Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Englewood

You were riding legally. Following the rules. Doing everything right. Then someone in a car didn’t check their blind spot, or they turned left across your lane, or they merged without looking. Now you’re hurt, your bike is totaled, and the insurance company is already implying it was your fault because you were on a motorcycle.

That bias is real. We’ve seen it in every motorcycle accident case we’ve handled in Englewood and across Colorado. But bias doesn’t change the law, and it doesn’t erase the other driver’s responsibility.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Englewood, you have the right to full compensation for your injuries, lost wages, medical bills, and the damage to your bike. The fact that you were riding a motorcycle instead of driving a car doesn’t reduce that right by a single dollar.

At McCormick & Murphy, P.C., we represent riders. We know how these cases work, and we know how insurance companies try to shift blame onto motorcyclists. We’ve been fighting that fight for years, and we know how to win it.

Call us at 888-668-1182 for a free consultation. We’ll tell you exactly what your case is worth and how we’re going to prove it.

Why Motorcycle Accident Cases Are Different

A motorcycle accident is not just a car accident on two wheels. The physics are different. The injuries are worse. And the way insurance companies approach the claim is completely different.

When two cars collide, insurance adjusters look at damage, skid marks, and witness statements. When a motorcycle is involved, they start with an assumption: the rider was going too fast, weaving through traffic, or showing off. None of that has to be true. It rarely is. But the assumption is baked into how they evaluate the claim.

Riders also face unique hazards that drivers in cars never think about. Gravel in a turn. A pothole. An oil slick. Road debris. Any of these can cause a crash that wouldn’t affect a car at all. When that happens, insurance companies love to blame the rider for “losing control” instead of acknowledging the road hazard that caused it.

Then there are the injuries. Motorcyclists don’t have airbags, crumple zones, or seatbelts. When you go down, you’re exposed. That means road rash, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and injuries that require months of recovery and sometimes permanent disability.

Insurance companies know this. They know your medical bills are going to be high. They know you’re going to be out of work. And they know that if they can pin even a percentage of fault on you, they can reduce what they have to pay. That’s why they go after riders so aggressively.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Englewood

Most motorcycle accidents happen because a driver in a car didn’t see the rider. That’s not an excuse. It’s negligence. Colorado law requires every driver to check their surroundings before changing lanes, turning, or merging. “I didn’t see you” doesn’t make the crash any less their fault.

Here are the most common ways drivers cause motorcycle accidents in Englewood and the Denver metro area:

• Left-turn crashes: A driver turns left across an intersection and cuts off an oncoming motorcycle. This is the most common type of motorcycle accident, and it’s almost always the turning driver’s fault.
• Lane changes and merges: A driver changes lanes or merges onto a highway without checking their blind spot. The motorcycle was already in that lane, and the driver never looked.
• Rear-end collisions: A driver following too closely or distracted by their phone rear-ends a motorcycle at a stop sign or red light. Riders are thrown from their bikes and often suffer serious injuries.
• Dooring: A parked car opens a door into traffic without looking. A motorcyclist has no time to react and crashes into the door or swerves into traffic to avoid it.
• Failure to yield: A driver pulls out of a driveway, parking lot, or side street without yielding to oncoming traffic. The motorcycle has the right of way, but the driver didn’t bother to look.
• Road hazards: Potholes, gravel, uneven pavement, debris, or slick surfaces that wouldn’t affect a car can cause a motorcycle to lose traction and crash. If poor road maintenance contributed to your accident, the city or county may be liable.

In every one of these scenarios, the driver in the car is at fault. But insurance companies will still try to blame the rider. They’ll say you were going too fast. They’ll say you were in the blind spot. They’ll say you should have been more defensive. None of that changes who caused the crash.

Helmet Laws and How They Affect Your Claim

Colorado does not require adult riders to wear helmets. If you’re 18 or older, you can ride without one, and that’s your legal right.

But insurance companies will use it against you anyway. They’ll argue that your injuries would have been less severe if you’d been wearing a helmet, and they’ll try to reduce your compensation based on that argument. This is especially common in cases involving head injuries or traumatic brain injuries.

Here’s the truth: helmet laws do not determine fault in a motorcycle accident. If another driver caused the crash, they are liable for your injuries—period. Whether you were wearing a helmet doesn’t change the fact that they ran a red light, failed to yield, or merged into your lane without looking.

That said, insurance companies will still make the argument, and we have to be ready to fight it. We work with accident reconstruction experts and medical professionals who can show exactly how the crash happened and what injuries were caused by the collision itself, not by your choice to ride without a helmet.

If you were wearing a helmet, that’s even better. But if you weren’t, don’t assume your case is lost. It’s not. You still have the right to recover full compensation for your injuries, and we know how to prove it.

Proving Fault When the Other Driver Says They Didn’t See You

“I didn’t see you” is the most common excuse drivers give after hitting a motorcyclist. And to be clear, it’s not a defense. It’s an admission of negligence.

Colorado law requires drivers to look before they turn, merge, or change lanes. If they didn’t see you, it’s because they didn’t look. That’s their fault, not yours.

But proving fault still requires evidence, and we gather every piece we can find:

• Police reports: We get the official accident report and look for any citations issued to the other driver. If they were ticketed for failure to yield, running a stop sign, or an illegal turn, that’s strong evidence of fault.
• Witness statements: We track down anyone who saw the crash and get their account on record. Independent witnesses carry a lot of weight, especially when they confirm that the other driver turned without looking or merged without signaling.
• Traffic camera footage: Englewood has cameras at major intersections. We request footage immediately before it’s deleted. Video evidence is the strongest proof of exactly how the crash happened.
• Dashcam video: If you have a dashcam or helmet cam, or if any nearby drivers have footage, we use it. Video doesn’t lie.
• Accident reconstruction: We work with experts who analyze skid marks, vehicle damage, road conditions, and the physics of the crash to show exactly what happened and who caused it.
• Cell phone records: If we believe the other driver was distracted, we can subpoena their phone records to show they were texting, calling, or using an app at the time of the crash.

Insurance companies rely on the fact that most people don’t know how to gather this evidence or don’t act fast enough. We do. We start building your case the day you call us, and we don’t wait for the insurance company to make the first move.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Motorcycle Accident?

A motorcycle accident can cost you months of income, tens of thousands in medical bills, and permanent changes to your life. Colorado law allows you to recover compensation for all of it.

Here’s what you can claim:

• Medical expenses: Emergency room treatment, surgery, hospital stays, physical therapy, medication, medical equipment, and any future medical care related to your injuries.
• Lost wages: Income you’ve already lost because you couldn’t work, plus future lost earnings if your injuries prevent you from returning to your job or working at the same capacity.
• Property damage: The cost to repair or replace your motorcycle, as well as any riding gear, helmet, or personal property damaged in the crash.
• Pain and suffering: Compensation for the physical pain, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life caused by your injuries.
• Scarring and disfigurement: Motorcycle accidents often cause road rash, burns, and scars. You can recover compensation for permanent disfigurement and the emotional impact it has on your life.
• Loss of enjoyment of life: If your injuries prevent you from riding, working, or doing the things you love, you’re entitled to compensation for that loss.
• Disability and impairment: If your injuries result in permanent disability, loss of mobility, or cognitive impairment, you can recover compensation for the long-term impact on your life and earning capacity.

Insurance companies will try to lowball you on every one of these categories. They’ll offer you enough to cover your bike and your immediate medical bills, and they’ll hope you take it before you realize how much more you’re entitled to. Don’t. Call us first. We’ll tell you what your case is actually worth.

The Statute of Limitations: You Have Three Years, But Don’t Wait

Colorado gives you three years from the date of your motorcycle accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss that deadline, and you lose your right to compensation. No exceptions.

Three years sounds like a long time, but it’s not. Evidence disappears. Witnesses forget details. Security footage gets deleted. The longer you wait, the harder it is to build a strong case.

And if you’re dealing with a city or county over a road hazard that caused your crash, the timeline is even shorter. Claims against government entities in Colorado require a notice of claim within 180 days. That’s six months. If you miss it, your claim is dead before it even starts.

Don’t wait. Call us now. The consultation is free, and if we take your case, we don’t get paid unless you do.

Fighting Anti-Motorcycle Bias in Your Claim

Motorcyclists know the bias. You’ve dealt with it every time you ride. Drivers who don’t check their mirrors. People who assume you’re reckless. Insurance adjusters who treat you like you were asking for it.

We don’t sugarcoat it. That bias exists, and it shows up in how insurance companies evaluate motorcycle accident claims. They assume riders are partially at fault. They assume you were speeding. They assume you were weaving through traffic or riding aggressively. And they’ll use that assumption to reduce what they offer you.

But assumptions aren’t evidence. The law doesn’t care what the adjuster thinks about motorcycles. It cares about what actually happened. And when we build your case, we make sure the evidence is so clear that bias doesn’t have room to breathe.

We show the police report. We show the witness statements. We show the traffic camera footage. We show the other driver’s citation. We show the skid marks, the point of impact, and the damage to both vehicles. We bring in experts who reconstruct the crash and explain it in terms no jury can ignore.

And when the insurance company tries to argue that you were partially at fault, we shut it down. Because you weren’t. And we can prove it.

What to Do Right After a Motorcycle Accident in Englewood

The minutes after a crash can determine the outcome of your case. If you’re physically able, here’s what you need to do:

• Call 911: Get police and paramedics to the scene. You need a police report, and you need your injuries documented immediately.
• Don’t apologize or admit fault: Even if you think you might have done something wrong, don’t say it. Let the investigation determine fault. Anything you say can be used against you later.
• Get the other driver’s information: Name, phone number, insurance company, and policy number. Take a photo of their driver’s license and insurance card if you can.
• Document the scene: Take photos of the vehicles, the road, any skid marks, traffic signs, and your injuries. If there are witnesses, get their contact information.
• Seek medical attention: Even if you don’t think you’re seriously hurt, get checked out. Adrenaline masks pain, and some injuries don’t show symptoms right away. If you delay treatment, the insurance company will claim your injuries weren’t that serious.
• Don’t talk to the other driver’s insurance company: They will call you. They’ll sound friendly. They’ll ask for a recorded statement. Don’t give it. Everything you say will be used to reduce or deny your claim. Let us handle it.
• Call a motorcycle accident lawyer: The sooner we get involved, the stronger your case will be. We’ll protect your rights, gather evidence, and deal with the insurance companies so you can focus on recovering.

Why McCormick & Murphy Fights for Riders in Englewood

We’ve handled motorcycle accident cases across Englewood, Denver, Lakewood, Arvada, Aurora, and the entire Front Range. We know the roads. We know the intersections where crashes happen. And we know the insurance companies that try to cheat riders out of fair compensation.

When you hire us, we take over the fight. We deal with the adjusters. We gather the evidence. We build the case. And we don’t settle for less than what you’re owed.

You don’t pay us unless we win. That’s how confident we are in the cases we take.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Englewood, call us at 888-668-1182. We’ll give you straight answers, a clear plan, and the aggressive representation you need to get every dollar you deserve.

Visit McCormick & Murphy, P.C. to learn more about how we fight for injured riders across Colorado.