Motorcycle accident
Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Greensboro, North Carolina
The firms in this guide
1. Garrett, Walker, Aycoth & Olson, Attorneys at Law
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries, workers’ compensation
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, motorcycle vs. car accidents, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, fatal motorcycle accidents, hit-and-run motorcycle accidents, drunk driver motorcycle accidents, distracted driver motorcycle accidents, intersection crashes, single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, uninsured motorist claims, underinsured motorist claims, wrongful death claims
Legal Services: Free case evaluation, negligence investigation, liability determination, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, litigation, trial representation, accident reconstruction, evidence preservation, witness interviews, police report analysis, medical record review, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, property damage claims for customized motorcycles, uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage claims
Background: Greensboro personal injury firm located at 317 S. Greene St, Greensboro, NC 27401. The firm handles motorcycle accident cases throughout North Carolina with attorneys including Brian Walker who handles personal injury and civil litigation matters. The firm emphasizes understanding contributory negligence issues unique to North Carolina motorcycle cases and advocates for fair property damage settlements that account for custom and after-market motorcycle parts.
Location: 317 S. Greene St, Greensboro, NC 27401
Contact: (336) 379-0539 | [email protected] | https://www.garrettandwalker.com
Consultation: Free consultation offered. 24/7 live phone answering. Contingency fee basis.
2. Edwards Kirby, LLP
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, catastrophic injuries, brain injuries, wrongful death, medical malpractice, birth injuries, product liability
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, motorcycle vs. car accidents, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, fatal motorcycle accidents, catastrophic injury motorcycle accidents, traumatic brain injury cases, spinal cord injuries, amputation injuries, burn injuries, disfigurement cases, wrongful death claims
Legal Services: Free case evaluation, negligence investigation, liability determination, accident reconstruction, expert witness coordination, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, litigation, trial representation, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering claims, future medical cost projections
Background: North Carolina personal injury firm founded in 1993 with a Raleigh office at 3201 Glenwood Ave, Suite 100. The firm reports recovering over $500 million for clients and has achieved record-setting verdicts and settlements in North Carolina. Attorneys include John Edwards, David F. Kirby, Winston S. Kirby, Mary Kathryn Kurth, Andrew Avram, and Michael E. Sindoni, M.D. The firm serves Greensboro and Guilford County motorcycle accident victims.
Location: 3201 Glenwood Ave, Suite 100, Raleigh, NC 27612 (serves Greensboro area)
Contact: (919) 780-5400 | https://www.edwardskirby.com
Consultation: Free consultation offered. Contingency fee basis (no fee unless recovery is obtained).
3. Ward Black Law
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, product liability, mesothelioma and asbestos cases
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, motorcycle vs. car accidents, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, fatal motorcycle accidents, traumatic brain injury cases, spinal cord injuries, road rash injuries, bone fractures, soft tissue injuries, internal organ injuries, amputation cases, wrongful death claims
Legal Services: Free case evaluation, accident scene investigation, evidence gathering, witness interviews, negligence investigation, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, litigation, trial representation, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, future earning capacity claims, pain and suffering claims, long-term care cost recovery
Background: Greensboro personal injury firm located at 208 West Wendover Ave. The firm reports client settlements exceeding $150 million. The firm has attorneys including Janet Ward Black (founder), Gerard Davidson, Audrey Snyder, Gabriel Snyder, and Emily J. Beeson. Ward Black Law handles motorcycle accident cases throughout North Carolina and emphasizes the unique challenges motorcycle riders face, including insurance company biases against motorcyclists.
Location: 208 West Wendover Ave, Greensboro, NC 27401
Contact: (800) 531-9191 or (336) 333-2244 | Text: (336) 439-8054 | [email protected] | https://www.wardblacklaw.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation offered. Available 24/7. Spanish language services available. Contingency fee basis.
4. Hodgman, Rowlett & Jahnes, P.A.
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, personal injury, workers’ compensation
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, motorcycle vs. car accidents, single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, product defect motorcycle accidents, road hazard accidents, fatal motorcycle accidents, wrongful death claims
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, liability determination, accident reconstruction, expert witness coordination, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, litigation, trial representation, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering claims
Background: Greensboro personal injury firm located at 100 South Elm Street, Suite 514. The firm handles personal injury and workers’ compensation matters and pursues compensation for motorcycle accident victims caused by others’ negligence. The attorneys employ investigators, accident reconstruction specialists, and other experts to analyze evidence and establish liability.
Location: 100 South Elm Street, Suite 514, P.O. Box 3245, Greensboro, NC 27401
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.hodgmanlaw.com
Consultation: Contact firm for consultation information.
5. Lewis & Keller Attorneys at Law
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, workers’ compensation
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, motorcycle vs. car accidents, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, fatal motorcycle accidents, intersection crashes, left-turn accidents, lane change accidents, rear-end collisions, hit-and-run accidents, drunk driver accidents, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injury cases, road rash injuries, limb fractures
Legal Services: Free case evaluation, negligence investigation, liability determination, contributory negligence defense, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, litigation, trial representation, medical expense recovery, lost wage claims, pain and suffering claims, property damage claims
Background: Greensboro personal injury firm with founding partner Mike Lewis recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America for personal injury litigation and distinguished as a North Carolina Super Lawyer in personal injury. The firm handles motorcycle accident cases and understands North Carolina’s strict contributory negligence rule and universal helmet law requirements.
Location: Greensboro, NC (Guilford County)
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.lewisandkeller.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation offered. Contingency fee basis.
Helmet Rules, Underage Alcohol Claims and City Immunity for Greensboro Motorcycle Crashes
A Greensboro motorcycle crash claim can raise North Carolina’s helmet statute and how a violation is treated in court, whether a seller who served alcohol to an underage driver can be sued, what uninsured motorist coverage pays, and when the city can be sued at all.
The Helmet Statute
Under North Carolina General Statutes 20-140.4(a)(2), the operator and all passengers on a motorcycle or moped on a highway or public vehicular area must wear helmets complying with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218 with the retention strap secured. Under (b), a violation is not negligence per se or contributory negligence per se in any civil action, and under (c) and (d) it is a $25.50 infraction with no license points or insurance surcharge.
Alcohol Sold to an Underage Driver
General Statutes 18B-121 creates a claim against a permittee or local Alcoholic Beverage Control Board that negligently sold or furnished alcohol to an underage person, when the alcohol caused or contributed to the underage driver’s impairment and the injury was proximately caused by the underage driver’s negligent driving while impaired. The section is limited to sales to underage persons.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Under General Statutes 20-279.21(b)(3), a bodily injury liability policy on a vehicle registered or principally garaged in North Carolina must include uninsured motorist coverage, with bodily injury limits equal to the policy’s highest bodily injury liability limits up to $1,000,000; uninsured motorist property damage coverage carries an exclusion of the first $100 of damage.
Claims Against the City
Under General Statutes 160A-485(a), a city may waive its immunity from tort liability by purchasing liability insurance, and participation in a local government risk pool counts as a purchase. Immunity is waived only to the extent that the city is indemnified by the insurance contract.
Greensboro Motorcycle Accident Questions
What if the other side says I was partly at fault?
The other side must prove it. Under General Statutes 1-139, the party asserting contributory negligence has the burden of proof, and under 20-140.4(b) a helmet violation alone is not contributory negligence per se. Other negligence by the rider, if proved, can end the claim: in Smith v. Fiber Controls Corp. (1980), the Supreme Court of North Carolina relied on a torts treatise for the rule that contributory negligence bars recovery and upheld a verdict for the defendant.
When does the three-year deadline start?
Under General Statutes 1-52(16), a claim for personal injury accrues when bodily harm becomes apparent or ought reasonably to have become apparent, whichever occurs first, and no claim accrues more than 10 years after the defendant’s last act; 1-52(5) then allows three years.
How long does a family have for a wrongful death claim?
Two years under General Statutes 1-53(4); the claim accrues on the date of death.