Most riders who call us have already heard from the other driver's insurance company. That call comes with a number, one calculated before your treatment is complete and before anyone has looked closely at who actually caused the crash. As a San Angelo motorcycle accident lawyer, Scott Templeton's first job is to make sure you understand what that number represents and what it leaves out.
Templeton Law Firm represents injured riders throughout San Angelo and West Texas. Every motorcycle case is handled personally by Scott, prepared for trial from day one, and built with the full cost of your recovery in mind.
The consultation is free. Call (325) 482-9120 or use the contact form below. You pay nothing unless we recover.
The First Settlement Offer Is Usually Wrong
An insurance adjuster builds an early offer from what is documented at that moment: the emergency room bill, the value of the bike, and a round number for pain and suffering. That calculation leaves out future surgeries, months of physical therapy, and income lost during a long recovery.
Motorcycle crashes produce a more severe injury profile than car accidents because riders absorb the full impact without a frame around them. Road rash requiring skin grafts, fractures affecting grip or mobility for years, and traumatic brain injuries, known as TBIs, are common outcomes even in crashes that look moderate on paper.
Once a settlement is signed, the claim is closed. An attorney's job is to hold that decision open until the real cost of your injuries is clear.
What Causes Most Motorcycle Crashes Near San Angelo?
Most serious motorcycle crashes in Tom Green County come from driver failures at turning movements and lane changes. Texas Transportation Code Section 552.003 requires a driver turning left to yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard. A motorcycle's narrow profile makes it easy for a driver to misjudge its speed or distance.
Multi-lane roads like Bryant Boulevard and intersections along Beauregard Avenue see this pattern regularly. A driver looks, decides there is a gap, begins the turn, and does not see the motorcycle already in that gap. The result is a collision that throws the rider into traffic.
Ranch road intersections outside San Angelo present the same failure from a different setting. A pickup pulling onto US-87 from a private road often stops scanning once a semi-truck has passed. Texas Transportation Code Section 545.145 requires a safe following distance from every vehicle, not just the largest ones.
Your Own Motorcycle Policy Might Be Your Most Important Asset
Many injured riders focus on the at-fault driver's insurance without realizing their own motorcycle policy may be the more significant source of recovery. Texas minimum liability coverage is $30,000 per person. A single orthopedic surgery can exceed that before physical therapy or lost income is counted.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, called UM/UIM, protects you when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough. Texas law requires insurers to offer this coverage when a policy is sold, but riders can decline it in writing. If you have it, both the other driver's policy and your own can be pursued simultaneously.
UM coverage also applies in hit-and-run crashes where the driver cannot be identified. Before accepting any settlement, every applicable policy must be reviewed. Settling with one carrier without reviewing others can permanently close off recovery that was still available.
How the Defense Builds Its Case Against a Rider
When a motorcycle injury claim is filed, the defense follows a predictable sequence. The adjuster checks speed limits, notes whether the rider wore a helmet, evaluates lane position, and looks for any basis to assign fault to the rider. Under Texas's modified comparative fault rules, every percentage of fault assigned to the rider reduces the insurer's payout by that same share.
Farrah, our case manager and a licensed insurance adjuster with more than 15 years in the field, knows these arguments from the inside. She identifies which fault assignments are supported by evidence and which are calculated to pressure a settlement before the rider understands their options.
What the Helmet Argument Does and Does Not Do
Texas requires helmets for riders under 21. Riders 21 or older may ride without one if they completed an approved motorcycle safety course or carry qualifying health insurance covering motorcycle injuries, under Transportation Code Section 661.003. Not wearing a helmet does not bar a claim.
What it does is give the insurer a severity argument: that head injuries were worse than they would have been with a helmet.
A road rash or orthopedic claim is unaffected by helmet status. A traumatic brain injury claim requires a more deliberate response, one built on expert medical evidence rather than assumptions about gear.
If the insurance company has already called, contact us before responding further. (325) 482-9120.
Ask Templeton Law Firm
These are the questions riders typically carry with them before they call our office.
Q: How do I know if the settlement offer I received is fair?
A: Most first offers are not. They are calculated before your medical picture is complete and before an attorney has challenged fault assumptions. A fair settlement accounts for all future costs, lost income, and non-economic damages. We can review any specific offer and tell you what the case is actually worth.
Q: I did not go to the hospital right after the crash. Does that end my claim?
A: No, but it creates an argument the insurer will use. A gap in treatment gives them grounds to say your injuries were not serious or were caused by something else. The more important step now is to start care before more time passes.
Q: Is my riding gear covered, or just the motorcycle?
A: Gear is part of your property damage claim. Helmet, jacket, gloves, and boots are all recoverable. If the other driver's coverage is insufficient, your own collision or UM policy may apply.
Q: Will Scott Templeton personally handle my case?
A: Yes. Every case at Templeton Law Firm is handled directly by Scott from start to finish. There are no hand-offs to associates or paralegals. When legal questions come up, Scott answers them himself.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a motorcycle accident case differ from a car accident case?
The injuries tend to be more severe, coverage gaps are more common, and the defense targets the rider more aggressively. The legal standard for proving who caused the crash is the same, but a motorcycle case requires responding to arguments about speed, helmet use, and visibility that simply do not arise in a standard car accident claim.
What should I avoid doing after a motorcycle crash in Texas?
Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer before speaking with an attorney. Do not settle before your medical treatment is complete. Do not assume the other driver's policy is the only source of recovery.
Can I file a claim if a road defect contributed to my crash?
A city or county responsible for road maintenance can share liability when a defect causes a motorcycle crash. These claims carry short notice deadlines under the Texas Tort Claims Act. If road conditions played a role, contact an attorney before those deadlines pass.
How long does a motorcycle accident case take to resolve?
Cases with clear liability and well-documented injuries sometimes settle in a few months. Cases involving serious injuries that require extended treatment take longer, because settling too early means accepting a number that does not account for future costs. We give every client a realistic timeline based on their specific situation.
Talk to a San Angelo Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today
Scott Templeton has practiced personal injury law in San Angelo for more than 25 years. Every motorcycle case he takes is handled personally and built with the full cost of recovery in mind, not just the cost at the time of the first call.
There is no upfront fee, and you pay nothing unless we recover.
Call (325) 482-9120 or use the contact form below. Free consultation. No fee unless we recover.
Se Habla Español | 905 S. Abe Street, San Angelo, TX 76903