Memphis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

A rider goes down on Poplar, Union, or the interstate loop, and within hours the other driver’s insurer is calling with a friendly voice and a recorded line. Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette represents injured motorcyclists and their families across Tennessee, and that includes riders hurt in Shelby County and the Memphis area. If you need a Memphis motorcycle accident lawyer, the first thing to know is that the clock is short and the insurance company already knows it.

Motorcycle claims are different from ordinary car wreck claims. Riders absorb the full force of a crash, so the injuries tend to be road rash, shattered legs, spinal damage, and head trauma, and the medical bills climb quickly. Insurers also lean on bias, suggesting the rider was speeding or weaving, even when a driver simply pulled out in front of a motorcycle they never looked for.

Left turns across oncoming traffic, drivers changing lanes into a rider’s blind spot, and sudden stops by distracted motorists account for many of the wrecks we see. In Memphis, where heavy truck traffic, interstate merges, and stretches of rough pavement all share the road with riders, those collisions can leave someone unable to work for months or permanently.

What to Do After a Memphis Motorcycle Crash

Get medical care first, even if you feel walkable. Adrenaline hides fractures, internal bleeding, and concussions, and a gap between the crash and your first treatment gives an insurer something to argue about. Tell every provider exactly how you were hurt so the records connect your injuries to the wreck.

Call the police and make sure a report is filed. If you can, photograph the scene, the vehicles, skid marks, road defects, your helmet and gear, and your visible injuries. Get names and contact information for witnesses. Do not throw away your damaged helmet, jacket, or bike parts; they are evidence of how the impact happened.

Be careful with the other driver’s insurance company. You are not required to give a recorded statement, and anything you say about speed, lane position, or how you feel can be used to shift blame to you. Send those calls to your lawyer. Also avoid posting about the crash or your recovery on social media, since photos of a good day get used against riders with serious injuries.

Deadlines matter. In Tennessee, a personal injury lawsuit generally must be filed within one year of the crash. If the at-fault driver is criminally charged and the prosecution begins within that first year, the filing window can stretch to two years, but you should never plan around that extension. Property damage to your bike falls under a separate three-year deadline. If a government vehicle, such as a city truck or bus, caused your crash, suits under the Governmental Tort Liability Act must be filed within 12 months, and damages in those cases are capped.

Lawsuits arising from Memphis crashes are filed in the courts of Shelby County, which is its own single-county judicial district. Cases with out-of-state parties or federal issues can end up in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, which sits in Memphis. Whichever court applies, early investigation is what makes the difference, and we can meet you at home or in the hospital if you cannot travel.

Common Ways Motorcycle Wrecks Happen Around Memphis

• Left-Turn and Failure-to-Yield Crashes: A driver turns across a rider’s path at an intersection or pulls out of a parking lot, claiming they never saw the bike. Busy corridors like Poplar Avenue and Summer Avenue produce many of these collisions.
• Lane-Change and Blind Spot Collisions: Drivers merging on the interstates around the city or drifting on multi-lane roads clip riders who are hidden in their mirrors.
• Distracted Driving: Tennessee’s Hands Free law bars drivers from holding a phone, reading or sending texts, or watching video behind the wheel. Phone records can prove a driver broke that law, and a violation is strong evidence of negligence.
• Drunk and Impaired Drivers: Tennessee’s per se limit is 0.08 percent, but impairment can be proven at lower levels. When the at-fault driver was intoxicated, the cap on noneconomic damages can be lifted.
• Commercial Truck and Delivery Vehicle Crashes: Memphis is a freight hub, and riders share the road with tractor-trailers and delivery vans. These cases involve driver logs, maintenance records, and electronic data that must be preserved quickly.
• Road Defects and Hazards: Potholes, gravel, uneven pavement, and debris are minor for a car and dangerous for a motorcycle. Depending on who maintained the road, a government claim may be involved.
• Uninsured and Underinsured Drivers: Tennessee’s minimum liability coverage is only $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, which rarely covers a serious motorcycle injury. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may fill the gap.
• Hit-and-Run Crashes: When a driver flees, your own uninsured motorist coverage and any surveillance or witness evidence become central to the claim.

Why Choose Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for a Memphis Motorcycle Claim

Bruce D. Fox, co-founder, has tried more than 125 jury trials in state and federal court, and that courtroom record is what insurers look at when deciding whether to make a real offer on a motorcycle case. He is a past president of the Tennessee Trial Lawyers Association, received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025, belongs to the American Board of Trial Advocates, and has been named to Mid-South Super Lawyers 17 times. For a rider whose claim depends on a jury getting past the stereotype of the reckless biker, trial experience of that kind matters.

Partner Brad C. Burnette holds an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell and serves on the TTLA Board of Governors. Partner John Willis also sits on that board and has tried cases across the state, from the Tri-Cities to Chattanooga. Trial attorney Michael C. Beehan is fluent in Spanish and represents Spanish-speaking clients in their own language. Two of our partners spent the early part of their careers defending insurance companies, trucking companies, and businesses, so they know how adjusters build the comparative fault argument against a rider.

The results reflect that work. The firm recovered $2.3 million for a Knox County motorcyclist who lost his leg when a driver struck him and fled, and $3.4 million for the family of a man killed in a rear-end collision caused by a construction company driver. Our attorneys have more than 170 years of combined experience, and the firm has recovered over $100 million for clients. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome, since every crash turns on its own facts.

You pay no fees unless we recover compensation, and the first consultation is free. We also offer Spanish-language service, and we will come to you if your injuries make travel impossible.

How Tennessee Law Shapes the Value of a Motorcycle Claim

Fault is the center of most motorcycle disputes. Tennessee follows modified comparative fault: you can recover if you are less than 50 percent responsible, and your award is reduced by your share. At 50 percent or more, the claim is barred entirely. That is why insurers push so hard to label riders as speeders or lane-splitters, and why scene evidence, witness statements, and sometimes accident reconstruction decide cases. Tennessee also allows fault to be assigned to people who are not even parties to the lawsuit, so the defense may try to blame an unnamed third driver or a road condition.

Damages fall into two groups. Economic damages, meaning medical bills, future care, lost wages, and reduced earning capacity, are not capped in Tennessee. Noneconomic damages, such as pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life, are generally limited to $750,000, rising to $1 million for a defined catastrophic injury. Catastrophic injuries under the statute include spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia and amputation of two hands, two feet, or one of each. The jury is not told about the cap, and the court applies it afterward.

The cap does not apply in every case. It is lifted when the defendant intentionally caused the injury, was intoxicated, destroyed evidence, or was convicted of a felony tied to the conduct. Punitive damages, reserved for the worst conduct, are limited to the greater of two times compensatory damages or $500,000.

When a rider dies, the right to bring a wrongful death action passes first to the surviving spouse, then to the children or next of kin, or it may be pursued by a personal representative. The one-year deadline runs from the date of the crash, not the date of death.

Memphis Motorcycle Accident Questions Answered

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit in Tennessee?

Generally one year from the date of the crash. It can extend to two years when the at-fault driver is criminally charged within that first year and you sue that same person. Claims against government entities must be filed within 12 months, and property damage claims have three years.

Does not wearing a helmet ruin my claim?

Not automatically. Helmet use can come up when the defense argues your head injury was worse than it needed to be, and it can feed a comparative fault argument. It does not erase the other driver’s responsibility for causing the crash.

What if I was partly at fault for the wreck?

You can still recover if you are less than 50 percent at fault, but your award is reduced by your percentage. If you are found 50 percent or more responsible, you recover nothing. That makes the fault investigation one of the most important parts of the case.

Is there a limit on what I can recover for pain and suffering?

Yes. Noneconomic damages are generally limited to $750,000, or $1 million in a defined catastrophic case. Medical bills and lost income are not capped, and the limit is lifted in certain situations, including when the defendant was intoxicated.

The other driver only had minimum insurance. What happens now?

Minimum liability limits in Tennessee are $25,000 per person for injuries, which a serious motorcycle injury can exceed within days. Your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may apply, and we also look at whether an employer, a company, or another party shares responsibility.

How much does it cost to hire your firm?

Nothing up front. We work on contingency, so fees are owed only if we recover compensation, and consultations are free.

Should I give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement?

No. You have no obligation to do so, and adjusters use these statements to find inconsistencies or to pin down admissions about speed and lane position. Let your attorney handle communication.

Can I get paid while my claim is still pending?

Most injury claims are not paid until they resolve, so many riders rely on health insurance, disability coverage, or medical payments coverage in the meantime. Providers often have reimbursement rights against a settlement, which we account for when negotiating.

What if the driver who hit me fled the scene?

Your own uninsured motorist coverage can respond to a hit-and-run. Witnesses, nearby cameras, and prompt police reporting help establish what happened. We have recovered $2.3 million for a Knox County motorcyclist hurt by a driver who fled.

Does a texting driver change my case?

It can strengthen it. Holding a phone, reading, or sending texts while driving violates Tennessee’s Hands Free law, and phone records can be obtained in a lawsuit. Evidence of distraction supports fault and sometimes makes a case harder for an insurer to dispute.

Do I need a lawyer for a smaller motorcycle accident?

Even a crash that looks minor can involve delayed injuries and a fault dispute that costs you the claim. A free consultation will tell you whether the case warrants representation.

What if my loved one died in a motorcycle crash?

The family may have a wrongful death claim, which covers lost income, medical and funeral expenses, and the value of the life taken. Filing deadlines begin on the date of the crash, so speak with a lawyer quickly.

Serving Memphis Riders and Injury Clients Across Tennessee

Our work for motorcyclists starts with Memphis and Shelby County, from Midtown, Downtown, and Cooper-Young to Orange Mound, Whitehaven, and Raleigh. We represent riders hurt on the roads of Germantown, Collierville, Bartlett, Cordova, and Millington, along with those hit near the airport corridor and the freight routes that feed the city.

The firm’s reach extends statewide. We serve clients across East Tennessee, including Knoxville and Knox County, Sevierville and Sevier County, Maryville and Blount County, Clinton and Anderson County, and LaFollette and Campbell County, as well as people from Roane, Claiborne, Morgan, Jefferson, and Monroe counties. We also represent injured Tennesseans from Nashville, Johnson City, and everywhere between, and we travel to clients whose injuries keep them from coming to us.

Talk With a Memphis Motorcycle Accident Attorney

The sooner a Memphis motorcycle accident attorney starts preserving evidence and answering the insurance company for you, the stronger your claim will be. Call Fox, Farley, Willis & Burnette for a free consultation. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation, hablamos español, and we will meet you at home or in the hospital if you cannot come to us.