After a Devastating Crash, Rider Fought to Reclaim His Freedom on the Road

Traffic began to build at a busy Cedar Rapids intersection. In the line, a car made space in front of a convenience store driveway to allow a path for exiting vehicles. However, a few cars back, an impatient SUV driver decided to bypass stopped traffic by speeding across a painted, prohibited traffic island. The courteous driver waved on motorcyclist named Craig, who wanted to make a left out of the gas station. Unaware of the illegal maneuver unfolding down the road, Craig pulled out of the parking lot. As Craig crossed, the obstinate SUV tore through the prohibited area and broadsided his motorcycle. The severe impact destroyed the motorcycle and shattered Craig's leg and limbs, instantly transforming a routine ride into a devastating injury case.

Craig was in his 60s and already living on Social Security disability when the crash occurred. Riding his motorcycle was one of the few pleasures that still gave him independence and joy. After the collision, that freedom vanished. His damaged leg left him largely trapped inside his upstairs apartment, where even getting down a flight of stairs became an exhausting ordeal. His motorcycle had been destroyed, riding season was passing him by, and the emotional toll of the crash hit almost as hard as the physical injury.

Craig called Pete Leehey, the founder and a senior partner of The Biker Lawyers, from the hospital shortly after the crash. Pete and his firm focus almost exclusively on motorcycle crash cases, so he immediately understood both the legal and personal stakes. Still, the facts initially sounded like the case would be challenging. Establishing liability would be an uphill battle. Within a week, Pete met Craig at his apartment, saw firsthand how badly the injury had disrupted his life, and committed to figuring out exactly what had happened.

Pete’s first step was to investigate the crash scene himself. When he arrived, he noticed a crucial detail: although there was no concrete divider, a painted center island separated the travel lanes. That meant the SUV should not have been driving where it struck Craig. Pete talked to the convenience store owner, who had agreed to show the building’s surveillance footage. Watching it, he saw the same thing the roadway markings suggested: Craig carefully moved through the opening in stopped traffic, and then the SUV suddenly shot through the prohibited painted area and hit him. Armed with the footage, photographs of the scene, and a clearer understanding of the roadway layout, Pete pushed to meet with the investigating officer, whose original report had assigned Craig 100% fault. Eventually, he succeeded in having a supplemental report made for the accident, in which the officer noted both parties shared blame.

Even then, the case remained difficult. Before the suit was even filed, the insurance adjuster openly questioned why Pete had taken the case at all, convinced Craig was at fault. The defense had made no meaningful settlement offer and appeared comfortable treating the claim as unwinnable. On paper, the scenario still looked bad: a motorcyclist pulling out of a driveway into traffic. Pete knew that unless he could reframe the crash in a way that clearly showed the defendant’s impatience and lane-jumping conduct, a jury could easily miss the real liability story.

That was the pain point DK Global helped solve. Pete did not retain outside experts; Craig’s leg injury was obvious, and the treating physician could handle the medical proof. Liability was the real battle. Even with the surveillance video and scene photographs, Pete felt the case still was not coming together persuasively enough. After discussing options with DK Global, he concluded that a visual representation of the incident was key to the case. Together, DK Global helped Pete develop a concise presentation showing exactly how the defendant made a dangerous cut through prohibited road to jump a line of stopped vehicles before crashing into Craig.

The presentation opened with a bird’s-eye view of the intersection based on a Google Maps-style scene layout. From above, viewers could immediately see the convenience store driveway, the long line of stopped vehicles, and the intentional gap left for cars entering and exiting the lot. The overhead view then highlighted Craig waiting on his motorcycle at that gap. Next, overlays traced the SUV’s movement from farther back in the line of traffic as it pulled out, crossed into the painted center island, and drove through the prohibited area. The sequence showed the defendant’s shortcut not as a split-second accident, but as a deliberate maneuver that created a hidden hazard. Finally, the vehicle’s path intersected Craig’s as he emerged from the gap, making the crash mechanics instantly understandable.

Pete brought the presentation to mediation, which the defense had requested even though no real counteroffer had been made beforehand. Once the defense saw DK Global’s visual exhibit, they made no serious attempt to argue comparative fault. The visual made clear what Pete had been trying to communicate all along: this was not simply a case about a motorcyclist pulling into traffic, but about an SUV driver illegally bypassing stopped cars through a painted no-drive zone. The mediation concluded in under two hours, and the case resolved with a six-figure settlement. Craig got justice and was now able to complete his rehabilitation, buy another motorcycle, and eventually get back to his life. For a man who feared he had lost the last piece of freedom he still enjoyed, that recovery meant far more than the dollar figure alone.

Pete Leehey is the founder and senior partner of The Biker Lawyers in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His firm has fought for personal injury victims for over four decades. They've recovered millions of dollars for their clients, 90% of whom have been injured motorists. Pete has an AV Preeminent rating, the highest possible rating for legal ability and ethics from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He's also been named a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Iowa by the American Trial Lawyers Association. He serves as legal counsel for the Iowa and Minnesota Confederations of Motorcycle Clubs.