Burlington Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

A motorcycle crash on Burlington’s streets or the highways feeding into Chittenden County can change everything in a single second. One minute you are riding, and the next you are in an ambulance wondering how you will pay for the surgery, hold onto your job, or explain to your family what just happened. Riders in this position quickly discover that the at-fault driver’s insurance company has its own playbook, one built to minimize what a claim is worth before the full extent of the injury is even known.

Promoting Justice Personal Injury & Car Accident Lawyers stands beside Vermont riders during moments like this. We know what a serious injury does to a household budget, a career, and the small daily routines most people never think about until they are gone, and we know how to answer the insurance playbook point for point. If a negligent driver hit you in Burlington, you have real rights under Vermont law and real leverage against the carrier on the other side, and our job is to put both to work for you.

Get your free consultation and discover how our motorcycle accident attorneys in Burlington can help you seek the compensation and justice you deserve.

Why Choose Promoting Justice for Your Burlington Motorcycle Case?

Our team has extensive experience advocating for plaintiffs in courtroom matters. Dennis is an experienced attorney, and Attorney Linda Fraas brings insider knowledge of insurance defense that she now uses to advocate for our clients.

• Plaintiff-only representation: We have never represented an insurer. Every argument we build and every dollar we fight for is for you.
• No fee unless we win: Our contingency fee agreement means you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you.
• We advance all litigation costs: Expert witnesses, court filings, depositions, we fund every step upfront so your financial situation never limits what we can do.

“Dennis and his team did phenomenal work! These people go above and beyond to make sure you get everything you’re entitled to. I was in a pretty bad motorcycle accident and Dennis came straight to my hospital bed to start the process of making sure everything was covered. He would call to check in on me when I was at my lowest point he made me feel like things will get better in time. Which it has! I was and still am grateful to have Dennis and his team in my corner!!!” – Nick R.

Our Results

We have secured significant recoveries for Vermont injury victims, including successful results in combined workers’ compensation and automobile cases and in traumatic brain injury trials. These results reflect what happens when a firm prepares every case for trial and refuses to accept anything less than full value.

What to Do After a Burlington Motorcycle Accident

The actions you take in the first 72 hours after a crash can shape your entire claim. Your job is to get safe and get treated, let us protect your legal rights while you heal.

Move to Safety and Call 911

Get out of active traffic on roads like Route 7 or I-89 as safely as you can, then call 911 to get police and EMS to the scene. An official police report creates the documented foundation your entire case is built on.

Get a Medical Examination the Same Day

Adrenaline masks injuries, a spinal fracture or traumatic brain injury may not feel serious immediately after a crash. Getting examined the same day ties your injuries directly to the accident in the medical record, which defeats the insurer’s most predictable early argument: that you were not seriously hurt.

Preserve the Scene, Witnesses, and Your Gear

Photograph everything before anything is moved: the vehicles, skid marks, road hazards, and your visible injuries. Keep your damaged helmet, jacket, and boots, the physical harm to your riding gear tells a story about the force of impact that no adjuster can easily dismiss.

Call a Vermont Motorcycle Accident Attorney Before Evidence Disappears

Business surveillance footage is typically overwritten within 24 to 72 hours. Reaching out to a Burlington motorcycle accident attorney early allows us to send legal preservation letters and lock down evidence before it is gone for good.

What Damages Can a Burlington Motorcycle Accident Claim Recover?

Vermont law entitles you to compensation for everything this crash has cost you, financially, physically, and personally. These losses fall into two categories: economic damages for concrete financial harm and non-economic damages for the human toll of living with a serious injury.

Economic damages in a motorcycle injury claim typically include:

• Emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and projected future medical costs
• Lost wages, used paid time off, and reduced earning capacity if you cannot return to your prior work
• Repair or replacement of your motorcycle, helmet, riding jacket, boots, and aftermarket parts

Non-economic damages address what no bill can capture:

• Chronic pain, emotional distress, and the anxiety that follows a traumatic crash
• Loss of enjoyment of life, including the freedom of riding that was taken from you

Motorcycle crashes can cause traumatic brain injuries (TBI), spinal cord damage, severe road rash, orthopedic fractures, internal organ injuries, and death. Each condition carries long-term costs that extend far beyond the initial emergency room visit.

One pattern we consistently see in motorcycle injury claims out of Chittenden County is that riders who suffer road rash or fractures near the Winooski or Church Street corridors often underestimate how long the follow-up orthopedic care runs, and adjusters use that early underestimate against them later. 

What we see across the Burlington motorcycle cases we handle is that a rider’s own recorded statement, given before a second round of imaging, is the single most common piece of evidence an insurer leans on to argue the injury was less severe than it turned out to be. In our experience, riders who hold off on any recorded statement until a treating physician has documented the full scope of the injury end up with claims that far better reflect what they actually lost.

Who Is Liable in a Burlington Motorcycle Crash?

Most injured riders assume the at-fault driver is the only party they can hold accountable, but liability can reach much further. Employers of commercial drivers, bars that over-served an intoxicated driver under Vermont’s dram shop laws, and government agencies responsible for hazardous road conditions have all been held legally accountable for motorcycle crashes.

What Causes Most Burlington Motorcycle Accidents

The most common factor in motorcycle crashes is not reckless riding, it is other drivers simply failing to see riders. This visibility problem produces predictable, dangerous patterns at Burlington’s busiest intersections and corridors.

Common causes include:

• Left-turn collisions when drivers cut across a rider’s path at downtown intersections
• Distracted and speeding drivers on I-89, Route 2, and Route 7
• Dooring incidents near Church Street and Burlington’s downtown core
• Pothole-damaged road surfaces under city or state maintenance responsibility

How We Prove Fault in Your Case

We build liability arguments on hard evidence, not conflicting accounts. Our team retains accident reconstruction experts, secures business and dashcam footage, analyzes onboard vehicle computer data, and pulls cell phone records where distracted driving is suspected, violations of Vermont traffic statutes can also serve as direct proof of negligence.

How Vermont’s Comparative Negligence Rule Affects Your Claim

Vermont follows modified comparative negligence, meaning you can still recover damages as long as you are not more than 50% at fault for the crash. Your total award is then reduced by your percentage of fault.

Insurance Issues You Will Face After a Burlington Crash

Vermont does not apply no-fault insurance rules to motorcycle accidents, so you must pursue compensation directly through the at-fault driver’s liability policy. That makes the quality of your legal team the single most decisive factor in what you recover.

• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage: If the at-fault driver has little or no insurance, your motorcycle or household auto policy may include UM/UIM coverage that could help cover some of the shortfall.
• Recorded statements: Adjusters request recorded statements to manufacture partial-fault admissions. Do not speak with any insurance company representative on the record before consulting an attorney.
• MedPay and lien negotiation: Coverage under Medical Payments (MedPay) helps pay initial bills while the liability claim progresses. At settlement, we negotiate down hospital and health insurance liens so more of your recovery reaches you directly.

Comparative fault often becomes an issue early in Chittenden County motorcycle claims, with adjusters pointing to lane position or following distance before the rider’s treatment is even complete. 

What we see across the Burlington claims we’ve handled is that riders who have a witness statement locked down within the first days, rather than relying on the police report alone, are far better positioned when the insurer tries to shift blame. Across these UM/UIM disputes, carriers routinely delay confirming coverage limits for weeks, which is exactly why we send a coverage-verification request the same week we are retained.

How We Build and Win Your Burlington Motorcycle Case

We treat every Chittenden County motorcycle accident case as though a jury will decide it, because that posture is what drives insurers to settle at full value rather than make a quick, low offer.

We advance all litigation costs, bringing in top accident reconstruction specialists, biomechanical engineers, and expert medical witnesses without asking you for a dollar upfront. Linda Fraas’s years inside insurance defense operations allow us to anticipate the opposing strategy before it is deployed and counter it at every stage.

When Should You Call a Burlington Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

Call us as soon as possible after any crash that involves a serious injury, disputed fault, a hit-and-run driver, an uninsured motorist, or a commercial vehicle. Early involvement allows us to preserve evidence and protect the narrative before the insurance company shapes it for their benefit.

If the insurer has already reached out with an offer, that is an urgent reason to call today. Early settlement offers are designed to close your claim before you understand the full extent of your injuries and what your case is actually worth.

“Nicholas Seldon was extremely helpful. He was responsive when things came up or if I had any questions and very knowledgeable. I felt very supported through the entire process and knew I could trust him in representing me. I am very appreciative for all that he and his office were able to help me with.” – Cody C.

Talk to a Burlington VT Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

You did not choose this situation. But you have every right to fight back, and we are ready to stand beside you every step of the way.

Call Promoting Justice at (802) 457-4848 or contact us online for a free consultation. We do not get paid unless you do.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Not Wearing a Helmet in Vermont Hurt My Motorcycle Accident Claim?

Vermont law requires helmets, but the at-fault driver remains legally responsible for the harm their negligence caused. An insurer may argue your injuries were worsened by not wearing one, and that is precisely the kind of argument we are built to dismantle.

What If the At-Fault Driver Had No Insurance or Left the Scene?

We can pursue compensation through your own UM/UIM policy when the responsible driver is uninsured or cannot be identified. Vermont requires insurers to offer this protection, making it one of the most valuable coverages a rider can carry. 

Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s First Settlement Offer?

No, first offers are extended before the full cost of your injuries is understood, and they are almost always far below what your claim is actually worth. Let us review any offer before you respond.

Who Pays My Medical Bills While My Case Is Pending?

Your MedPay coverage or personal health insurance can cover bills while the liability claim works through the process. At settlement, we negotiate the liens those carriers place on your recovery so you keep as much of it as possible.

Does Lane Splitting Affect My Motorcycle Accident Claim in Vermont?

Lane splitting is illegal in Vermont, and insurers will use it to argue you were partially at fault under the state’s comparative negligence rule. This is one of many reasons early legal guidance can significantly affect the size of your recovery.

How Does the Contingency Fee Work at Promoting Justice?

A contingency fee means we earn an attorney’s fee only if we successfully recover compensation for you, through a settlement or a trial verdict. You will never receive a bill from us unless we win.