Russellville Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

As a local personal injury lawyer, Flora is out in the Logan County community helping in the schools, charities, and fundraising events. Through her partnership with WBKO, Flora has visited nearly every school in Logan County, delivering school supplies and recognizing the wonderful students and staff members on Poppy’s Field Trips.

This past year, Olmstead Elementary School was the winner of Poppy’s Leadership Award grand prize and received $2,000 from Ms. Stuart to continue their community service and leadership initiatives.

Russellville is situated in Logan County near Highway 68 where country roads abound which is a motorcycle riders paradise.

Unfortunately, riders are exposed to negligent drivers’ vehicles and trucks that can cause catastrophic injury or death to a motorcycle rider.

The Law Firm of Flora Templeton Stuart with an office conveniently located in Russellville has represented numerous riders seriously injured or killed in tragic motorcycle collisions.

Having an experienced and local motorcycle accident lawyer is imperative to recover maximum damages.  We are not only close by but we often travel to our injured clients.

Russellville, KY Motorcycle Accident Statistics

Motorcycle accidents occur in Russellville regularly. Examples of accidents in Logan county include:

• Motorcycle rider airlifted after being struck by a turkey, causing him to be thrown into a ditch line, where his motorcycle overturned. He was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
• Motorcyclist died from injuries after a vehicle made a left turn in front of the motorcycle, causing him to crash and be thrown from the motorcycle.

One of the most tragic Logan County motorcycle accidents claimed the lives of two prominent business people and severely injured a third. Cornelius Martin, chairman of WKU’s Board of Regents, was one of the motorcycle riders killed after being struck by a truck. The driver was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter, assault, driving under the influence, and other drug-related charges.

United States and Kentucky Motorcycle Fatalities

According to the most recent data of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were approximately 5,000 motorcycle fatalities across the country in 2018.

Overall, nearly 37,000 people died in traffic accidents that same year. Based on preliminary data, overall fatalities were down in the first half of 2019.

According to the 2020 Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Daily Fatality Statistics as of July 7, 2020 there were 14 motorcycle accidents resulting in fatality with riders who did not wear a helmet and 9 with riders who did wear a helmet.

This demonstrates the frequent fatalities seen when riders are up against larger vehicles on the roads.

Types of Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycle accidents can occur in numerous ways. Some of the most common types of Kentucky motorcycle accidents are:

• Left-hand turn,
• Rear-end collisions,
• Sideswipe,
• Side-impact, and
• Head-on collisions.

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

Learning to ride a motorcycle is not necessarily easy. For some riders, it takes more practice than learning to drive a car.

Some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents are:

• Speeding or other traffic violations;
• Defective product or mechanical issue with the bike itself;
• Splitting lanes;
• Violating the right of way;
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
• Inexperienced motorcycle rider;
• Hazards on the road;
• Distracted driving;
• Changing lanes; and
• Adverse weather conditions.

Choosing the proper safety gear and in particular helmets can often help reduce the severity of your injuries in a motorcycle accident. It may also help other motorists see you better on the road, which might even reduce the risk of an accident in the first place.

Unfortunately, the limit of protection of a motorcycle can leave the victim paying the price in such an accident.

Is Kentucky a “Shared Fault” State?

Kentucky follows a pure comparative negligence standard.

That means both parties can collect a portion of their damages in the event of an accident.

However, the amount of your award would be reduced by the percentage of your fault.

If you were 40% at fault, you could collect up to 60% of your damages. If you were 90% at fault, you could still recover up to 10%.

If I Wasn’t Wearing a Helmet, Will It Reduce My Claim Value?

Kentucky does require use of helmets for riders operating motorcycles under some circumstances.

Not wearing one can be used to reduce the damages of comparative negligence against the rider.

Failure to use the helmet must be directly related to the damages you sustained.

Not wearing a helmet may not be relevant in an accident where you broke your leg but it is if you sustain a head injury.   Therefore it is important to be knowledgeable about motorcycle laws in Kentucky with the use of helmets.

If you are over 20 and have held a motorcycle license for one year or more, you do not have to wear a helmet. Any passenger you have on the motorcycle must be over 21 to forego a helmet as well.

Anyone who is under 21 or has had a motorcycle license for under a year must always wear protective headgear when operating a motorcycle in Kentucky.

Operating a motorcycle on public streets and roads requires the proper license and registration. You are subject to all the same Kentucky laws and rules of the road, whether you’re in a vehicle or on a motorcycle. Kentucky law prohibits motorcyclists from driving along the shoulder or on the sidewalk in an attempt to avoid traffic.

Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Crash

Being in a motorcycle accident can be a traumatic, life altering event. The action you take immediately after the accident and later on is crucial to recovering from your injuries and collecting the damages you deserve if the accident was not your fault.

Below are some steps we encourage you to take:

• Remain calm and do not leave the scene of the motorcycle unless you need immediate medical care. In that event make sure that either yourself or someone close by calls the police and an ambulance to get you immediate treatment from your injuries. You can call 911 for emergency help.
• Get yourself away from any danger, including incoming traffic for the protection of yourself and any passengers.
• You need to collect as much information as you can including contact and insurance information from all drivers involved or have someone do so on your behalf if you cannot due to injuries.
• If possible, have pictures taken. Once you hire our law firm we will immediately obtain photographs of the scene. You can take photos at the time of the accident if it is safe to do so.
• Be sure to get contact information from any witnesses of the accident. The police often do not put all contact information down for witnesses.  Our law firm will contact all witnesses to obtain recorded statements.  This is crucial in establishing liability.
• Once you hire our law firm we will keep track of your medical bills, lost wages and damage.
• Try not to admit fault to anyone. There may be circumstances of which you are unaware making the accident not your fault.
• Most importantly, contact a personal injury attorney who is experienced in motorcycle accidents in Russellville, Logan County. Our law firm will hire professional investigators to include accident reconstructionist to establish fault on the other party.
• Naturally, seek medical attention immediately. Request an ambulance take you to the emergency room if you are having difficulty with your injuries such as dizziness, head injury, severe pain on any part of your body. A delay in treatment may result in denial of your injury claim.

How to Choose an Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Choosing the right attorney after a motorcycle accident is crucial. At Flora Templeton Stuart we have years of experience representing clients in Logan County in personal injury cases to include motorcycle accidents.

We have a proven rate of success recovering compensation for over 90% of our injured clients.  Not only does our 43 years of experience set us apart, with our local office convenient to meet with clients in Russellville we can be on the spot meeting with our clients within hours of the collision.

Our team will aggressively seek the financial compensation our clients deserve for their pain and suffering along with expenses for medical treatment and needed care.

Contact Us

Don’t leave your claim to chance. Our skilled Russellville Kentucky motorcycle accident lawyers will fight for the compensation you deserve.  Whether the injury is small or serious or in the event that you have lost a friend or loved one due to a motorcycle accident contact us for an immediate no cost consultation and evaluation.

You can reach our law firm seven days a week. We handle motorcycle cases in Logan County, Kentucky including Russellville and Lewisburg.