When a driver’s negligence causes a motorcycle crash, the rider may face serious injuries, medical expenses, time away from work, and damage to the motorcycle. Deering Hedrick, P.C. represents injured motorcyclists in Virginia Beach and throughout Hampton Roads. We provide straightforward guidance, investigate what happened, and pursue available compensation when another party is legally responsible.
If you were injured in a Virginia Beach motorcycle accident, contact Deering Hedrick, P.C. to discuss your situation in a confidential consultation. Our team can explain your options and the next steps in your claim.
Do You Need a Virginia Beach Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
Motorcycle accident claims can be complicated by assumptions about speed, visibility, lane position, and rider behavior. Insurance companies may scrutinize these issues closely, particularly because Virginia’s contributory negligence rule can make disputes about fault consequential. A lawyer can help investigate the crash, preserve evidence, identify available coverage, and present a claim based on the facts.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics in Virginia Beach
Motorcyclists have far less physical protection than passenger-vehicle occupants, making collisions especially likely to cause catastrophic or fatal injuries. According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles’ 2024 Virginia Traffic Crash Facts report, Virginia recorded:
- 2,245 motorcycle crashes
- 115 fatal motorcycle crashes
- 117 motorcyclist deaths
- 1,839 motorcyclist injuries
- 798 serious rider injuries
Nationally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 6,335 motorcyclist deaths and an estimated 82,564 injuries in 2023. Motorcyclists were nearly 28 times more likely than passenger car occupants to die in a traffic crash per mile traveled.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Virginia Beach
Motorcycle accidents in Virginia Beach can happen anywhere, but certain local traffic conditions can make riders especially vulnerable. Virginia Beach has busy multilane roads, high-volume intersections, interstate interchanges, military and commuter traffic, and seasonal tourism near the Oceanfront. These conditions can create frequent opportunities for a driver to overlook a motorcycle, misjudge its distance or speed, or make an unsafe maneuver.
Across Virginia, driver behavior remains a central safety concern. Recent state safety data shows increases in fatal and serious crashes involving speeding, intersections, and motorcyclists, reinforcing the importance of careful driving around riders.
Common causes of motorcycle accidents in Virginia Beach include:
- Failure to yield or unsafe left turns
- Unsafe lane changes and blind-spot collisions
- Distracted, impaired, fatigued, or aggressive driving
- Speeding and following too closely
- Red light, stop sign, or other traffic signal violations
- Dangerous road conditions, debris, poor maintenance, or weather
- Defective motorcycle parts, vehicle equipment, or negligent repairs
Virginia Beach’s mix of local commuters, military personnel, commercial traffic, and visitors unfamiliar with local roads can increase the need for drivers to slow down, check carefully for motorcycles, and yield the right of way when required. A rider’s smaller profile is never an excuse for a motorist who failed to look, signal, yield, or operate a vehicle safely.
If a careless driver injured you or someone you love, Deering Hedrick, P.C. can investigate the crash, preserve available evidence, and identify the parties responsible. Call (757) 383-6848 to speak with an approachable Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorney.
Common Injuries Associated with Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle riders have limited protection against the force imparted at impact by a passenger vehicle or large truck. Riders are vulnerable to traumatic and life-altering injuries and are prone to being thrown violently from their vehicles. Some of the most common injuries associated with motorcycle accidents include:
Motorcycle crashes can cause injuries ranging from soft tissue damage and fractures to life-altering brain, spinal cord, and burn injuries. Serious physical injuries can also lead to emotional harm, including anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress symptoms.
Compensation for a Motorcycle Accident Case
The value of a motorcycle accident claim depends on the injuries, available insurance coverage, evidence of fault, and the ways the crash has affected the person’s health, income, and daily life.
Typically, in a motorcycle accident case, you can seek compensation for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Rehabilitation costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earning capacity
- Property damage
- Disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
Our team is prepared to negotiate aggressively on your behalf. Sometimes, insurers refuse to negotiate in good faith, and we’re ready for that. We can prepare to take your case to court to seek meaningful compensation for your financial losses. Before you discuss your situation with anyone else, speak to an experienced Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorney. An attorney can review the circumstances of the crash, investigate the accident, and manage communication between you and the liable insurer. Give yourself the compassionate, committed representation you deserve at this critical juncture.
Navigating Insurance Claims After a Motorcycle Accident
After a motorcycle accident, an insurer may quickly ask for a recorded statement, medical authorization, or early settlement. Motorcycle claims can be especially complicated because insurers may try to blame the rider for speeding, being difficult to see, or otherwise contributing to the crash.
In Virginia, even a finding of partial fault can prevent an injured person from recovering compensation. A thorough review should identify all potentially available coverage, including the at-fault driver’s liability insurance, your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, and any commercial, rideshare, employer, or other applicable policy.
Virginia policies effective on or after January 1, 2025, must provide at least:
- $50,000 in bodily-injury coverage for one person
- $100,000 per accident for two or more people
- $25,000 for property damage
Those minimums may not cover the full cost of a serious motorcycle injury. Deering Hedrick, P.C. can investigate the crash, identify available insurance coverage, document your losses, and communicate with insurers on your behalf. Call Deering Hedrick, P.C. at (757) 383-6848 to discuss your motorcycle accident claim.
How Much Compensation Can You Receive for a Motorcycle Accident?
There is no standard motorcycle accident settlement. The compensation available depends on the severity of your injuries, the evidence of fault, the insurance coverage available, and how the crash has affected your life. A claim may include medical expenses, future medical care, lost income, reduced earning capacity, motorcycle repairs or replacement, and other out-of-pocket costs, along with compensation for pain, emotional distress, scarring, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.
For serious injuries, it is important to consider future consequences, not just the bills already received. For example, a rider with a fracture may need surgery, rehabilitation, additional treatment, and time away from work. If the injury limits the rider’s ability to return to the same job or earn the same income, those future losses may also be part of the claim when supported by the evidence. Deering Hedrick, P.C. evaluates the full impact of a motorcycle crash on your health, work, finances, and day-to-day life. Call Deering Hedrick, P.C. at (757) 383-6848 to discuss the compensation that may be available in your Virginia Beach claim.
How Deering Hedrick, P.C. Builds a Motorcycle Accident Case
A strong motorcycle accident claim begins with a thorough investigation. At Deering Hedrick, P.C., we take the time to understand what happened, identify the available evidence, and evaluate how the crash has affected your health, finances, work, and daily life.
Motorcycle crashes often involve disputes about visibility, speed, lane position, helmet use, or whether the rider had enough time to avoid the collision. Insurance companies may rely on assumptions about motorcyclists instead of the evidence. Our attorneys work to build a case based on the facts, not unfair stereotypes about riders.
Depending on the circumstances, our team may:
- Review the police crash report, photographs, video footage, and available dash-camera or surveillance footage
- Identify and speak with witnesses who saw the collision or events leading up to it
- Examine the vehicles, damage patterns, roadway conditions, traffic signals, and intersection layout
- Pursue available phone, electronic, vehicle, or other evidence when appropriate and obtainable
- Work with accident reconstruction professionals when the facts, injuries, or insurance dispute warrant additional analysis
- Obtain and review medical records and other documentation concerning diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and future care.
- Gather employment, income, and financial records to support claims for lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Identify every potentially available insurance policy, including liability, uninsured or underinsured motorist, commercial, rideshare, or umbrella coverage
- Handle communications with insurance companies and prepare the case for negotiations or litigation when needed
Virginia’s contributory negligence rule makes early evidence collection especially important. An insurer may look for any argument that a motorcyclist was partially at fault, even when a driver made the primary mistake. Prompt investigation can help preserve evidence before vehicles are repaired, video is deleted, witnesses become difficult to locate, or memories fade.
Deering Hedrick, P.C. provides direct, accessible support from the beginning of the claim through resolution. If you were hurt in a Virginia Beach motorcycle crash, call (757) 383-6848 to discuss how we can begin investigating your case.
When a Motorcycle Accident Claim May Require an Attorney
Not every motorcycle accident requires a lawyer. If a crash causes only minor property damage, no one is hurt, fault is clear, and the insurer promptly pays the full cost of repairs, you may be able to handle the property damage portion of the claim yourself.
However, motorcycle accident claims often become more complicated than they first appear. Serious injuries may not be fully understood immediately after the collision, insurance companies may dispute fault, and a quick settlement offer may not account for the full cost of your medical care, lost income, or future needs.
You should strongly consider speaking with a Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorney when:
- You suffered an injury that required emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, diagnostic testing, physical therapy, rehabilitation, or ongoing medical care.
- You missed work, cannot return to your prior job, or believe the injury may affect your future earning ability.
- A loved one was seriously injured or killed in a motorcycle crash.
- The other driver, their insurer, or the police report suggests you may have contributed to the collision.
- The other driver claims they did not see you, says you were speeding, disputes the sequence of events, or alleges you were lane splitting or otherwise riding unsafely.
- The insurance company asks you to give a recorded statement, sign a broad medical authorization, or accept a settlement before you understand the extent of your injuries.
- The other motorist was uninsured, underinsured, working for an employer, driving a commercial vehicle, or involved in a hit-and-run.
- The crash may involve multiple vehicles, a rideshare vehicle, defective motorcycle equipment, dangerous road conditions, or a government entity.
- There is video evidence, witness testimony, vehicle data, or physical evidence that needs to be preserved quickly.
- You are unsure what insurance coverage applies or whether your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may be available.
Legal guidance can be particularly important in Virginia because the Commonwealth follows a strict contributory-negligence rule. If an insurer or court successfully argues that an injured rider was even partly responsible for causing the crash, that rider may be barred from recovering compensation from another at-fault party.
Proving Fault in a Motorcycle Accident Case
Virginia generally follows a contributory negligence rule in personal injury cases. If a rider’s own negligence is found to have legally contributed to causing the crash, that can bar recovery against another negligent party. Because fault disputes can be critical, early investigation and evidence preservation matter.
An experienced Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorney understands the intricacies of the contributory negligence model and can help you build a strong case for fair compensation. At Deering Hedrick, P.C., Mike Deering and Chris Todd Hedrick are prepared to review every aspect of your situation and craft a compelling case based on evidence. Do not try to navigate the claim process or Virginia’s complicated legal system alone. If you receive significant injuries following a motorcycle accident, consult a skilled personal injury attorney to discuss your legal options.
Virginia Motorcycle Laws
Before hitting the road on two wheels, you should familiarize yourself with Virginia’s motorcycle laws. First, you must earn a valid Class M, M2, or M3 motorcycle license. If you currently hold a valid Virginia driver’s license, you can add a Class M designation by:
- Passing a vision test
- Passing the motorcycle knowledge examination
- Hold a motorcycle learner’s permit for 30 days
- Passing a motorcycle road skills test
If you complete an approved Virginia Rider Training Program, you can bypass taking the knowledge and skills exams. Classes are available at a variety of locations across the commonwealth.
Virginia law requires motorcycle operators and passengers to wear approved protective headgear and, when applicable, eye protection. The statute also states that failure to wear this equipment is not negligence per se in a civil proceeding.
Although not required by law, motorcycle riders should also consider wearing other protective gear when riding, including sturdy boots, gloves, and a durable jacket and pants. Leather and certain synthetic materials are the best options because they are strong enough to help prevent road rash in the event of a crash or fall. Riders should also consider wearing bold colors or adding reflective material to their gear to make them easier to see on the road.
Deadline for Filing a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit in Virginia
In most cases, Virginia law requires a personal injury lawsuit to be filed within two years after the claim accrues. A separate five year limitations period generally applies to property-damage claims, such as damage to a motorcycle. Exceptions and different deadlines may apply in some cases, so it is important to seek legal advice promptly.
Contact a Knowledgeable Motorcycle Accident Attorney Immediately
A motorcycle accident can change your life in a split second, causing traumatic and life-long injuries and throwing you into financial uncertainty. Following an accident, you deserve aggressive legal representation. Put your case in the hands of an experienced Virginia Beach motorcycle accident attorney. Trust Deering Hedrick, P.C. Mike Deering and Chris Hedrick have the knowledge and resources to help you get back on your feet again.
Our legal team wants to help you get the compensation you deserve from the people who hurt you. Contact us today to set up a confidential legal consultation with a skilled motorcycle accident lawyer in Virginia Beach. We are ready to work with and support you during this challenging time.
