Hurt in a Motorcycle Accident in Pittsburgh?

Motorcycle crashes cause disproportionately severe injuries because riders have no steel frame, airbags, or seatbelts protecting them. Even a low-speed collision can result in broken bones, road rash, spinal injuries, or traumatic brain injuries.

Call 911 even if you think your injuries are minor. Under Pennsylvania law (75 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 3746), drivers must report any accident involving injury, death, or vehicle damage that renders a vehicle inoperable. The responding officer will generate an official crash report — a critical piece of evidence for your claim.

Do not try to move your motorcycle if you're hurt. If you can safely move off the roadway, do so — but Pittsburgh's narrow hillside roads, bridges, and tunnel approaches leave very little room. If you're on the Birmingham Bridge, a South Side street, or in one of Pittsburgh's tunnels, stay where you are and wait for emergency responders.

Secondary collisions are a real danger for downed motorcyclists, especially on Pittsburgh's highways. The Parkway East (I-376), Route 28, and I-279 carry high-speed traffic with limited shoulders. If your bike is down in a travel lane on any of these roads, other vehicles may not see you in time.

If you can walk, get yourself and any passengers to the shoulder, a sidewalk, or behind a guardrail. Turn on your bike's hazard lights if it's still running. Pittsburgh's steep hillside neighborhoods — Mount Washington, Troy Hill, Polish Hill, Spring Hill — have narrow streets with limited sight lines where a car coming around a blind curve may not see you on the ground.

If you cannot move, stay still and wait for help. Call 911 or ask a bystander to call. Do not remove your helmet if you're wearing one — moving your neck after a crash can worsen a spinal injury.

If you're physically able, pull out your phone and photograph everything: all vehicles involved, the intersection or road where it happened, traffic signals or signs, skid marks, road defects (potholes, gravel, oil slicks), debris, and your injuries. Pittsburgh's roads are notoriously rough — if a pothole or road defect contributed to your crash, photograph it now before it gets repaired.

Exchange information with the other driver: name, phone number, insurance company and policy number, driver's license number, and license plate. If there are witnesses, ask for their names and phone numbers. Witness testimony is especially important in motorcycle cases because insurance companies routinely claim the motorcyclist was speeding or lane-splitting, even when they weren't.

Do not apologize or admit fault at the scene. Fault determination in Pennsylvania is a legal question that depends on all the evidence. And remember: Pennsylvania law (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 7102(d)) prohibits the use of helmet non-use to establish comparative negligence or reduce damages — so if you weren't wearing a helmet, it cannot be held against you in a civil claim.

Motorcycle crash injuries are often more severe than they initially appear. Road rash can hide deep tissue damage. A "sore shoulder" can be a fractured clavicle or torn rotator cuff. Headaches and dizziness can signal a concussion or intracranial bleeding. Internal organ damage may not produce symptoms for hours or days.

Go to the nearest emergency room. UPMC Presbyterian is a Level I Trauma Center and the region's premier facility for critical injuries. Allegheny General Hospital (Allegheny Health Network) is also a Level I Trauma Center. UPMC Mercy, UPMC Shadyside, and St. Clair Hospital provide additional emergency options throughout the metro area.

Tell the medical team you were in a motorcycle accident. Ask them to document all injuries, road rash, imaging, and treatment in detail. This medical record is one of the most important pieces of evidence if you pursue a claim. Keep every receipt, every doctor's note, and every prescription. If you miss work, document the days and lost income.

Here's something most riders don't know: motorcycles are exempt from Pennsylvania's no-fault insurance system. Unlike car drivers who may have limited tort coverage restricting their right to sue for pain and suffering, motorcyclists have an unrestricted right to pursue a claim against the at-fault driver for all damages — including pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.

This exemption is a significant legal advantage. Car drivers with limited tort coverage must prove their injuries meet the "serious injury" threshold before they can recover non-economic damages. As a motorcyclist, you face no such barrier. If another driver caused your crash, you can pursue the full range of damages from day one.

Pennsylvania requires motorcyclists to carry minimum liability insurance of $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident for bodily injury and $5,000 for property damage. You should also carry uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage — it protects you if the at-fault driver has no insurance or insufficient coverage to pay your claim.

If law enforcement responded to the scene, they'll generate a crash report automatically. You can request a copy from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Records Unit at the Public Safety Building, 1 Smithfield Street. Reports typically take 5 to 10 business days and cost $20 through PennDOT's BuyACrashReport.com.

If the police did not respond, file a report with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police or the Pennsylvania State Police within five days. Even if you think the crash was minor, a police report creates an official record that protects you if the other driver later changes their story about what happened.

The at-fault driver's insurance company will contact you quickly — often within 24 to 48 hours. They may sound friendly and understanding. They are not on your side. Their goal is to settle your claim for as little as possible.

Insurance adjusters in motorcycle cases often try to paint the rider as reckless or careless. They'll ask leading questions about your speed, whether you were wearing full gear, how much riding experience you have, and whether you "saw it coming." Do not engage. You are not legally required to give them a recorded statement.

They may also offer a quick settlement. Don't accept it — early settlement offers almost never account for the full cost of motorcycle crash injuries, which often involve surgery, physical therapy, lost riding season, and permanent scarring or disability.

Motorcycle accident claims carry built-in bias. Jurors and insurance adjusters often assume motorcyclists are risk-takers who contributed to their own crashes. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney knows how to counter this bias with evidence — witness testimony, accident reconstruction, road condition documentation, and the other driver's traffic history.

Under Pennsylvania's modified comparative negligence rule (42 Pa. Cons. Stat. § 7102), your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault, and you recover nothing at 51% or more. The Fair Share Act means each defendant pays only their share — so identifying every responsible party (the driver, their employer if applicable, the city for road defects) matters.

Most personal injury attorneys in Pittsburgh work on contingency. No upfront cost. Free initial consultation. You pay nothing unless they recover compensation for you.