Intersection motorcycle crashes

Intersection Motorcycle Accidents in Wisconsin

What Riders and Families Need to Know

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’ve seen firsthand how devastating intersection motorcycle accidents can be. One moment, you’re riding through the streets of Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, or a small Wisconsin town — and the next, a careless driver makes a left turn in front of you or blows through a stop sign. Everything changes in an instant.

If you’ve been hurt in an intersection motorcycle accident, or if you’ve lost someone you love because a driver failed to look out for motorcycles, we’re truly sorry you’re going through this. But we also want you to know something important:

You are not alone. And you are not powerless.

We’re Wisconsin’s Motorcycle Injury Attorneys, and we’re here to help riders and families like yours get the justice and compensation you deserve.

Why Are Intersection Accidents So Dangerous for Motorcyclists?

Intersections are some of the most dangerous places for motorcyclists in Wisconsin. Drivers are distracted, impatient, or just plain careless — and it’s often the rider who pays the price.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, intersection crashes are a leading cause of serious motorcycle injuries and fatalities. Many of these collisions happen because:

Here’s the hard truth: the vast majority of intersection motorcycle accidents are preventable. If drivers simply followed the rules of the road and paid attention, so many crashes could be avoided.

Common Injuries from Intersection Motorcycle Crashes

Because motorcycles offer little protection in a crash, intersection accidents often lead to severe or life-changing injuries. Some of the most common injuries we see in these cases include:

In fatal motorcycle accidents at intersections, the loss is unbearable. We’ve represented families who are grieving sons, parents, and partners — and every time, our mission is the same: hold the driver accountable and fight for justice.

What Causes Most Intersection Motorcycle Accidents?

Most intersection motorcycle crashes boil down to driver negligence. That means the driver did something wrong — or failed to do something they should have — and that failure caused the crash.

Common examples of driver negligence in Wisconsin intersection crashes include:

  • Left-turn accidents: A driver turns left across your path, misjudging your speed or failing to see you at all.

  • Failure to yield: A driver enters the intersection without yielding the right-of-way.

  • Distracted driving: The driver is texting, on the phone, adjusting the GPS, or simply not paying attention.

  • Running red lights or stop signs: A driver blows through an intersection without stopping or checking for cross traffic.

  • Impaired driving: Alcohol or drugs reduce the driver’s ability to react or make safe decisions.

Here’s what really makes this infuriating: when drivers cause these crashes, they often say, “I didn’t see the motorcycle.” That excuse doesn’t cut it — and at McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we don’t let them off the hook.

What Should You Do After an Intersection Motorcycle Accident?

If you or someone you love was hurt in an intersection crash, it’s important to protect your health and your legal rights. Here are a few steps we recommend:

  1. Get medical help right away. Even if your injuries don’t seem that bad at first, get checked out. Some injuries take time to show symptoms.

  2. Don’t talk to the insurance company without legal advice. They may act friendly, but their job is to pay you as little as possible. Let us deal with them.

  3. Keep evidence. Photos of the scene, damage to your bike, helmet, clothing, witness names — anything that can help show what happened.

  4. Reach out to a Wisconsin motorcycle accident attorney. The sooner you get experienced legal help, the better your chances of getting full compensation.

What Kinds of Compensation Can You Recover?

After a serious motorcycle crash, your life may never be the same. Medical bills, missed work, physical pain, emotional trauma — it all adds up. That’s why the law gives injured motorcyclists the right to recover compensation.

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we help clients pursue compensation for:

  • Medical expenses (past and future)

  • Lost wages and loss of future earning ability

  • Pain and suffering

  • Emotional distress

  • Permanent disability or disfigurement

  • Loss of enjoyment of life

  • Motorcycle repairs or replacement

  • Wrongful death damages for families who lost a loved one

We’ve helped injured riders recover enough to rebuild their lives. We’ve helped grieving families secure justice and hold negligent drivers accountable. And we do it because we believe every rider deserves respect and protection — on the road and in the courtroom.

Who’s Liable in a Wisconsin Intersection Motorcycle Crash?

In most cases, the negligent driver is legally responsible. But depending on the circumstances, others may also be liable, including:

  • An employer (if the at-fault driver was on the job)

  • A rideshare company like Uber or Lyft

  • A city or county (if a poorly designed or maintained intersection contributed to the crash)

  • A vehicle manufacturer (if a defective part played a role)

That’s why every case starts with a thorough investigation. We don’t just assume what happened. We dig into the facts, interview witnesses, review traffic camera footage (if available), analyze police reports, and bring in accident reconstruction experts when needed.

And once we have the truth? We fight like hell to make things right.

Wrongful Death After a Fatal Intersection Motorcycle Accident

Losing someone you love in a crash is one of the hardest things any family can go through. And when the loss could’ve been prevented — when it was caused by someone else’s careless or reckless driving — the pain is mixed with anger and heartbreak.

If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal motorcycle accident at a Wisconsin intersection, we are truly sorry. We’ve worked with families who just want answers, accountability, and a measure of justice.

Under Wisconsin law, surviving family members may be entitled to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover:

  • Funeral and burial expenses

  • Medical costs related to the crash

  • Loss of financial support

  • Loss of companionship

  • Emotional suffering

It won’t bring your loved one back. But it can help your family find closure and stability during an incredibly difficult time.

Why Choose McCarthy Motorcycle Law?

You have a lot of choices when it comes to lawyers. But not every lawyer truly understands motorcycle cases — and even fewer understand what it’s like to ride.

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’re not some stuffy corporate law firm. We’re real people. We ride or have ridden. We’ve lost people we love in crashes. And we fight for injured motorcyclists and their families because it matters.

What sets us apart?

  • We’re Wisconsin’s Motorcycle Injury Attorneys.

  • We’ve recovered millions of dollars for injured riders and grieving families.

  • We take on tough cases — even the ones other lawyers turn down.

  • We don’t back down from insurance companies.

  • We treat our clients like family — not case numbers.

  • We offer free, confidential case evaluations, and you don’t pay us unless we win.

If you’re ready to talk, we’re here to listen.

Contact Us for a Free Case Review

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident at an intersection in Wisconsin, or if someone you love was killed because a driver failed to yield or wasn’t paying attention, we want to help.

Fill out our free case evaluation form — it goes directly to the inbox an award-winning attorney with motorcycle riding experience, who typically responds the same business day.

Let’s talk. No pressure. No legalese. Just real help from a law firm that rides with you.

McCarthy Motorcycle Law –
Wisconsin’s Motorcycle Law Firm. Fighting for Riders. Supporting Families. Getting Justice.