Motorcycle accident with a lorry or HGV: who is liable?

Why lorry and HGV collisions are so dangerous for riders

A lorry or heavy goods vehicle can weigh many times more than a car, and far more than a motorcycle. When the two meet, the physics are heavily against the rider. Even at low speed, the size and weight difference can cause serious harm.

These vehicles also have large blind spots. Riders sometimes call the areas close to the cab and along the nearside the blind spots, or the kill zone, because a driver sitting high up in the cab may simply not see a motorcycle there.

None of this means a crash is your fault. It means riders face risks that car drivers do not, and that makes careful evidence and the right advice all the more important.

Common causes of motorcycle and lorry collisions

Many collisions between motorcycles and lorries follow a small number of patterns. Knowing them can help you understand what happened.

A lorry turning left across a rider is one of the most common. The driver may not check the nearside, or may misjudge the space, and the rider is caught between the vehicle and the kerb.

Lane changes are another. On a motorway or dual carriageway, a driver who does not see a motorcycle alongside can move across into it. Pulling out is also frequent, where a lorry emerges from a junction or slip road into the path of a rider who had priority.

Sitting in a blind spot for too long adds risk in all of these. Where you safely can, position yourself so the driver can see you, though even careful riders can still be hit.

Why injuries in these crashes are often serious

Because of the weight and size involved, injuries in these collisions are often more serious than in a knock between two cars. Riders have far less protection, and a fall or a crush injury can have lasting effects.

Common injuries include broken bones, head and brain injuries, spinal injuries, and internal harm. Some riders face long recoveries, surgery, or permanent changes to how they live and work.

This is general information and not medical advice. Always follow the guidance of the medical team treating you.

Who may be liable for the collision

Liability depends on the facts, and no two crashes are the same. In many non-fault cases the lorry driver may be responsible, for example where they failed to check a blind spot or pulled out without priority.

Sometimes responsibility may extend beyond the driver. Under a principle called vicarious liability, an employer or haulage operator can be held responsible for the actions of a driver acting in the course of their work.

In practice, a claim is usually met by an insurer rather than the driver or operator personally. A regulated solicitor can assess who may be liable and how a claim should be pursued. Nothing here is a guarantee of any outcome.

The evidence that helps a claim

Good evidence can make a real difference to a claim. The sooner it is gathered, the better, because some records are not kept for long.

Helpful evidence can include dashcam footage from your bike or nearby vehicles, the lorry's own cameras, which many operators now fit, and tachograph data, which records a lorry's speed and driving hours.

Witness details, photographs of the scene and the vehicles, and the police report can also help. If the police attended, note the incident reference number.

A specialist solicitor can request records such as the operator's camera footage and tachograph data on your behalf, but acting promptly gives the best chance of preserving them.

The same non-fault claim principles apply

A collision with a lorry is still a road traffic accident, so the same non-fault claim principles apply as with any other vehicle.

If the crash was not your fault, you may be able to claim for your injuries and for related losses, such as damage to your bike and gear, treatment and rehabilitation, and time off work. Every case is assessed on its own facts.

Bike Crash Claims is an introducer. We connect riders with regulated specialist solicitors. We are not solicitors and we do not give legal advice.

Why serious-injury claims should not settle too early

With a serious injury, it is usually wise not to settle a claim until the prognosis is clear. The prognosis is the medical view of how you are likely to recover over the longer term.

Settling too soon can mean agreeing a figure before the full effect of an injury is known. If your recovery is slower or more limited than first thought, an early settlement may not reflect that.

A regulated solicitor can advise on timing, including interim payments that may be available in some cases to help while a claim continues. This is general information, and any decision should be made with proper legal and medical advice.