Motorcycle crashes cluster into patterns so consistent that riders have named them — and the patterns matter legally, because each carries its own fault fingerprint. The recurring theme: in multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes, the failure to see the rider is usually the crash.
- The left-turn crash: a driver turns across the rider’s path — the classic ‘SMIDSY’ (“sorry mate, I didn’t see you”), and statistically the deadliest multi-vehicle pattern per NHTSA. ‘Didn’t see’ usually means ‘didn’t look’; fault typically follows the turner.
- Lane-change and merge strikes: blind-spot entries against a vehicle with every right to the lane.
- Rear-ends: a tap between cars is an ejection for a rider — the presumption against the rear driver applies with higher stakes.
- Cornering and single-vehicle crashes: rider vocabulary calls them high-sides and low-sides — and ‘single-vehicle’ doesn’t always mean single-cause: road defects, debris, and drivers who forced the maneuver create defendants; see single-vehicle claims.
Every pattern meets the same insurer bias against riders — answered with evidence, IIHS research, and the motorcycle practice that treats rider cases as the serious-injury cases they are. Insurance wrinkle riders must know: PA motorcycle coverage works differently, before and after the crash.
Frequently Asked Questions
The driver who turned in front of me got the citation. Is my case automatic?
Strong, not automatic — the citation evidences fault while damages and coverage still get built. And expect the insurer to try rider-bias arguments anyway; expect them answered.
I went down avoiding a car that never touched me. Do I have a claim?
Potentially — no-contact crashes caused by another vehicle’s negligence are claimable, with witness and camera evidence carrying the ‘phantom vehicle’ proof. UM coverage may also apply.
What does hiring you cost?
No attorney’s fee unless we recover; the contingency percentage and cost handling are in the written fee agreement. Consultations are free.
Hurt in a crash like this? Call (215) 464-4600 or contact us online — free, confidential consultations, contingency-fee representation.