Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer: helmet rules, proof and how long you have

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a motorcycle crash in Fort Worth, you generally have 2 years to sue.1 Your Fort Worth Police report comes from TxDOT's CRIS site for $6.23 Riders 21 or older can legally skip a helmet only with an approved course or crash health coverage.4 Whether no helmet counts against you is unsettled in Texas.5

See if you are owed money

$0 upfront. No fee unless you win.
Road map of Fort Worth showing I-35W and the city street grid where left-turn crashes with motorcycles can happen
37% of Texas motorcycle deaths happen at an intersection. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How common are motorcycle crashes around Fort Worth?

We could not find a motorcycle crash count for Fort Worth alone. The closest official number is regional. In 2024, 157 motorcycle riders and passengers died across the 12 counties of North Central Texas.6 Statewide in 2025, TxDOT counted 557 riders killed and 2,468 seriously injured.7

TxDOT also says what is behind those numbers. More than half of fatal motorcycle crashes are collisions with other vehicles, and drivers often do not see the bike or misjudge how fast it is coming.89 Thirty-seven percent of the deaths happen at an intersection.10 For a rider in Fort Worth, that points to the left turn across your lane. Tarrant County's 74 deaths on city streets in 2025, the largest share by road type, fit that picture.11

Do I have to wear a helmet on a motorcycle in Fort Worth?

Texas requires one on public roads, for riders and passengers, unless an exception applies.12 Riders who are 21 or older can go without if they finished an approved safety course or have health insurance that covers crash injuries.4 The state's training schools are listed by TDLR.13

An officer may not pull you over just to see whether you took the course or carry that insurance.14 Keep your course card and proof of coverage handy anyway, since an insurer may ask for them after a wreck.

Can insurance blame me for not wearing a helmet in Fort Worth?

It may try. Texas takes away your claim only if you are more than 50 percent at fault, and no Texas statute says whether riding without a helmet counts as fault. That point is unsettled.5 Do not accept an adjuster's flat statement either way.

It helps to separate two questions. Who caused the crash is one. Whether a helmet would have changed a particular injury is another, and a broken leg is very different from a head injury. About 26 percent of motorcyclists killed in the region in 2024 were not wearing helmets, so expect insurers in North Texas to raise it often.15 Keep the helmet you wore, even if it is cracked. Do not throw it out or let the shop take it.

What should I save after a motorcycle wreck in Fort Worth?

  1. Get checked the same day, even if you walked away. Adrenaline hides damage. JPS and Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth are both Level I trauma centers.1617
  2. Photograph the bike before it is moved or repaired, along with your gear, road marks and any gravel or potholes.
  3. Look for a doorbell camera or a store camera close to the corner. Businesses often record over old video, so ask right away.
  4. Find out where your bike went. Police tows can be traced through AutoReturn at 817-349-4022, and storage runs $22.85 a day.1819
  5. Ask for your records. JPS takes faxed requests at 817-702-5700, and Texas Health uses Versima online.2021

How do I get the police report for my motorcycle crash in Fort Worth?

Fort Worth Police reports are sold on TxDOT's CRIS site, and it can take 14 days for yours to appear.222 If you were hurt in unincorporated Tarrant County, the Sheriff may have written it, and that usually takes about three weeks.2324 Stuck? The Records Unit is at 817-392-4160.25

Riders should read the narrative twice. Reports written at the roadside sometimes rely on the only person still standing, which may be the driver who turned in front of you. If the officer's story leaves out what you saw, write your own account now and give it to whoever handles your claim.

What if a bad road caused my motorcycle crash in Fort Worth?

A pothole, a lip left by road work or spilled gravel can throw a bike when a car would roll over it. Who is responsible depends on who controls that road. On a city street, a claim against the City of Fort Worth needs written notice within 180 days, unless you show good cause.26 Send it to HR/Risk Management, 200 Texas Street, or [email protected].2728

Other Texas agencies usually need notice within 6 months.29 On I-20 and I-820, TxDOT's Southeast Connector is rebuilding about 16 miles of highway, so a contractor may be involved as well.30 Take pictures before the surface changes.

Who pays my bills after a motorcycle accident in Fort Worth?

Usually the at-fault driver's insurer, which by Texas law only has to carry $30,000 per person.31 Serious rider injuries often cost more than that. Check whether your motorcycle policy includes uninsured motorist coverage, which stays in place unless a named insured rejected it in writing.32

What should I ask a Fort Worth motorcycle accident lawyer?

  • How do you answer the helmet argument, since Texas has not settled it?
  • Have you worked with people who rebuild crashes involving bikes and left turns?
  • Will you check for video near the crash right now?
  • What happens if the driver only has the $30,000 minimum?

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a motorcycle accident in Fort Worth?

Generally 2 years from when your claim arises.1 For the City of Fort Worth, written notice is due in 180 days unless you show good cause.26

Is it legal to ride without a helmet in Fort Worth?

Only if you are 21 or older and finished an approved course or have health insurance that covers crash injuries.4

Does not wearing a helmet hurt my claim in Texas?

It may be argued, but no Texas statute says whether it counts as fault, so the point is unsettled.5

Where do most deadly motorcycle crashes happen?

TxDOT says 37 percent of motorcycle deaths happen at a roadway intersection.10

Find out if you are owed money.

A free case review. $0 upfront. No fee unless you win.

See if I’m owed money

Keep reading

Fort Worth

Motorcycle accident

Texas

Sources

  1. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a), checked 2026-11-08. “personal injury, forcible entry and detainer, and forcible detainer not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues.”
  2. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Effective December 15, 2024, requestors should use the website below to request an accident report(s)”
  3. Fort Worth Police, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “for $6.00. If your search for a report returns no results, the report has not been approved.”
  4. Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003(c), checked 2026-11-08. “the person required to wear protective headgear was at least 21 years old and had successfully completed a motorcycle operator training and safety course under Chapter 662 or was covered by a health insurance plan providing the person with medical benefits for injuries incurred as a result of a collision”
  5. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.”
  6. NCTCOG, Regional Crash Fact Sheet, Calendar Year 2024, checked 2026-11-08. “There were 157 motorcyclists (operators and passengers) killed in 2024.”
  7. TxDOT, Motorcycle Safety Campaign, checked 2026-11-08. “In 2025, 557 riders lost their lives and 2,468 were seriously injured in crashes.”
  8. TxDOT, Motorcycle Safety Campaign, checked 2026-11-08. “More than half of fatal motorcycle crashes result from collisions with other vehicles.”
  9. TxDOT, Motorcycle Safety Campaign, checked 2026-11-08. “Drivers simply don’t see the motorcycle or misjudge its distance and speed.”
  10. TxDOT, Motorcycle Safety Campaign, checked 2026-11-08. “Thirty-seven percent of motorcycle fatalities happen at a roadway intersection.”
  11. TxDOT, 2025 Fatal Crashes and Fatalities by County and Road Type, checked 2026-11-08. “Tarrant 56 58 40 40 10 10 0 0 73 74 6 7 1 1 0 0 186 190”
  12. Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003(a), checked 2026-11-08. “A person commits an offense if the person: (1) operates or rides as a passenger on a motorcycle on a public street or highway; and (2) is not wearing protective headgear that meets safety standards adopted by the department.”
  13. TDLR, Find a Motorcycle or ATV Safety Training School, checked 2026-11-08. “Find a School Near You”
  14. Tex. Transp. Code § 661.003(c-1), checked 2026-11-08. “A peace officer may not stop or detain a person who is the operator of or a passenger on a motorcycle for the sole purpose of determining whether the person has successfully completed the motorcycle operator training and safety course or is covered by a health insurance plan.”
  15. NCTCOG, Regional Crash Fact Sheet, Calendar Year 2024, checked 2026-11-08. “About 26% of motorcyclists killed were not wearing helmets at the time of the crash.”
  16. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  17. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  18. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “customer service at 817-349-4022”
  19. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “Storage fee: $22.85 per day. Over 25 feet: $39.99 per day”
  20. JPS Health Network, Patient Records, checked 2026-11-08. “You can fax a written request to 817-702-5700.”
  21. Texas Health, Request Medical Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Texas Health has partnered with Versima”
  22. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “It can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash for your crash to appear in the search results.”
  23. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by Investigating Agency, checked 2026-11-08. “TARRANT COUNTY 2 2 20 23 111 151 29 43 291 789 25 65 478 SO”
  24. Tarrant County Sheriff, Accident Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “approximately three weeks from the date of the accident”
  25. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “please call the Police Records unit at 817-392-4160 for assistance”
  26. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
  27. City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “HR/Risk Management 200 Texas Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102”
  28. City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “[email protected]”
  29. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  30. TxDOT, Southeast Connector, checked 2026-11-08. “rebuild and widen approximately 16 miles of I-20 and I-820”
  31. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  32. Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101(b)-(c), checked 2026-11-08. “unless the insurer provides uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in the policy or supplemental to the policy. (c) The coverage required by this subchapter does not apply if any insured named in the insurance policy rejects the coverage in writing.”

Editorial policy

See if I’m owed moneyNo fee unless you win
AccidentsCitiesStatesGuides
See if I’m owed money