Rhode Island and Massachusetts Motorcycle Law FAQs

Massachusetts and Rhode Island have different laws regarding motorcycle helmets.

• Massachusetts requires all motorcyclists, including passengers, to wear helmets while riding.
• Rhode Island requires all motorcyclists to wear helmets within the first year of getting their license, regardless of age. After the one-year period is up, only motorcyclists under the age of 21 are required to wear helmets.

You can view a map of motorcycle helmet laws across the nation here.

No. Lane splitting—the practice of riding between lanes of traffic flowing in the same direction—is not legal in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. In fact, many riders are surprised to learn that lane splitting is not officially legal anywhere in the country. California’s Highway Patrol has issued guidelines that outline specific circumstances in which riders may be stopped for lane splitting, effectively authorizing safe lane splitting in certain conditions, but the nationwide debate on whether lane splitting is safe enough to be legal is ongoing.

In most cases, you must be able to prove that another negligent driver was at fault for your motorcycle accident to be able to sue for your injuries. However, if your accident was the result of a motorcycle defect or mechanical failure with your bike, you may have a claim against the motorcycle’s manufacturer and distributor. Other factors that contributed to the accident, including unreasonably dangerous road conditions, may also be grounds for filing a claim.

In short, if you were involved in a motorcycle accident and someone else is to blame, you may have a case. Our motorcycle accident lawyers know Rhode Island and Massachusetts law, and we’re here to provide a free case review to help determine your rights to compensation.

It depends. Rhode Island is a “pure comparative negligence” state, which means that, even though an accident may be partially your fault, you can still recover damages from another at-fault party. However, your damages will be reduced by your percentage of fault.

Massachusetts is a “modified” comparative fault state, which can have a significant effect on your compensable damages if you are found to be partially at fault for a car accident. Under “modified” comparative fault rules, you can only recover damages in a crash if you are found to be less than 50 percent at fault for the accident. Like Rhode Island, the amount of damages you receive will be reduced by an amount equal to the percentage of fault you share in causing the crash.

Before you dismiss the possibility of recovering damages for your motorcycle injuries, contact Bottaro Law to discuss the specific facts of your case.

ATGATT is an acronym that stands for “All the gear, all the time.” Many riders follow ATGATT and encourage their fellow riders to do the same. While you may not be able to walk away from a motorcycle accident completely unscathed, wearing full protective riding gear—including a DOT certified helmet, gloves, boots, jacket, and padded pants—can help reduce your risk of suffering severe injuries and shorten your road to recovery.

At Bottaro Law, we don’t think you should have to worry about how you’ll pay for an experienced attorney after a motorcycle accident. That’s why we offer the No Fee Guarantee^®, a promise to you that you won’t pay us anything unless you win your case. If you or a loved one suffered injuries because of a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, call us today at (401) 777-7777. Let us put our knowledge and resources to work for you.