{"id":2095,"date":"2026-09-11T16:10:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T16:10:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/?p=2095"},"modified":"2026-09-11T16:10:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T16:10:12","slug":"common-causes-of-motorcycle-accidents-in-arizona-and-whos-usually-liable","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/uncategorized\/common-causes-of-motorcycle-accidents-in-arizona-and-whos-usually-liable\/","title":{"rendered":"Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Arizona (and Who&#8217;s Usually Liable)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Arizona are drivers failing to see motorcycles at intersections, unsafe lane changes, and left-turn collisions where a car turns in front of an oncoming rider. In the majority of these crashes, the driver of the car or truck \u2014 not the motorcyclist \u2014 is found at fault, largely because drivers frequently misjudge a motorcycle&#8217;s speed and distance or simply don&#8217;t look for one at all.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arizona&#8217;s year-round riding weather means more motorcycles on the road for more of the year than most states \u2014 and unfortunately, more opportunities for these collisions. Here&#8217;s what typically causes them and how fault gets determined.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>The Most Common Causes<\/b><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Left-turn accidents.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A driver turning left at an intersection fails to see an oncoming motorcycle and turns directly into its path. This is one of the single most common causes of serious motorcycle injuries.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Lane change collisions.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Motorcycles sit in a driver&#8217;s blind spot more easily than a car does, and a driver changing lanes without checking properly can sideswipe a rider.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Following too closely.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Drivers often underestimate how quickly a motorcycle can decelerate, leading to rear-end collisions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Road hazards.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Potholes, gravel, and uneven pavement are far more dangerous to a motorcycle than a car, and can cause a rider to lose control even without another vehicle involved.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Dooring.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A parked car door opening into traffic can force a rider into a sudden, dangerous swerve.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>Is Lane Splitting Legal in Arizona?<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Arizona does not permit traditional lane splitting (riding between lanes of stopped or slow-moving traffic) in the way some states do. However, Arizona law does allow motorcycles to share a single lane side-by-side, and permits limited lane sharing at very low speeds in specific circumstances. If you were riding legally and were struck, this generally has no bearing on your right to compensation \u2014 but it&#8217;s worth having an attorney confirm the specific facts of your situation.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Why Fault Often Falls on the Other Driver<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In most motorcycle collisions with another vehicle, an investigation typically finds that the driver failed to see the motorcycle, misjudged its speed, or violated the rider&#8217;s right of way. This doesn&#8217;t mean fault is automatic \u2014 insurance companies are also well aware of common (and often unfair) biases against motorcyclists, and frequently try to shift blame onto the rider even when the evidence doesn&#8217;t support it.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>Why Motorcycle Injuries Tend to Be More Severe<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Without the protection of a vehicle frame, motorcyclists are far more exposed in a collision, which often results in traumatic brain injuries, road rash, fractures, and spinal injuries \u2014 even in accidents that would cause only minor damage in a car-on-car crash. This is exactly why motorcycle accident claims tend to carry higher value than comparable car accident claims, and why insurers push back harder on them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h5><b>What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident<\/b><\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get medical attention immediately, even if you feel capable of continuing on.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Get the police report, photos of the scene, and contact information for witnesses.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Preserve your damaged gear and motorcycle \u2014 they can serve as evidence of impact severity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Avoid giving a recorded statement to the other driver&#8217;s insurance company before speaking with an attorney.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h5><b>Get Your Motorcycle Accident Case Reviewed<\/b><\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At Ruben Law Group, we offer free, no-obligation consultations for motorcycle accident victims across Phoenix and Tucson. Se habla espa\u00f1ol, and there&#8217;s no fee unless we recover for you.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><b>Preguntas frecuentes<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><b>Am I automatically assumed to be at fault as a motorcyclist?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No. Fault is determined by the specific facts of the crash \u2014 who violated the right of way, who failed to yield, and the conditions at the time \u2014 not by assumptions about motorcyclists in general.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Does not wearing a helmet affect my claim in Arizona?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Arizona doesn&#8217;t require helmets for riders over 18, and not wearing one typically doesn&#8217;t bar your claim, though it could be raised in relation to certain head-injury damages specifically. An attorney can explain how this applies to your case.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>What if the driver claims they never saw me?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> &#8220;I didn&#8217;t see the motorcycle&#8221; is one of the most common statements after these accidents, but it doesn&#8217;t excuse a driver&#8217;s duty to look for other vehicles, including motorcycles, before turning or changing lanes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>How is the value of a motorcycle accident claim determined?<\/b><b><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The same core factors apply as any personal injury claim \u2014 medical treatment, liability clarity, available insurance coverage, and pain and suffering \u2014 though motorcycle injuries tend to be more severe, which often increases overall case value.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>Call our Phoenix office at (623) 777-3405 or our Tucson office at (520) 777-1828 for a free consultation. We\u2019re available 24 hours on call \u2014 and you pay nothing unless we recover for you.<\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different \u2014 contact an attorney to discuss your specific situation.<\/span><\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The most common causes of motorcycle accidents in Arizona are drivers failing to see motorcycles at intersections, unsafe lane changes, and left-turn collisions where a car turns in front of an oncoming rider. In the majority of these crashes, the driver of the car or truck \u2014 not the motorcyclist \u2014 is found at fault, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Arizona & Liability","_seopress_titles_desc":"Why motorcycle accidents happen in Arizona, who's usually at fault, and how liability differs from a typical car accident claim.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2095"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2097,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2095\/revisions\/2097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rubenlawgroup.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}