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Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Melbourne

Motorcycle riders come off worse than anyone else on the road and are told more often than anyone else that they have no claim. Our motorcycle accident lawyers will tell you plainly where you stand.

A single vehicle motorcycle crash is usually still a transport accident under Victoria's TAC scheme.

Who can claim after a motorcycle accident

You can make a TAC claim if you were injured riding in Victoria, including where you:



• Came off with no other vehicle involved
• Were blamed for the crash
• Were lane filtering
• Were riding on a learner permit or without a current licence
• Were a pillion passenger
• Swerved to avoid a vehicle that never touched you

Motorcycle accident compensation



• Medical treatment, hospital and surgical costs
• Rehabilitation and physiotherapy
• Income support while you cannot ride or work
• A lump sum for permanent impairment, from 11% whole person impairment
• Pain and suffering and loss of earnings, where another person caused a serious injury

That lump sum depends on a single number. Once your injuries have stabilised, independent doctors assess your permanent loss of function as a percentage, and nothing is payable below 11%. Above it, the amount is fixed by law and rises steeply with the percentage. Rider injuries often take well over a year to stabilise, so the assessment usually sits further out than people expect. Find out what each band is worth.

Single vehicle crashes

Most riders assume that coming off with no other vehicle involved means no claim. In many cases, they're wrong and single vehicle crashes are often still covered.

Gravel, an unmaintained road surface, roadworks, an animal, or a car that caused you to swerve without making contact can all still fall within the scheme. So can a crash you caused yourself.

If you came off your bike and were injured, speak to a motorbike accident lawyer before you decide you don't have a claim.

Filtering, speed and protective gear

None of these affect your TAC entitlements. Treatment, rehabilitation and income support are available regardless of how you were riding or what you were wearing.

They can affect a common law claim, where compensation is reduced to reflect your share of responsibility. Reduced, not refused.



Lane filtering is also legal in Victoria for fully licensed riders at low speed and in specified circumstances. Being blamed for filtering at the roadside is not the same as being at fault for it.

Riding unlicensed or on a learner permit

Get advice rather than assuming you are excluded. Riding without a current licence can affect parts of a claim, but it does not automatically remove your entitlement to treatment and income support.

You are not unusual. At least 20% of motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes in Victoria in 2024 did not hold a current licence or learner permit for the vehicle they were riding.



Source: Road Trauma in Victoria Statistical Summary 2024, Department of Transport and Planning.

Injuries riders should raise with their doctor



Two things get missed, and both count toward your impairment percentage.

Neck and spinal injuries from rear end and low side crashes can look manageable at the scene and turn out not to be. If you were rear ended, whiplash is worth reading about in more detail.

Psychological injury is assessed alongside physical injury. If it is not raised, it is not assessed.

The claim runs through five stages, and the one that matters most is the impairment assessment, which for rider injuries often sits more than a year out.

What to bring to your first consultation

• Any TAC claim number or correspondence
• Medical reports, scans and the names of your treating doctors
• The police report number
• Payslips or evidence of lost income
• Photographs of the bike, your gear and the scene
• Details of any witnesses

Riders on Victorian roads



Motorcycles make up around three per cent of registered vehicles in Victoria, but riders account for around 17 per cent of road deaths and around 23 per cent of very serious injuries.

In the twelve months to December 2025, 61 of the 291 people who lost their lives on Victorian roads were motorcyclists. Around 60 per cent of rider fatalities involve another vehicle, and roughly half of those happen at an intersection.

Separately, around 1,000 people are seriously injured in motorcycle crashes in Victoria each year. Rider crashes also skew to regional and outer metro roads, which is why we act for riders across the state.

Sources: TAC motorcyclist safety data and TAC Road Safety Statistics Report, December 2025.



FAQs

Your lawyers

Rider claims get argued differently. Filtering, gear and speed are raised as though they settle the question, and knowing exactly how far they reach is worth having on your side.

Your claim is run by Irini Piperoglou or Antonia Gianasmidis, who will explain the process in plain terms and then get on with it while you recover.

34 Church Street, Abbotsford. We act for riders across Victoria, not only Melbourne.

No Win No Fee, which includes finding out whether you have a claim at all. How our no win no fee guarantee works

“After my car accident, I was completely overwhelmed, but Irini and Antonia were there for me every step of the way. They didn’t just handle the legal stuff, they showed genuine care and empathy, making sure I never felt alone in the process. They took all the stress off my shoulders, allowing me to focus on my recovery. Thanks to their hard work, I received the compensation I needed to recover. I can’t thank them enough for their support and for always keeping me informed and at ease during such a tough time”

– Kalliope L.

Related links:
How a TAC claim runs

TAC compensation and payouts

Get a free, no-obligation claim check

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Victoria, we can tell you in one conversation whether you have a claim and what to do next.

Start Your Claim Today