Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers

Middletown Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Accomplished representation for injured motorcycle operators and passengers

Motorcycle riding is dangerous. At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we hold car, truck, and other motorcycle riders accountable when they fail to appreciate well-known and common-sense dangers – especially when larger vehicles fail to respect the right of the motorcycle to be on the road. Our Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers have more than 100 years of combined experience holding drivers accountable for the injuries and deaths they cause. Call us today to assert your rights.

Case Results

$300,000 for Workers Compensation
$300,000 – workmen’s compensation compensation commutation.
$600,000 Awarded for Slip & Fall
$600,000 – arbitration award following a slip and fall
$1.5 Million Dollar Auto Accident Settlement
$1.5 million dollar settlement for young man injured in an intersectional accident
$400,000 Awarded for Injured Worker
Over $400,000 in benefits awarded after two appeals to the Supreme Court for injured worker in first ever case in...
$638,152 Settlement for Injured Worker
$638,152 settlement recovered for worker injured at work in an automobile accident with injuries to his neck, back and spleen.

How dangerous are motorcycle accidents?

According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, in 2022, more than 6,200 people died in motorcycle crashes nationwide. Alcohol was a factor in 29% of these fatalities. According to J.D. Power and Associates, the odds of dying in a motorcycle accident are nearly 30 times higher than in a car accident.

In Delaware, in 2023, 16 people died and 284 people were injured in motorcycle (and scooter) accidents. 10 of the deaths occurred in New Castle County where Middletown is located. Motorcycle crashes cause injuries 72% of the time which means if you’re in a motorcycle accident and you survive, you’ll likely be on your way to the nearest hospital.

Motorcycles simply don’t provide the same protection as cars or trucks. Motorcycles don’t have hoods, roofs, trunks, or doors to protect the riders. Riders are likely to suffer two collisions – one with another vehicle or object and a second with the hard ground.

What types of motorcycle accidents do you handle in Middletown?

At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we handle all types of motorcycle accidents including:

  • Accidents while riding in groups
  • Accidents while navigating turns
  • Head-on crashes
  • Broadsides
  • Rear-end collisions
  • Dooring accidents – when car drivers open their door while a motorcycle is passing by
  • Accidents due to potholes, roadkill, gravel, and other types of dangerous roads
  • Accidents that occur when cars are turning
  • Crashes due to motorcycle operator inexperience

All of these types of accidents can cause deaths or serious injuries.

Why do motorcycle accidents happen in Middletown?

Our Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers work with investigators, the police, traffic reconstruction experts when necessary and others to show how accidents happen and who is responsible. Some of the common causes of motorcycle accidents include:

  • A lack of respect by a car or truck driver. Drivers of larger vehicles often fail to respect the right of a motorcycle rider to be on the road, to see a motorcycle, or to allow the motorcycle rider to maneuver safely.
  • A lack of experience. All beginning motorcycle riders should take motorcycle education courses. Drivers with experience can benefit from advanced courses.
  • Driver distraction. Many motorcycle accidents happen because the driver of a car or truck is texting, using a cell phone, eating, drinking, looking at a GPS, or paying too much attention to someone in their vehicle. Distracted drivers don’t have the time to react when emergencies occur.
  • Impaired driving. There’s no excuse for any driver operating their vehicle while impaired by alcohol or drugs.
  • Lane splitting. While Delaware doesn’t make lane splitting illegal, a motorcycle that rides in the same lane as another vehicle is risking an accident.
  • Inclement weather. Unlike cars and trucks, motorcycle riders have no protection when it rains, snows, or the glare of the sun makes driving difficult.
  • Defective motorcycle parts. Defective clutches, brakes, tires, electrical systems, and other motorcycle parts can cause accidents when they fail when the rider needs them the most.

What injuries do motorcycle crashes cause?

Motorcycle accidents often cause injuries that require a lifetime of care, chronic pain, and continual agony. Many motorcycle crashes are fatal. Our Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers work with your doctors to verify your injuries; understand the surgeries and rehabilitative care you need, and how your injuries are affecting your ability to work, function, and enjoy your life and your family.

We handle all types of motorcycle injuries including:

  • Road rash. This common motorcycle injury occurs when victims fall and slide along the road. This injury may require skin grafts and plastic surgery.
  • Traumatic brain injuries. The risk of this injury is the primary reason helmets are recommended for all riders.
  • Leg and foot injuries. These body parts can easily get tangled in the wheels of the motorcycle causing fractures and amputations.
  • Spinal cord damage and paralysis. Any rider who is struck or falls may suffer this devasting injury.
  • Traumatic amputation. Legs, feet, arms, and hands may need amputation
  • Broken bones. Injured riders are likely to suffer compound, comminuted, complex, and other types of fractures.
  • Burn injuries. Victims may suffer third-degree burns if the fuel line of a car, truck, or motorcycle involved in the crash ignites.
  • Lung, kidney, spleen, and other types of organ damage.
  • Scarring and disfigurement.
  • Death.

What laws govern motorcycle riding in Delaware?

At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we understand the helmet laws, motorcycle operation, and motorcycle equipment laws that apply in Delaware. In Delaware, as of July 2023, EVERY rider (operator and passenger) must wear a helmet and have eye protection during the first two years that the driver has their motorcycle license. Riders 18 and under must always wear a helmet.

Regardless of the state laws, motorcycle operators should take every precaution possible to prevent accidents from happening and to minimize any harm. For example, riders should wear clothing that is visible and covers the body.

Motorcycles must have:

  • “At least one rearview mirror, operational turn signals front and back, and a muffler system that hasn’t been tampered with.
  • A motorcycle endorsement on the driver’s license of the driver.
  • Footrests (unless there is a sidecar or enclosed cab) for passengers.”

Motorcycle operators must have the following minimum insurance requirements:

  • Bodily injury protection: $25,000 per person/ $50,000 per accident
  • Property damage: $10,000
  • Personal Injury Protection (PIP): $15,000/$30,000

How do you fight for motorcycle accident victims?

You have the same right to be on Delaware’s interstate, state routes, and local roads as car and truck drivers. Our Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers file personal injury and wrongful death claims against all responsible parties. The defendants may include:

  • A car or truck driver
  • Another motorcycle driver or the driver of a motorcycle in which a passenger is injured
  • The driver’s employer
  • The owner of the vehicle is different than the driver
  • The manufacturers of defective motorcycle parts
  • A tavern or another seller of alcohol to a driver was visibly intoxicated or a minor

We demand full compensation for all your:

  • Financial losses. These include your medical bills, lost earnings and benefits, and property damage).
  • Emotional damage. You deserve compensation for all your pain and suffering, scarring and disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures, inability to use a body part, and loss of consortium.

We also seek punitive damages if the driver’s conduct was unconscionable such as when a driver causes an accident while intoxicated.

Our attorneys demand wrongful death damages (funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support, and loss of emotional support) on behalf of your loved one’s family.

Speak with our Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers today

We understand how upset and frightened you are. Instead of enjoying your motorcycle, you’re sitting in a doctor’s office wondering if you’ll ever be healthy again, how you’ll pay your bills, and why you hurt so much. At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we’re here to fight for your future. Our Middletown motorcycle accident lawyers have helped many accident victims like you obtain strong verdicts and settlements.

Please call us or fill out our contact form to schedule a free consultation. With offices in Newark, Seaford, and Wilmington, Delaware, we’re ready to assert your rights now. We handle motorcycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis.