Arizona Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Arizona gives riders almost every kind of road they could ask for. Phoenix riders can leave city traffic behind and head toward the mountains within an hour. Tucson offers desert roads surrounded by some of the most distinctive scenery in the Southwest. Longer rides can take motorcyclists toward Sedona, Flagstaff, Prescott, or stretches of open highway where the road seems to disappear into the horizon.

But Scott O’Sullivan has represented injured motorcycle riders for almost three decades, and he knows that a great ride can change because of one driver who turns left without seeing a motorcycle, moves into a rider’s lane, follows too closely, or looks at a phone instead of the road.

Rider Justice was created specifically for motorcyclists. Scott and the Rider Justice team understand the injuries riders suffer, the stereotypes they encounter after crashes, and the insurance issues that can determine whether someone has the resources necessary to recover.

If you were seriously injured while riding in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Mesa, or elsewhere in Arizona, Rider Justice can help connect you with the legal representation and resources necessary to pursue your claim through its nationwide network.

Scott has heard one explanation from drivers after motorcycle crashes more times than he can count: “I didn’t see the motorcycle.”

Arizona’s own crash data helps illustrate the danger of turning collisions. Among multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes in 2024, ADOT recorded 518 left-turn crashes. Left-turn collisions accounted for nearly 39% of fatal multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes.

A driver may:

• Turn left across a rider’s path at an intersection.
• Pull from a parking lot or driveway into traffic.
• Misjudge how quickly an approaching motorcycle is traveling.
• Begin a turn without looking carefully for smaller vehicles.
• Focus on surrounding cars while failing to register an approaching motorcycle.

For the rider, there may be nowhere to go.

When someone says they did not see a motorcycle, Scott wants to know why. Were they distracted? Did they fail to yield? Were they trying to beat approaching traffic? Were witnesses present? Did nearby businesses or traffic systems capture video?

Failing to see a rider does not automatically excuse failing to yield.

Rider Justice has also seen how easily a routine lane change can become catastrophic for someone on two wheels.

Motorcycles occupy less visual space than passenger vehicles and can be overlooked when drivers fail to check mirrors and blind spots. On multilane roads such as I-10, I-17, Loop 101, and Loop 202, a rider can have almost no escape route.

Evidence in a lane-change crash may include:

• Damage to the motorcycle and other vehicle.
• Crash-scene photographs.
• Witness statements.
• Dashcam footage.
• Traffic or surveillance video when available.
• Cell phone evidence when distracted driving is suspected.
• Electronic vehicle data when relevant.

Scott began his career representing insurance companies, so he knows how quickly an insurer may try to turn uncertainty about a crash into an argument against the injured rider.

Rider Justice works to make sure the evidence gets there first.

Rider Justice believes riders should know the difference between lane splitting and lane filtering because Arizona law does not treat them as the same.

Arizona generally does not permit a motorcycle to travel between lanes of moving traffic.

However, Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-903 allows limited lane filtering for operators of two-wheeled motorcycles under specific circumstances.

A rider may move between lanes to pass a vehicle stopped in the same direction when the movement can be made safely and:

• The road has at least two adjacent lanes traveling in the same direction.
• The posted speed limit does not exceed 45 mph.
• The motorcycle does not exceed 15 mph.
• The vehicle being passed is stopped.

Those limitations matter.

A rider traveling between vehicles moving at highway speeds on I-10 is not doing the same thing as a rider carefully filtering between stopped traffic, as authorized by Arizona law.

After a crash, an insurance company may try to blur that distinction. An Arizona motorcycle accident attorney should examine what the rider was actually doing and whether it complied with the law before accepting an insurer’s characterization.

Scott has seen insurance companies focus heavily on helmet use after motorcycle crashes, even when a helmet had nothing to do with the cause of the collision.

Arizona law requires motorcycle operators and passengers under age 18 to wear a protective helmet. Adult riders are not subject to that general helmet requirement.

Arizona also requires motorcycle operators to use approved protective glasses, goggles, or a transparent face shield unless the motorcycle has a protective windshield.

For an adult injured rider, not wearing a helmet does not suddenly make another driver’s unsafe turn or lane change acceptable.

However, helmet use can become an issue in a claim involving a head injury. An insurer may argue that the absence of a helmet contributed to the severity of the injuries and attempt to reduce compensation.

That is different from proving who caused the crash itself.

Scott believes those questions need to be separated and evaluated on the basis of evidence rather than used to reinforce stereotypes about riders.

Scott has spent almost three decades seeing what happens after the ambulance leaves.

A serious motorcycle injury can affect someone’s health, job, finances, family responsibilities, independence, and ability to ride again. A settlement that looks substantial at first can become inadequate quickly if it does not account for what comes next.

Depending on the facts of the case, compensation may address losses such as:

• Emergency medical treatment.
• Hospitalization and surgery.
• Rehabilitation and physical therapy.
• Future medical care.
• Lost wages.
• Reduced future earning capacity.
• Pain and suffering.
• Permanent impairment or disability.
• Scarring and disfigurement.
• Damage to the motorcycle.
• Damage to helmets, riding gear, luggage, and other property.

Scott also looks closely at available insurance.

When the at-fault driver’s liability limits are inadequate, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may become especially important. A serious motorcycle crash should be evaluated with every potentially available source of recovery in mind.

Whether a motorcycle crash happens in Phoenix traffic, on a Tucson street, along an interstate through Maricopa County, or on a road far from either metropolitan area, the rider deserves an investigation based on facts rather than stereotypes.

Scott O’Sullivan has been standing up for injured motorcyclists since 1998. Rider Justice brings that experience, its commitment to the motorcycle community, and its nationwide network to riders who need help after serious crashes.

If you or someone you love was injured in an Arizona motorcycle crash, contact Rider Justice for a free consultation. Tell us what happened. We’ll help you understand what comes next and connect you with the resources needed to protect your rights.