In Houston, a person hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by someone else can recover medical costs, lost income, and pain under Texas law. Owsley Law Firm handles Houston motorcycle accidents from its Houston offices, comes to you, and charges no fee unless it wins. Call before you speak with any insurer.
Motorcycle Accidents in Houston
Where do Houston motorcycle accidents happen?
Houston riders are hit at freeway merges and on surface streets like Westheimer and Bellaire, usually by a driver turning or changing lanes without looking. Harris County juries have seen enough of it to take these cases seriously when the evidence is preserved.
Houston riders are hit by drivers who did not look. A common Harris County motorcycle crash is a left-turning driver on Westheimer, Bellaire, or a freeway frontage road crossing a rider’s lane, followed by lane-change collisions at the Loop and Beltway merges. Houston’s year-round riding season and its sprawl mean riders spend more miles on freeways than in most cities, and a freeway crash at speed is rarely minor. Harris County juries have seen enough of these cases to take them seriously when the physical evidence is preserved.
Corridors where Houston motorcycle accidents cluster
- I-45 Gulf Freeway at the 610 South Loop and Broadway
- I-10 Katy Freeway between Beltway 8 and the 610 West Loop
- US-59 Southwest Freeway through the 610 interchange and Westpark
- I-45 North Freeway at Beltway 8 and the Hardy Toll Road merge
- US-290 Northwest Freeway at 34th Street and the 610 interchange
- Westheimer Road from Kirby to Beltway 8, one of the county’s busiest surface streets
Cases from Houston
What does a Houston motorcycle accident case look like?
A commuter stopped in Katy Freeway congestion is rear-ended by a pickup that never braked, and the injury is a herniated disc that needs injections and, eventually, surgery.
What to do now
What should you do after a motorcycle accident in Houston?
- Get examined the same day. Memorial Hermann Texas Medical Center (Level I trauma) and Ben Taub Hospital (Level I trauma) handle the serious motorcycle accident injuries from Houston; an urgent care visit the same day is enough to start the record if you are not transported.
- Photograph the vehicles, the road, and your injuries where it happened, especially on I-10 (Katy Freeway and East Freeway) and I-45 (Gulf Freeway and North Freeway), where scenes are cleared within minutes.
- Get the Houston crash report. Houston Police Department crash reports (Texas form CR-3) are available through the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System about 10 days after the crash, and HPD Records Division also provides them. The firm obtains it for clients at no charge.
- Report the crash to your own insurer, but give no recorded statement to the other driver’s carrier until you have counsel.
- Know where the case goes. Houston motorcycle accidents suits are filed in the Harris County Civil District Courts, 201 Caroline St.
- Call the firm. Both Houston offices are minutes from the courthouse, and the consultation is free.
Go deeper
More on motorcycle accident claims in Houston and Texas.
Common questions
Houston motorcycle accident questions
Where do Houston motorcycle accidents happen most?
Westheimer, Bellaire, and Bissonnet on the surface streets, and the Katy, Gulf, and Southwest Freeway merges and frontage roads.
Do Houston police blame the rider?
Crash reports often reflect the driver’s account because the rider is being treated. The firm corrects that with reconstruction, sight-line analysis, and witnesses.
Is lane splitting legal on Houston freeways?
No. Texas has no law allowing motorcycles to ride between lanes of traffic, so insurers will argue fault if you were splitting lanes on the Katy or Southwest Freeway. That does not end the claim. Under Texas proportionate responsibility, you can still recover if the other driver was more at fault, with your share deducted from the award.
Can I recover for damaged riding gear after a Houston motorcycle crash?
Yes. A helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, and other gear damaged in the crash are part of your property damage claim, along with the motorcycle itself. Keep the damaged gear rather than throwing it away, because it shows how the impact happened. Receipts or online order history help prove what it cost to replace.