Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that include estates, probate, finance, business, bankruptcy and more. Her website is www.BretteSember.com.
Brette Sember, J.D.
Brette Sember is a retired attorney who has been writing and editing law and legal topics for more than 25 years. She is the author of more than 40 books, is a nationally recognized expert on divorce and family law and has a depth of experience that include estates, probate, finance, business, bankruptcy and more. Her website is www.BretteSember.com.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Reviewed
Adam Ramirez, J.D.
Adam has resided at the intersection of legal and journalism for two decades. An award-winning journalist and legal strategist, he’s covered high-profile trials in Florida.
After law school, Adam and spent two years clerking for a U.S. District Court judge. He researched and wrote legal precedent in published opinions on behalf of the Court.
He has been an editor, columnist and journalist at the Miami Herald, The Dallas Morning News, The Oregonian, Golf Digest, FindLaw.com and other media outlets.
He lived in Colombia and Argentina teaching legal English to attorneys and law students. He is also a Spanish-language subject matter expert.
An avid waterman, he surfs and scuba dives frequently.
Editorial Note: We earn a commission from partner links on Forbes Advisor. Commissions do not affect our editors' opinions or evaluations.
Fort Worth, the second-largest city in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area, is famous for cowboys, Texas Christian University, world-class museums, the Fort Worth Zoo and its Western heritage. Fort Worth is also a transportation, business and military hub where motorcyclists love to ride. Unfortunately, some of those riders are involved in accidents that can be life-threatening or even fatal, especially since motorcyclists are exposed to the elements.
If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident, you want to hire an attorney to advocate on your behalf. Forbes Advisor has done the work for you, using a detailed methodology to find the 10 best motorcycle accident lawyers in Fort Worth.
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Best Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Fort Worth
Compare Top Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
| Lawyer Name | TX Bar Association Status | Year Admitted to TX Bar | Law School Attended | LEARN MORE | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rickey Brantley | Active | 1982 | Baylor University School of Law | View More | ||
| Kerry H. Collins | Active | 1984 | South Texas College of Law Houston | View More | ||
| John M. Cummings | Active | 1995 | South Texas College of Law Houston | View More | ||
| John David Hart | Active | 1981 | Baylor University School of Law | View More | ||
| Laura W. James | Active | 2005 | Southern Methodist Univeristy Dedman School of Law | View More | ||
| Stephen C. Maxwell | Active | 1975 | The University of Texas School of Law | View More | ||
| Michael P. McGartland | Active | 1986 | South Texas College of Law Houston | View More | ||
| Wesley Myers | Active | 1998 | Texas Tech University School of Law | View More | ||
| Rick Ward | Active | 1992 | St. Mary’s University School of Law | View More | ||
| S. Patrick Woodson | Active | 1993 | The University of Texas School of Law | View More |
Other Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
Filing a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit in TX
Texas Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit in Texas is two years from the date of the accident or, in cases where the personal injury action is brought on behalf of someone who died as a result of their injuries, two years from that person’s date of death. If you fail to bring your lawsuit within two years, you will be completely barred from recovering for your injuries.
If your accident occurred as a result of the negligence of a government employee, you are required to submit a notice of your claim against the governmental agency no later than six months after the date of the accident. The notice of claim must describe the damage or injury; the time and place of the accident; and the accident itself.
TX Laws for Motorcycle Drivers
In addition to following all state laws for motor vehicles, motorcycle riders in Texas are required to follow other laws that apply only to motorcycles. Some of those motorcycle-specific laws include:
- Lane Splitting. Lane splitting, or riding in between lanes, is illegal in Texas. If you are injured in an accident while engaging in lane splitting, you might have more difficulty in recovering compensation for your injuries because lane splitting is against the law.
- Helmets. All motorcyclists who are under 21 years old are required to wear a helmet. Motorcyclists who are over 21 years old are required to wear a helmet unless they have completed a state-approved motorcycle safety course or can show that they’re properly insured.
- License Requirements. In addition to meeting all requirements needed to obtain a regular driver’s license, motorcyclists are required to acquire a special license, also known as a “Class M License.”
- Registering Your Motorcycle with the TX DMV. The process for registering your motorcycle with the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) depends on whether you purchased your motorcycle from a dealership or from a private seller.
- Equipment Requirements. Texas requires certain equipment to be present on motorcycles, including an exhaust system, brakes, tail lamp, stop lamp, license plate lamp, rear red reflector, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), horn and mirror.
Identifying Fault for a Motorcycle Crash
Texas is an at-fault state, which means that whoever is at fault for the accident must pay for damages that arise from the accident. This fault-based system is contrary to no-fault systems followed by other states, where motorcycle riders can seek compensation from their own insurance companies regardless of who actually caused the accident.
However, Texas also uses a modified comparative fault rule, which limits an at-fault driver’s ability to recover damages. Specifically, under this rule, an at-fault driver cannot recover damages if their percentage of responsibility is more than 50%.
Motorcycle accidents can happen for a variety of reasons, including traffic law violations, rear-end collisions and the negligence of others.
How Can an Attorney Help You?
An attorney can help you with your motorcycle accident case by conducting an investigation into who was at fault for the accident and determining how you can recover the highest possible monetary compensation for your injuries.
How to Find the Best Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Fort Worth, TX
Texas was recently ranked as the second most dangerous state to ride a motorcycle, as there were 483 motorcycle fatalities in Texas in 2020, up 16% from the previous year. Climate plays an important role in motorcycle accidents, since there is more motorcycle use in warmer, southern states like Texas, yielding some of the highest motorcycle fatality rates.
Texas is high up on the list for motorcycle fatalities, which explains why there are so many personal injuries attorneys in Fort Worth who have experience in motorcycle accidents. Since it can be overwhelming to try to find the right one for you, we have listed some of the things that to look for when seeking a motorcycle accident lawyer:
- Find a lawyer who has litigated or settled for motorcycle accident clients. Not all attorneys have taken on motorcycle accident cases. You need to find a lawyer who has actually litigated or settled motorcycle accident cases because, there are nuances to these sorts of cases that don’t appear in other injury lawsuits.
- Find a lawyer who has a strong track record in successfully advocating for motorcycle accident clients. When you look at motorcycle accident attorneys’ websites, make sure to look for whether they list their favorable motorcycle accident lawsuit results. Lawyers who have obtained high monetary compensation for their motorcycle accident clients proudly display those results on their websites.
Methodology
To come up with the Best Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Fort Worth in 2024, Forbes Advisor considered many factors. Forbes Advisor’s mathematical module considers and weighs the information collected to calculate a specific rating and reviews these results to find the best attorneys in a given practice area.
Within the model, we take into account factors that legal professionals and consumers value in an attorney’s qualifications. After assigning weighted scores to hundreds of data points, we narrowed the field down to our top choices based on:
Legal experience
Special licenses & certifications
Ethics and bar disciplinary measures
Legal thought leadership
Education & employment background
Scholarly lectures & writings
Awards & Honors
Forbes Advisor collects public data from a variety of sources, including state bar associations, court records and other published sources on the internet. This information should not be considered comprehensive, however. It might not include additional relevant information on an attorney’s legal skills and experience.
Each lawyer listed here has their own merits. Bear in mind that our list relates to these lawyers’ legal backgrounds, but does not evaluate their personalities or their knowledge of the law. One attorney may be more suitable than another for your specific legal situation.
One thing that can’t be quantified, though, is the rapport you establish with your attorney. Personality goes a long way when teaming up with an attorney, especially when going through a potentially difficult legal situation. These rankings should serve as a reference and potential starting point in your search for the right lawyer for you and your legal concerns.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I still recover after a motorcycle accident if I was not wearing a helmet?
Yes, with exceptions, you can recover after a motorcycle if you were not wearing a helmet because wearing a motorcycle helmet in Texas is optional for both drivers and passengers. However, the answer is no if you’re under 21 years old, since helmets are required for motorcyclists who are under 21.
Can I file a lawsuit for a motorcycle accident if I was a passenger on the motorcycle?
Yes, if you were a passenger on a motorcycle involved in an accident you can file a lawsuit against the other driver or drivers or even against the person who was driving the motorcycle.
