Motorcycle accident
Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
The firms in this guide
1. Romanow Law Group
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, catastrophic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, hit-and-run motorcycle accidents, drunk driver accidents, distracted driving accidents, lane change accidents, left-turn motorcycle accidents, intersection crashes, rear-end collisions with motorcycles, wrongful death from motorcycle accidents, road hazard accidents
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, liability analysis, accident reconstruction, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, trial representation, expert witness coordination, medical record review, lost wage calculation, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death litigation, comparative fault analysis under Pennsylvania law
Background: The Romanow Law Group focuses on representing motorcycle accident victims and their families in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and throughout Pennsylvania. The firm reports having recovered millions of dollars in damages for injured accident victims. The attorneys work to identify all liable parties in crashes and hold them accountable for maximum compensation. The firm is knowledgeable in federal and state motorcycle law, including technical specifications like power-to-weight ratios, ABS systems, and manufacturer crash impact requirements.
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Allegheny County)
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.romanowlawgroup.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation offered. Contingency fee basis.
2. Frischman & Rizza, P.C.
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle crashes, fatal motorcycle accidents, motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving accidents, failure to yield accidents, intersection crashes, wrongful death claims, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, police report analysis, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, trial representation, accident reconstruction, expert witness coordination, medical record analysis, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death litigation
Background: Frischman & Rizza is a Pittsburgh personal injury law firm with extensive experience handling motorcycle accident cases. The firm understands the challenges injured motorcyclists face during recovery. The attorneys work to hold negligent parties responsible and ensure that insurance companies do not undervalue claims. The firm thoroughly investigates each case, examining police reports and gathering evidence to build strong claims.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact: (412) 247-7300 | https://www.frlawpa.com
Consultation: Free case evaluation offered. Contingency fee basis.
3. Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, birth injuries, nursing home abuse, product liability
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, hit-and-run accidents, drunk driving motorcycle crashes, distracted driving accidents, speeding accidents, failure to yield accidents, lane change collisions, intersection crashes, motorcycle defect accidents, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injury cases, spinal cord injury cases
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, liability determination, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, trial representation, accident reconstruction, expert witness coordination, medical record analysis, lost wage and earning capacity calculation, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death litigation, comparative negligence analysis
Background: Shenderovich, Shenderovich & Fishman reports over 170 years of combined legal experience. The firm has experience handling a wide range of motorcycle accidents, including collisions caused by distracted driving, speeding, failure to yield, and alcohol/drug use. The attorneys counter arguments from insurance companies regarding helmet use and fight for fair compensation regardless of whether a helmet was worn.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact: Contact via website | https://www.ssf-lawfirm.com
Consultation: Free consultation offered. Contingency fee basis.
4. Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C.
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, product liability, premises liability, workers’ compensation
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle collisions, fatal motorcycle accidents, motorcycle vs. car accidents, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving motorcycle crashes, failure to yield accidents, lane change accidents, left-turn collisions, road hazard accidents, wrongful death claims, catastrophic injury cases
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident reconstruction, police report analysis, witness interviews, expert witness coordination, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, trial representation, medical record review, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death litigation, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims, comparative fault analysis
Background: Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C. has more than four decades of experience in personal injury law. The firm handles motorcycle accident cases throughout the Pittsburgh area. Attorneys Aaron Rihn and Sara Watkins have been appointed to key leadership roles in major litigation matters. The firm understands Pennsylvania’s motorcycle laws and modified comparative fault rules. The attorneys work to prove fault through accident reconstruction, traffic camera footage, witness statements, police reports, and expert testimony.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Contact: (844) 383-0565 | https://www.peircelaw.com
Consultation: Free confidential consultation offered. Contingency fee basis.
5. Freeburn Law
Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, personal injury, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability
Case Types Handled: Motorcycle crashes, fatal motorcycle accidents, motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck accidents, distracted driving accidents, drunk driving accidents, intersection crashes, single-vehicle motorcycle accidents, road hazard accidents, wrongful death claims, traumatic brain injury cases, spinal cord injury cases, road rash injuries
Legal Services: Negligence investigation, liability determination, insurance claim negotiation, settlement negotiations, trial representation, accident reconstruction, expert witness coordination, medical record analysis, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death litigation
Background: Freeburn Law has been representing injured motorcyclists across Pennsylvania for over 40 years. The attorneys at the firm are motorcycle riders themselves and are part of the motorcycle community, providing personal understanding of the risks and challenges riders face. The firm reports over 130 years of combined experience. Freeburn Law has helped create programs like Wills for Bikers and the Injured Bikers Foundation. The attorneys host legal workshops and advocate for safety laws that protect motorcyclists in Pennsylvania. The firm provides direct access to attorneys throughout the case.
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (with additional offices serving Pennsylvania)
Contact: (717) 777-7777 | https://pa-injurylawyer.com
Consultation: Free consultation offered. Contingency fee basis.
Motorcycle Claims in Pittsburgh: Pennsylvania Helmet and Coverage Rules
A rider hurt in Pittsburgh who also insures a car with limited tort can find two policies pulling in different directions. The rules below sort out the helmet requirement, the medical benefit gap and how the tort election reaches a motorcycle crash.
Helmet Requirement and the Enclosed-Cab Exemption
PennDOT’s helmet law FAQ states that operators and riders of motorcycles and autocycles must wear protective headgear unless they are 21 or older and have two years of riding experience or have completed a PennDOT or Motorcycle Safety Foundation approved safety course. Three-wheeled motorcycles and autocycles with an enclosed cab are exempt, and PennDOT has adopted regulations setting minimum performance requirements for motorcycle helmets.
No Mandatory Medical Benefit on a Motorcycle Policy
The $5,000 medical benefit that 75 Pa.C.S. § 1711(a) requires in liability policies does not extend to motorcycles, motor-driven cycles or motorized pedalcycles, which the section lists as exceptions.
How a Car Policy’s Tort Election Reaches a Rider
Section 1702 defines a private passenger motor vehicle as a four-wheel vehicle, and § 1705(d)(3) keeps full tort rights for a limited tort insured injured while an occupant of a motor vehicle other than a private passenger motor vehicle. A limited tort insured may also recover as if full tort had been chosen under § 1705(d)(1) when the driver at fault was convicted of, or accepted ARD for, driving under the influence in that accident, was driving a vehicle registered in another state, or intended to cause injury.
Deadline and Fault
Under 42 Pa.C.S. § 5524(2), a negligence action for injury or death must be commenced within two years. Section 7102(a) reduces a rider’s damages in proportion to the rider’s own negligence and allows recovery only when that negligence was not greater than the causal negligence of the defendants sued. For example, imagine $120,000 in damages with the rider found 25 percent at fault: the award would be $90,000.
Pittsburgh Motorcycle Accident Questions
The driver who hit me had no insurance. Does limited tort still restrict me?
No, not in that situation. Section 1705(d)(1)(iv) lets a limited tort insured recover as if full tort had been chosen when the person at fault has not maintained the financial responsibility the law requires, subject to the limitation in § 1731(d)(2), the section on availability, scope and amount of coverage.
I was too badly hurt to file a notice with a local government in time. Is the claim lost?
No, not necessarily. For a government unit other than the Commonwealth, 42 Pa.C.S. § 5522(a)(3) excludes up to 90 days of incapacity caused by the injury from the six-month notice period and removes the bar if the unit had actual or constructive notice of the incident. The court must also excuse a missed notice on a showing of reasonable excuse.
Can a limited tort insured sue the shop that worked on the motorcycle?
Yes, for a defect claim. Section 1705(d)(2) keeps full tort rights for claims against a person in the business of designing, manufacturing, repairing, servicing or otherwise maintaining motor vehicles, when the claim arises from a defect caused or not corrected in the course of that business, other than a defect in a vehicle the business itself operates.