Hollywood superstar Liam Neeson is perhaps best known as the heroic main character in action movies like Taken and Run All Night. In many of these films, Neeson is involved in frenetic foot chases and high-speed car chase sequences. However, one type of action scene that viewers aren’t likely to see Neeson participating in while appearing in these films is a motorcycle chase. That’s because Neeson refuses to appear in movies that would require him to ride a motorcycle.

Neeson was involved in a near-fatal motorcycle crash in 2000. Neeson was riding his 1989 Harley Davidson motorcycle on a quiet NY road when he hit a deer and subsequently lost control of the bike. The motorcycle skidded off the roadway and slammed into a tree, causing Neeson to be thrown from the bike and into an embankment. Neeson was initially unconscious after the accident, but he eventually regained consciousness and managed to crawl back up the embankment and onto the side of the road. That’s when another motorist happened to spot the injured motorcyclist and dialed 911 to alert local law enforcement, which immediately dispatched emergency response crews to the scene of the accident. Neeson was then transported to a Connecticut hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery.

That accident, which occurred on a road near the actor’s home in Dutchess County, New York, resulted in serious physical injuries that included a fractured right pelvis, a chipped left pelvis, and leg abrasions. At the time, many feared that Neeson would not be able to fully recover from the injuries he sustained in the motorcycle accident.

Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcycle accidents pose significant health and safety risks to bikers because motorcyclists are not protected by the body of a car like other motorists. Moreover, motorcyclists are more likely to be involved in single-vehicle accidents because it can be difficult to maintain control of a bike when trying to navigate through poor road conditions or inclement weather. In Neeson’s case, the biker was unable to avoid a collision with a deer that darted across the NY roadway. Although Neeson was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, he still sustained severe injuries.

Moreover, the motorcycle accident had long-term effects for Neeson. The popular actor recently spoke to the media and said that he typically turns down roles in films that would feature his character riding a bike. The actor acknowledged the importance of motorcycle scenes in some of the scripts he’s read, but he also made it clear that he is not the right actor for those films.

Apparently, Neeson promised his late wife, Natasha Richardson, that he would never again ride a motorcycle. And that is a promise that he intends to keep, even if the motorcycle riding would occur in a movie and would involve stunt actors actually riding the bike.

If you suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident on a New Jersey road or highway, you need to contact an experienced motorcycle accident attorney who is passionate about fighting for the rights of injured bikers. Andrew S. Prince of Team Law will fight to get you compensation for your accident-related injuries and property damage.