All applicants for new Texas motorcycle licenses must pass Texas motorcycle safety courses. The state waives the course requirement for applicants with valid out-of-state motorcycle licenses. But since every state except Alabama requires riders to either pass a safety course or a road test, most licensed operators in the state have passed the course.
If you get hit in a motorcycle accident in Dallas, TX, the at-fault driver could raise your training and licensing, or lack thereof, as a defense to their negligence. An attorney from Jay Murray Personal Injury Lawyers will search for ways to overcome these defenses so you can pursue fair compensation.
Call our law firm at (214) 855-1420 or contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation with an experienced Dallas motorcycle accident attorney.
How Jay Murray Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Dallas, TX
Jay Murray Personal Injury Lawyers has been representing injured clients in Dallas, Texas, since 1995. Our Dallas motorcycle accident lawyer has successfully represented thousands of clients over his 28-year career, recovering over $110 million for people just like you.
After a motorcycle crash, our firm will provide:
- A free consultation to evaluate your case and explain your options
- A thorough investigation of your collision to determine liability
- Our 95% record of settling claims without litigation
- A highly-rated attorney to take your case to court if it does not settle
A car can cause permanent or fatal injuries when it hits a motorcycle. Contact Jay Murray Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss your motorcycle collision and how we can pursue a personal injury claim against the driver responsible.
Do Motorcycle Safety Courses Work?
Motorcycles are difficult to control. Safe riding requires skill and balance. But even the most physically coordinated person cannot just jump onto a motorcycle and ride. A safe motorcyclist must also have training and experience.
Statistics demonstrate the importance of training and experience. Unlicensed motorcyclists make up about 20% of riders on the road. But they account for over half of all motorcyclist crashes and fatalities.
At least some of these riders were underage. Some were fully unlicensed. Others had driver’s licenses but not motorcycle endorsements. But they all shared one common feature: they had not fulfilled all the requirements for a motorcycle license. For many, this means they failed to pass the motorcycle course or did not take it.
Motorcycle Safety Courses in Texas
The Texas Department of Public Safety approves the motorcycle safety courses accepted for licensing. As a result, you will find that almost all of them conform to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation’s (MSF) Basic RiderCourse curriculum.
Specifically, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) set standards for motorcycle licensee training. However, these standards did not define a curriculum. Instead, they defined the educational goals for safety training courses.
In response, the MSF created a curriculum that complies with the USDOT standards. Rather than developing their own courses, states adopted the MSF curriculum.
Course Curriculum
The course curriculum for an approved motorcycle safety course covers 15 hours of instruction. You receive five hours of classroom instruction.
This portion of the course covers:
- Laws and rules covering motorcyclists
- Types of motorcycles
- How the controls and equipment work
- Effects of impairment
After completing the course’s classroom portion, you will take a written examination. You must pass this test to pass the course.
The second portion of the class includes ten hours of practical, hands-on riding instruction.
During this part of the course, you will learn and practice:
- Inspecting your motorcycle
- Starting and stopping
- Maneuvering around curves and turns
- Evading hazards
- Shifting gears
- Crossing obstacles
During the practical portion of the course, you must wear a helmet and eye protection, even if Texas helmet laws cover you. At the end of the training, you must take and pass a skills test by performing all these motorcycle maneuvers.
Liability For a Lack of Motorcycle Safety Training in Texas
A lack of training increases your risk of a crash. You might miss a key sign of danger and wait too long to maneuver out of harm’s way. Or you could spot a hazard and tip over while trying to evade it.
But you can also get hit by a driver even when you do nothing wrong. A majority of collisions between passenger vehicles and motorcycles are caused by drivers, not motorcyclists. Even when a motorcycle accident happens through no fault of the motorcyclist, the driver may try to blame the rider and reduce their liability.
Texas uses modified comparative fault to allocate the liability for damages. When an injured person shares the blame for their injuries, their compensation gets reduced.
If a driver can successfully blame your injuries on your lack of training, they reduce the damages they owe you. Thus, if you bear 20% of the fault for your injuries, you can only collect 80% of your damages.
If they can prove that you’re more than 50% to blame, you’ll be barred from financial recovery.
Schedule a Free Case Assessment With Our Skilled Dallas Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
A motorcycle accident can happen even after you successfully pass the motorcycle safety course and obtain your license. If a negligent driver hits and injures you in Dallas, TX, contact Jay Murray Personal Injury Lawyers to discuss the compensation you can seek under Texas law.
