Truck vs. Motorcycle Crashes: Legal Challenges in Portland Cases

Motorcyclists are already among the most vulnerable road users—not just in Portland, but across the entire United States. But when you add in an 80,000-pound vehicle to the equation, the fallout of a collision is even worse. Portland’s unique mix of congested freeways, freight corridors, and 4+ lane arterials puts motorcyclists in danger of collisions with commercial trucks.

Riders and their families are often left with devastating injuries, serious financial losses, and lives that are forever changed. This is why it’s important to work with an attorney if you’ve suffered a motorcycle accident in Portland. Call Philbrook Law, Accident and Injury Lawyers to discuss your case with one of our motorcycle accident lawyers.

Why truck vs. motorcycle accidents are so catastrophic

When you look at the physics of a crash involving a truck and motorcycle, it’s obvious that the motorcyclist will bear the vast majority of the force of the crash. A fully-loaded tractor-trailer often weighs up to 40 tons. In contrast, most motorcycles are less than 1,000 pounds. When there is such a dramatic size disparity, even extremely low-speed crashes can have fatal consequences. Some of the most common outcomes of these collisions include:

• Traumatic brain injuries, even among riders who wear their helmets
• Spinal cord damage, which can cause permanent paralysis
• Crushed limbs and amputations, including amputations that occur during crashes and injuries severe enough to require surgical amputation
• Severe burns that leave riders at risk of infection
• Wrongful death of the rider

What do the statistics say? In 2024, Oregon had about 128,000 registered motorcycles, accounting for approximately 2.8% of vehicles registered in the state. However, motorcyclists account for 16% of all people killed in accidents—highlighting the very serious risks they face on Oregon roads.

Portland’s high-risk roadways

Portland has many roads known for high accident rates. The good news is that the city takes it seriously; through their High Crash Network research, they know where accidents are occurring most frequently. This allows them to figure out why those roadways are so dangerous and take steps to fix them. All in all, just 30 streets in Portland (8% of Portland’s total streets) account for 67% of all traffic deaths in the city. Some of the dangerous roads on this list include:

• I-5: The stretch of I-5 that runs through Portland is rife with accidents, particularly the Terwilliger Curves. Along this stretch, the curve shifts five times in just over one mile. Consider what that means for a motorcyclist sharing the road with a truck—one swerve from a truck driver who isn’t expecting the road to curve could lead to serious or fatal injuries for a motorcyclist next to them.
• I-84: Bringing both commuters and freight into Portland, I-84 creates lots of opportunities for motorcycle and truck accidents at each on-ramp.
• Columbia Boulevard and Lombard Street: These routes in Portland are important for the city’s industrial traffic, so you’ll see lots of tractor-trailers and other heavy trucks in this region. Motorcyclists who navigate these roads have to contend with wide lanes, frequent turns, and massive blind spots. Staying out of one truck’s blind spot is generally pretty easy; staying out of multiple trucks’ blind spots when you’re surrounded by them is a lot more challenging.
• Inner southeast arterials: These roads, which typically have four or more lanes each and heavy traffic, make up a lot of Portland’s serious accidents every year. Because they carry both heavy trucks and local traffic, motorcyclists are at risk of collisions every time they navigate these roads.

When you look at these roads and the accidents that plague them, you’ll see something that Portland drivers know very well—heavy trucks are everywhere, and the margin of error for motorcyclists is incredibly slim.

Legal complexities in truck vs. motorcycle cases

Accident claims in these types of accidents can be incredibly challenging to navigate. Truck accident lawyers in Portland already face significant uphill battles when trying to secure compensation from a truck company, but when the victim is a motorcyclist, it’s often even harder. Let’s get into some of the factors that come into play.

Multiple defendants

In many of these cases, more than one person or party could be at fault. For instance, there could be multiple negligent drivers who led to a crash, or a driver who works for a company that may be another defendant, and even manufacturers of equipment that contributed to the accident or to the resulting injuries.

Intense legal defense

Trucking companies often put a substantial amount of money into their legal teams for exactly this moment—a high-value crash that could lead to millions in payouts. Going up against this type of legal representation is very hard for a single victim who just wants fair compensation for their losses.

Bias against motorcyclists

Widespread societal bias against motorcyclists poisons everything, which means that insurance adjusters, police officers, trucking company executives, and jury members are not immune. The assumption that motorcyclists are always reckless drivers and therefore always at fault can make it nearly impossible for injured motorcyclists to get the compensation they rightfully deserve.

Federal regulations

The FMCSA has a long list of regulations that govern how truck drivers and companies operate. When companies or drivers run afoul of these regulations, that could be useful evidence for victims, which is exactly why it can be hard for victims to even get a hold of this evidence.

Motorcyclists who have suffered severe injuries in a truck accident in Portland deserve legal advocacy that can stand up to the massive legal teams that trucking companies and insurers have. Your life may be changed forever by your accident—don’t try to fight for compensation alone.

Start your claim with Philbrook Law, Accident and Injury Lawyers

Wondering if you’re entitled to compensation after a trucking accident in Portland? We’re here to help with the legal side of your case as you recover. Get in touch with us online or call us to get started.