrors and blind spots can strike a motorcyclist traveling beside the vehicle. A sideswipe can also occur when a driver drifts out of a lane, merges without enough space, or moves toward a motorcycle already riding alongside the vehicle.
These crashes can happen on multi-lane highways, frontage roads, and busy interchanges throughout McAllen, Weslaco, and Midland. The force of the impact can push a rider into another vehicle, off the roadway, or onto the pavement.
A driver following too closely or failing to notice a motorcycle slowing or stopped ahead can cause a rear-end collision. Because a motorcyclist does not have the protective structure of a passenger vehicle, even a lower-speed impact can throw the rider onto the roadway or into surrounding traffic.
These crashes often happen in stop-and-go traffic near commercial areas, traffic signals, highway exits, and crowded frontage roads in cities such as McAllen and Weslaco. A driver may be distracted, focused on surrounding traffic, or unable to stop in time when conditions change suddenly.
Head-on motorcycle collisions are often among the most devastating types of crashes. They may result from a driver drifting into oncoming traffic, making an unsafe pass, or traveling the wrong way on a roadway. In 2024, 78% of motorcycles involved in fatal two-vehicle crashes were impacted on the front, according to NHTSA.
In West Texas and throughout rural parts of the Rio Grande Valley, these crashes may occur on two-lane highways, rural roads, and poorly lit routes where drivers have limited visibility or attempt to pass without enough space.
A sideswipe occurs when a vehicle strikes a motorcycle from the side while both are traveling in roughly the same direction. These collisions can occur when a driver drifts out of a lane, merges without enough space, or moves toward a motorcycle already traveling beside the vehicle.
Sideswipe crashes can be especially dangerous on multi-lane expressways, frontage roads, and congested interchange areas in McAllen, Weslaco, and Midland. The impact may force a rider off the roadway, into another vehicle, or directly onto the pavement.
Dooring happens when someone parked along the road opens a car door directly into a motorcyclist’s path. The rider may have only a moment to react, particularly when traffic prevents them from safely moving into another lane.
This type of crash can occur in downtown districts and commercial areas with curbside parking, including streets in McAllen and Midland.
Potholes, loose gravel, road debris, uneven pavement, and poorly marked construction zones can be especially dangerous for motorcyclists. A road condition that a passenger vehicle may travel over safely can cause a rider to lose control or crash.
Depending on the circumstances, responsibility may extend to a government agency, construction contractor, trucking company, or another party responsible for creating or failing to address a dangerous condition.
Not every motorcycle crash involves another vehicle. A single-vehicle accident may result from a road defect, unexpected debris, mechanical failure, or a rider losing control while navigating a curve or reacting to changing road conditions.
Depending on what caused the crash, a negligent third party may be responsible. For example, a case may involve a dangerous road condition, a defective motorcycle component, or another preventable hazard.
Texas law gives motorcyclists the full use of a traffic lane and prohibits other drivers from depriving them of that space. However, under Texas Transportation Code § 545.0605, riders generally may not operate between lanes of traffic moving in the same direction or pass another vehicle while sharing the same lane.
Crashes involving lane splitting or lane filtering can raise disputed-fault questions, particularly in congested expressway and frontage-road traffic. Even so, an insurer’s attempt to blame the motorcyclist does not automatically end the case. A driver may still share responsibility for an unsafe lane change, drifting across a lane line, speeding, following too closely, or failing to check mirrors before moving over.
Many motorcycle crashes happen when a driver fails to notice a rider, misjudges a motorcycle’s speed or distance, or makes a careless decision in traffic. Drivers can reduce the risk of a serious collision by giving motorcyclists the same attention, space, and right of way they would give any other vehicle.
Liability for a motorcycle accident may rest with a negligent driver, but other parties may also be responsible depending on what caused the crash. Potentially liable parties can include an employer whose on-duty driver caused the collision, a contractor or other party that created a dangerous roadway condition, or a manufacturer whose defective motorcycle component contributed to the crash.
Insurance companies sometimes try to shift blame onto the motorcyclist before the facts of a crash are fully investigated, which is part of why a thorough, independent investigation matters so much after a serious accident.
A serious motorcycle accident can change every part of your life. You may be facing painful injuries, time away from work, growing medical bills, and an insurance company that is already looking for ways to limit what it pays.
For more than 45 years, Ezequiel Reyna has fought for Texans after life-changing accidents. He understands that motorcycle crash cases often involve unfair assumptions about riders, disputed fault, and insurance companies that try to place the blame anywhere but on the negligent driver or company responsible.
At Ezequiel Reyna Law Office, we investigate what caused the crash, identify the evidence that matters, and build a case focused on the full impact the accident has had on you and your family. Whether your injuries were caused by a driver who turned left into your path, changed lanes without looking, failed to yield, or created another dangerous situation, our team is prepared to fight for the compensation you deserve.
Contact Ezequiel Reyna Law Office at (956) 968-9556 to discuss your serious motorcycle accident case.
