Why Drivers Must Be Held Accountable for Motorcycle Right-of-Way Violations
Under Arkansas law, failure to yield the right-of-way to a motorcycle is treated the same as failing to yield to any other vehicle. State traffic codes make it clear: drivers must yield to traffic already in the intersection, including motorcycles. Yet when drivers overlook or ignore that rule, the outcome is often devastating for riders.
Failure to Yield Is a Leading Cause of Serious Motorcycle Crashes
One of the biggest threats to rider safety is failure to yield, especially in high-traffic areas and common turning scenarios. Understanding where and how these accidents typically occur can help increase awareness and prevent them. Here are some of the most frequent settings for such incidents:
- Intersections with Left-Turning Vehicles: Accidents frequently occur when a vehicle turns left in front of an oncoming motorcycle, often due to misjudging its speed or failing to see it altogether.
- Stop Sign and Red Light Violations: Drivers who roll through or ignore stop signs and red lights may collide with motorcycles that have the right-of-way.
- Lane Changes and Merging Areas: Motorcyclists are often struck when drivers change lanes or merge without properly checking blind spots.
- High-Traffic Urban Roads: Busy streets in Jonesboro, such as East Highland Drive and Caraway Road, are common sites for these types of accidents due to heavy traffic and frequent stops.
- Rural Highways and Roads: In less populated areas, drivers may be less vigilant, leading to failure-to-yield incidents on highways like U.S. Highway 49 and State Highway 1.
In Jonesboro and throughout Northeast Arkansas, motorcyclists face significant risks when drivers turn left without looking, merge into their lane, or fail to stop at stop signs. These aren’t harmless oversights. They’re violations of traffic law, and they leave riders with catastrophic injuries. A Jonesboro motorcycle accident lawyer sees the impact of these crashes every day and understands how failure-to-yield collisions change lives in an instant.
Arkansas Crash Data Shows the Pattern
Arkansas motorcycle crashes happen more frequently — and more violently — than most realize. In one year alone, Arkansas State Police recorded 1,441 motorcycle accidents, resulting in 1,227 nonfatal injuries and 74 deaths. Many of those deaths occurred at intersections, according to state and federal traffic reports.
And the danger isn’t evenly shared. Unlike the occupants of a car, motorcycle riders have no airbags, no steel frames, and no buffer from the road. A failure-to-yield crash that might cause a fender-bender between two cars can leave a motorcyclist with spinal cord damage, multiple fractures, or a traumatic brain injury.
What Strengthens a Motorcycle Failure-to-Yield Case?
Not all motorcycle crashes are easy to prove. But strong evidence and experienced legal strategy can make a critical difference. The following elements can help build a compelling claim:
- Eyewitness Statements: Neutral third parties can confirm that the motorcycle had the right of way.
- Surveillance Footage: Intersections and nearby businesses in Jonesboro may have cameras that captured the crash.
- Vehicle Damage Analysis: The location and type of impact often show who violated the right-of-way.
- Police Reports Citing Traffic Violations: Citations may support a liability case.
- Expert Reconstruction: Specialists can testify about speed, distance, and visibility.
Gathering this type of evidence early helps protect the injured rider’s rights and strengthens the case against efforts to shift blame.
Serious Injuries Mean Serious Legal Action
In failure-to-yield motorcycle accidents, riders are often left with more than just broken bones. Many suffer permanent disabilities, lost wages, and long-term medical needs. Some can no longer work or enjoy the activities that once defined their lives. And in the most devastating cases, families are forced to pursue wrongful death claims after losing someone they love.
The physical toll of these crashes can be extreme. Riders have little protection from impact, so the injuries are often life-altering. Common serious injuries in Arkansas motorcycle accidents include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries: Even with a helmet, riders can suffer concussions or severe brain damage that affects memory, motor function, and personality.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Damage to the spine may lead to partial or complete paralysis, requiring lifelong medical care and rehabilitation.
- Severe Road Rash and Soft Tissue Damage: Sliding across pavement at high speeds can cause deep abrasions, nerve exposure, and significant risks of infection.
- Fractures and Crushed Bones: Broken arms, legs, ribs, and pelvises are common, especially in high-speed impacts or left-turn crashes.
- Internal Injuries: Damage to organs such as the lungs, liver, or spleen can result in internal bleeding and require emergency surgery.
- Amputations: In some cases, the trauma to limbs is so severe that amputation is necessary, permanently affecting mobility and lifestyle.
- Fatal Injuries: When a motorcycle crash proves fatal, surviving family members may be entitled to bring a wrongful death claim for their financial and emotional loss.
Motorcycle crash victims in Arkansas may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost future earnings, and other losses. But strict legal deadlines apply. In Arkansas, most personal injury claims must be filed within three years, and waiting too long can put the entire case at risk.
Talk to a Jonesboro Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
If a failure-to-yield crash left you or a loved one seriously hurt, experienced legal help can make all the difference in the outcome of your case. McDaniel Law Firm, PLC has built a reputation for standing up for injured motorcyclists in Jonesboro and throughout Arkansas.
Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more about your legal rights and the next steps to take. There are no upfront costs, and you pay nothing unless we win your case.
“This is the BEST law firm. Brett McDaniel helped me so much after my accident. A driver pulled out in front of me and didn’t have insurance. Brett was able to get my medical bills paid and a new car. He and his staff made this process so efficient and stress-free. I can’t even begin to explain how amazing this law firm is.” — Chloe R., ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐