Ryan Bradley, St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

If you were involved in a motorcycle accident in St. Louis, MO, you may be entitled to compensation. Bradley Law Personal Injury Lawyers has represented injured riders since 2002 and secured the largest motorcycle accident recovery in Missouri history ($14,250,000). Call our downtown St. Louis office at (314) 400-0000 for a free, no-obligation consultation. We answer the phone 24/7.

You have the right to hold a negligent or reckless motorist accountable for your lost wages, pain and suffering, and medical bills.

Our legal team also handles truck accidents, boating accidents, St. Louis wrongful death claims, brain injuries, Lyft accidents in St. Louis, and more.

How Our St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help 

A motorcycle crash can leave you with lifelong injuries and an uncertain financial future. You shouldn’t have to argue with an insurance company about your claim while you’re still trying to heal. A personal injury lawyer in St. Louis at Bradley Law can take that off your plate.

Founding attorney E. Ryan Bradley started his career as an insurance defense attorney, so he knows how adjusters size up a rider’s claim and where they look for reasons to pay less. A member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, he has recovered some of the largest jury awards and settlements in St. Louis, Missouri, for his clients.

When you choose Bradley Law to represent you in your motorcycle injury claim, we will:

  • Offer the legal advice and guidance you need
  • Carefully investigate your crash to gather and assess evidence
  • Work with accident reconstructionists, medical providers, and economists to prove fault, document your injuries, and calculate your long-term losses
  • Handle all negotiations, administrative aspects, and communications

We are prepared to take your case before a jury if the insurance company refuses to make a fair offer.

Bradley Law Has the Largest Motorcycle Accident Recovery in Missouri History

Ryan Bradley negotiated a settlement totaling $14,250,000, the largest motorcycle accident recovery in Missouri history. The firm has also secured an $8,250,000 motorcycle accident settlement. After that record recovery, Bradley held an entire school district responsible when a school bus negligently pulled in front of an oncoming motorcycle rider, leading to the rider’s untimely death. Watch the video below to learn about the case and how Bradley Law was able to secure such a monumental award for his widow.

How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in St. Louis, MO?

Motorcycles make up a small share of the traffic on Missouri roads but an outsized share of the deaths. In 2024, 138 motorcyclists were killed statewide, about 15% of all traffic fatalities, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The St. Louis, Kansas City, and Southwest districts together accounted for roughly 70% of those deaths.

The totals have shifted from year to year. 2023 was the worst year on record: the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) reported 2,459 crashes involving motorcycles, with 2,141 people injured and 175 killed. Deaths fell in 2024 and dropped another 5% in 2025, based on MoDOT’s preliminary data. Even with that improvement, motorcycle fatalities rose 17% from 2020 to 2024.

Once a crash happens, the odds turn against the rider. About 8 in 10 Missouri motorcycle crashes end in an injury or a death. A driver in a car usually walks away from a collision that would put a rider in the hospital.

Statewide, MoDOT names aggressive driving, including speeding, as the leading cause of fatal crashes. Distracted and impaired drivers are close behind, and riders feel those mistakes the most.

Missouri changed its helmet law in 2020. Riders 26 and older with health insurance can now legally ride without one. Of the 138 riders killed in 2024, 58 weren’t wearing a helmet or wore one that wasn’t DOT-certified. That means most of the riders who died were wearing a proper helmet. This says more about how violent these crashes are than about helmets themselves, which still lower the risk of a fatal head injury. The Missouri motorcycle accident laws on helmets and licensing apply statewide, but how a crash plays out on St. Louis streets is its own story.

Riding in St. Louis: Roads, Hazards, and Where Crashes Happen

Most riders in the area know the spots that make them tense up. Merging traffic on I-64/US-40 through downtown and Forest Park, the interchanges feeding the Poplar Street Bridge, and fast lane changes on I-70, I-44, and I-55 leave very little room for a driver who doesn’t check a mirror.

Surface streets carry their own risks. Kingshighway, Gravois Avenue, Grand Boulevard, and Jefferson Avenue see a lot of left turns across oncoming traffic, which is one of the most common ways a rider gets hit. Rail tracks along Delmar and at MetroLink crossings can grab a front tire, especially when they’re wet.

Then there’s the pavement. St. Louis freeze-thaw winters leave potholes, cracked patches, and loose gravel that a car rolls over without noticing. On a bike, the same defect can cause a crash. When a poorly maintained road is part of the cause, the city or the state may share responsibility, though Missouri sovereign immunity rules set limits and notice requirements on those claims.

What Is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?

Value Driver #1: The Evidence

Every injury claim is unique, and no calculator will perfectly determine the value of a case. Several factors come into play when assessing the money you may be owed for your motorcycle accident. The only way to truly estimate your claim’s potential value is through a thorough investigation of your crash.

These are some of the factors to be considered when evaluating a claim:

  • Circumstances of the crash
  • Whether you contributed to your accident or injuries
  • The type and severity of your injuries
  • The type of medical care you received
  • Whether you were impaired, disfigured, or disabled by the crash
  • How your injuries affect your quality of life, independence, and health

The largest value of your claim often comes from what we call “non-economic damages.” These are things that can’t be easily valued, like pain and suffering, and have no clear financial value. However, calculating the value of future lost earnings and medical bills can also be challenging.

Value Driver #2: The St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer You Hire

When you suffer catastrophic injuries or a family member dies, experience with serious motorcycle cases matters. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for injured riders and their families. How do we do it? We know how to secure crucial evidence quickly, what to request in discovery, and how to present that evidence to a St. Louis jury. Meeting with us costs nothing, and we can give you a realistic sense of what your case may be worth.

What Kind of Damages Are Available to Motorcycle Accident Victims?

A St. Louis motorcycle accident attorney can help you seek compensation for all the damages you suffered in your accident. These damages are usually divided into two categories: non-economic damages for psychological or emotional losses and economic damages for financial losses.

Under Missouri law, you may be entitled to compensation for:

  • Current medical bills, including surgery, doctor’s visits, ER visits, medication, medical devices, physical therapy, and more
  • Future medical care you will need, such as skilled nursing care, prosthetic or medical devices, and reconstructive surgery
  • Property damage to your motorcycle
  • Lost wages while recovering
  • Lost or reduced future earnings and employment benefits if you are disabled
  • Wrongful death damages for surviving family members of someone killed in a motorcycle accident

Because most motorcycle accidents are serious, you may be entitled to claim compensation for many non-economic losses. These are damages that arise from the accident but are harder to quantify and may include:

  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish and emotional distress, such as depression, PTSD, sleep disturbances, and more
  • Loss of enjoyment of life to compensate for your reduced ability to engage in or enjoy daily tasks, work, hobbies, child-rearing, and more
  • Disfigurement

Punitive damages can be awarded by a jury in rare personal injury cases. These damages punish the defendant for egregious wrongdoing**, such as drunk driving,** that goes beyond negligence.

Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Motorcycle Accident in Missouri?

Because Missouri uses a pure comparative negligence rule, accident victims can share liability for damages resulting from an accident. You can recover compensation even if you are up to 99% to blame for the crash, but your share of fault will reduce your recovery.

As an example, if you were injured in a motorcycle accident and suffered $100,000 in damages, you will recover only $75,000 if you are found 25% at fault.

Riders get blamed more than other drivers do. Adjusters often point to speed, lane position, or riding gear to push a rider’s share of fault higher, because every percentage point comes off what they pay. We push back with the evidence: scene photos, video, witness accounts, and crash data.

We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcycle crashes often result in very serious, life-changing injuries, disability, and fatalities. Bradley Law understands the devastating effect and severe injuries your motorcycle accident has had on your life.

We represent clients who have suffered motorcycle accident injuries, such as:

Don’t let the insurance company downplay your injuries or undervalue your claim. Bradley Law can help you pursue the full compensation the law allows.

What Causes Most Motorcycle Accidents in St. Louis, Missouri?

The majority of motorcycle accidents in St. Louis, Missouri, are caused by driver error. It’s a common misconception that other motorists are usually to blame for motorcycle crashes; motorcyclists often share blame too.

The following are some of the most common behaviors and factors attributed to motorcycle crashes:

  • Drunk driving is a factor in 27% of fatal motorcycle crashes.
  • Lane splitting
  • Speeding, attributed to 33% of fatal motorcycle accidents, particularly crashes involving sports bikes.
  • Distracted driving, particularly involving motorists using cell phones
  • Left-hand turns are involved in 40% of accidents involving a motorcycle and passenger vehicle.
  • Road defects and conditions like potholes, road debris, and ice

Sadly, many motorcycle accidents are attributed to a simple problem: motorists often fail to see and recognize motorcyclists on the road. This phenomenon is known as inattentional blindness when the brain automatically looks for other cars that pose a danger and registers a motorcycle as a non-car. It appears that motorcycles are a low priority for the brain when it’s automatically filtering data, and a motorist can fail to recognize a motorcycle in plain sight.

How Do I Prove Negligence After a Motorcycle Accident in Missouri?

Our St. Louis motorcycle accident lawyers will conduct an intensive and thorough investigation into the causes of your accident to determine liability. We will gather evidence from various sources such as helmet or dash cam footage, witness statements, police reports, traffic citations and/or arrests, medical records, vehicle black boxes, and more.

Timing matters here. Traffic cameras, MetroLink cameras, and nearby businesses don’t keep footage forever, and the crash video retention windows in St. Louis can be short. Crashes inside city limits are usually worked by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD), while county crashes go to St. Louis County Police or a municipal department, so knowing where to get your St. Louis accident report is an early step.

When needed, we work with specialists in many fields to analyze this evidence and build testimony that strengthens your negligence claim. We may also subpoena cell phone records from the other driver if distracted driving is suspected.

Your Medical Records Are Evidence, Too

Many seriously injured riders in the city are taken to Barnes-Jewish Hospital or SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital, the two Level I trauma centers in St. Louis. The ER notes, imaging, and surgical records from that first visit become the starting point for your claim. Keep every discharge paper, follow up with your doctors, and don’t skip physical therapy. Gaps in treatment are one of the first things an adjuster looks for.

Where Will My St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Case Be Filed?

Most motorcycle claims settle without a trial. If yours needs to go to court, where it’s filed depends on where the crash happened and who is involved. Cases in the City of St. Louis are heard in the 22nd Judicial Circuit at the Civil Courts Building downtown, a few blocks from our Washington Avenue office. Crashes in St. Louis County typically go to the 21st Judicial Circuit in Clayton.

Ryan Bradley has tried cases in front of St. Louis juries for years. Insurers know which lawyers are willing to go to trial, and that affects how they negotiate.

How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Motorcycle Accident in Missouri?

In most cases, you have five years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit in Missouri under RSMo § 516.120. Wrongful death claims have a shorter deadline, and claims against a government entity can come with notice requirements much sooner. The full breakdown of Missouri motorcycle accident deadlines and exceptions covers those differences.

Five years sounds like plenty of time. It usually isn’t, at least for the evidence. Video gets overwritten, bikes get repaired or scrapped, and witnesses move. The sooner we can start, the more we can preserve.

Talk to a St. Louis Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

If a driver’s mistake put you in the hospital, you don’t have to figure out the next steps alone. Call Bradley Law at (314) 400-0000 or request a free case review. We’re available 24/7, and if you can’t come to us at 1430 Washington Ave in downtown St. Louis, we can come to you or meet by phone.

There’s no fee unless we win. We’ll listen to what happened, explain your options in plain terms, and tell you honestly whether we think we can help.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do after a motorcycle crash in St. Louis?

Get medical care first, even if you feel okay, since adrenaline can hide serious injuries. If you can, take photos of the scene and your bike, get the other driver’s information, and ask for the police report number. Avoid these common mistakes after a St. Louis motorcycle crash, like giving a recorded statement too early.

Will not wearing a helmet hurt my case?

Not automatically. Missouri allows riders 26 and older with health insurance to ride without a helmet. Insurers may still argue a helmet would have reduced a head injury, and how much that argument matters depends on your injuries and the evidence.

How much does it cost to hire Bradley Law?

Nothing upfront. We work on contingency, so there’s no fee unless we win your case. Your first consultation is free.

What if the driver who hit me had no insurance?

You may be able to file an uninsured motorist claim under your own policy. Insurers sometimes fight these claims as hard as any other. Bradley Law has won an appeal forcing an insurer to pay $200,000 in uninsured motorist benefits for a catastrophically injured child.

Who pays my medical bills while my claim is pending?

Your health insurance usually pays first, and it may seek repayment from your settlement later. If you don’t have health insurance, Missouri law allows providers to place a lien on your injury claim. We can help sort out those liens so more of your recovery stays with you.

Should I talk to the other driver’s insurance adjuster?

You don’t have to, and it’s usually smart not to give a recorded statement before talking to a lawyer. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that can shift blame onto riders. You can simply refer them to us.

Should I post about my crash on social media?

No. Insurers check social media, and a single photo or comment can be used to argue you’re less hurt than you are. Keep your case offline until it’s resolved.