Injured in a Motorcycle Accident in Des Moines?

If you can move, get yourself off the road. Des Moines’ busiest corridors — I-235 through downtown, the I-80/I-35 interchange, E 14th Street — are dangerous places to be on foot after a crash. If you can’t move, stay still and wait for emergency responders.

Call 911 immediately. Iowa law requires you to report any accident that involves injury, death, or property damage exceeding $1,500 (Iowa Code § 321.266). For motorcycle crashes, that threshold is almost always met. The responding officers will file a crash report, which becomes a critical piece of evidence for your insurance claim.

Don’t try to move your bike unless it’s blocking traffic and you can safely do it. If you’re wearing a helmet, leave it on — let paramedics handle removal.

Adrenaline hides injuries. Riders regularly walk away from crashes feeling fine, only to discover fractured bones, internal bleeding, or traumatic brain injuries hours later. Motorcycle crashes produce some of the most severe injuries in any vehicle collision — road rash deep enough to require skin grafts, shattered limbs, spinal cord damage, and closed-head trauma.

If paramedics respond to the scene, let them evaluate you. For serious or life-threatening injuries, UnityPoint Health – Iowa Methodist Medical Center is the only Level I Adult Trauma Center in central Iowa and the facility best equipped for catastrophic motorcycle injuries. MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center is a Level II Trauma Center and another strong option for emergency care.

Even if you feel fine at the scene, get to an ER or urgent care within 24 hours. A documented medical visit right after the crash creates a direct connection between the accident and your injuries. Without that record, the insurance company will argue your injuries happened somewhere else or aren’t as serious as you say.

If you’re physically able, start collecting evidence before you leave. Pull out your phone and:

Photograph your motorcycle from every angle — frame damage, broken fairings, bent handlebars, scraped exhaust. Photograph the other vehicle’s damage, license plate, and position in the road. Capture skid marks, road debris, traffic signals, and road hazards like gravel or potholes. Take wide shots showing the full intersection or stretch of road, including any street signs.

Get the other driver’s name, phone number, insurance company, and policy number. Write down the badge numbers of responding officers and the incident report number. If there are witnesses — other drivers who stopped, pedestrians, people at nearby businesses — get their contact information. Witness statements can be the difference between winning and losing your claim.

If you were wearing a helmet, jacket, gloves, or other protective gear, photograph the damage. Damaged gear shows impact force. Keep everything — don’t wash, repair, or throw anything away.

Iowa is an at-fault state. The driver who caused the accident is financially responsible for your damages — medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and motorcycle repair or replacement. Their liability insurance should cover these costs.

Iowa requires all motor vehicle operators, including motorcyclists, to carry minimum liability insurance: $20,000 per person for bodily injury, $40,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. But those minimums are dangerously low for motorcycle injuries. A single surgery at Iowa Methodist can exceed $20,000 in a matter of hours. Spinal cord injuries or traumatic brain injuries can generate six- or seven-figure medical costs over a lifetime.

If the at-fault driver’s insurance doesn’t cover your full damages, your own underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage fills the gap — if you carry it. Iowa does not require uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage, but every rider should carry it well above the state minimum. Check your policy now so you know what protection you have.

The at-fault driver’s insurance company will contact you quickly — sometimes within hours. They’ll sound helpful and sympathetic. They’ll say they want to “get your side of the story” and “resolve things quickly.” What they actually want is a recorded statement they can use to reduce or deny your claim.

Common traps for motorcycle riders: asking how you’re feeling today (so they can quote you saying “I’m doing okay”), asking whether you were wearing a helmet, asking about your speed or lane position. In Iowa, you have no helmet law — but the insurer will still try to use it against you. You are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer.

You do need to notify your own insurance company about the accident. Keep that conversation factual and brief: date, time, location, other driver’s information. Don’t speculate about fault or go into detail about your injuries until you’ve seen a doctor and understand the full scope of what you’re dealing with.

Iowa uses a modified comparative negligence rule with a 51% bar (Iowa Code § 668.3). You can recover damages even if you were partially at fault — but only if your share of fault is 50% or less. If you’re found 51% or more at fault, you get nothing.

This is where motorcycle riders face an uphill battle. Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys love to blame the rider. They’ll point to speed, lane positioning, visibility, or the lack of a helmet. Iowa has no helmet law at all — it’s one of only three states with zero helmet requirement for any age — so not wearing one is perfectly legal. But an insurance company will still argue that a helmet would have reduced the severity of your head injuries, and a jury may agree.

Your percentage of fault directly reduces your payout. If you’re awarded $150,000 but found 25% at fault, you receive $112,500. Every percentage point matters. That’s why how you describe the accident — to police, to insurance adjusters, to doctors — matters from the very first conversation.

In Iowa, you have two years from the date of your motorcycle accident to file a personal injury lawsuit (Iowa Code § 614.1(2)). Miss that deadline and you lose the right to pursue compensation entirely. No extensions, no exceptions.

Two years goes fast. Medical treatment takes months. Insurance negotiations stall. If surgery or long-term rehabilitation is involved, it can take a year or more before you even know the full extent of your injuries and losses. Iowa’s 2-year deadline is shorter than many neighboring states — Wisconsin and Missouri both allow 3 years, Minnesota allows 6 years.

Don’t assume you’ll settle without going to court. Many motorcycle injury claims do settle, but having the option to file a lawsuit gives you negotiating leverage. If the insurer knows your deadline is approaching, they’ll lowball you because they know you’re running out of time.

Motorcycle accident claims are more complex than standard car accident cases. The injuries are more severe, the medical bills are higher, the insurance companies fight harder, and there’s a built-in bias against riders that colors every part of the process. An experienced attorney can manage the insurance negotiations, gather evidence including accident reconstruction if needed, and protect you from settling for a fraction of what your claim is worth.

Most personal injury attorneys in Iowa work on a contingency fee basis — they charge nothing upfront and only get paid if you recover money. A free consultation costs you nothing and can help you understand whether your case has value before you make any decisions.

You don’t have to hire anyone today. But if your injuries are serious, if the insurance company is pushing back, or if fault is being disputed, professional help can make a significant difference in the outcome.