California Motorcycle
Accident Lawyer

Motorcyclists do not have a vehicle frame, airbags, seat belts, or other surrounding structures that help protect occupants of passenger vehicles.

During a collision, a rider may be struck directly by another vehicle and then experience a second impact with pavement, another vehicle, a barrier, or another object.

Even when a rider wears a helmet and protective clothing, the forces involved in a serious motorcycle accident can cause significant injuries.

The severity of an injury may depend on vehicle speed, direction of impact, the size of the other vehicle, whether the rider was thrown from the motorcycle, roadway conditions, and many other circumstances.

Visible damage to the other vehicle does not necessarily reflect how seriously the motorcyclist was injured.

Motorcycle crashes can happen for many different reasons.

Potential causes may include:

• Unsafe left turns
• Distracted driving
• Failure to yield
• Unsafe lane changes
• Failure to check blind spots
• Following too closely
• Speeding or unsafe speed
• Vehicles entering from driveways
• Traffic-signal violations
• Unsafe merging
• Impaired driving
• Door-opening incidents
• Roadway hazards
• Commercial or delivery vehicles
• Multiple vehicles contributing to the collision

Motorcycles have a smaller visual profile than most passenger vehicles, which can make them easier for inattentive drivers to overlook.

That does not automatically excuse a driver who fails to recognize a motorcycle that is lawfully sharing the roadway.

The actions of everyone involved should be evaluated using the available evidence.

Left-turn collisions are an important motorcycle accident scenario because a driver may turn directly across the path of an approaching rider.

A driver may misjudge the motorcycle’s distance or speed, fail to notice the rider, become distracted, or attempt to complete a turn before the motorcycle reaches the intersection.

These accidents can result in significant frontal or side impact and may leave the rider with very little time to avoid the collision.

Important evidence may include:

• Traffic-signal information
• Vehicle positions
• Motorcycle and vehicle damage
• Witness statements
• Dash-camera footage
• Nearby surveillance video
• Traffic-camera footage when available
• Skid marks or roadway evidence

A driver claiming that the motorcycle was difficult to see does not by itself establish who was responsible.

Visibility, traffic conditions, vehicle movements, speed, and other circumstances should be evaluated together.

Distracted driving can create particular dangers for motorcycle riders.

A driver looking at a phone, navigation system, passenger, rideshare application, delivery instructions, business entrance, or another distraction may fail to notice a motorcycle approaching or traveling nearby.

A distracted motorist may make an unsafe lane change, turn across the motorcycle’s path, enter traffic without seeing the rider, drift within a lane, or fail to react to slowing traffic.

After a serious collision, witness statements, photographs, video, police information, vehicle records, and legally obtainable electronic information may help determine whether distraction contributed to what happened.

Learn more about motorcycle accidents caused by distracted drivers in California.

Lane splitting is one of the issues that most clearly distinguishes California motorcycle accident cases from ordinary automobile collisions.

California recognizes lane splitting, which generally refers to a motorcycle traveling between rows of vehicles moving in the same direction.

A collision may occur when another vehicle suddenly changes lanes, drifts toward the motorcycle, moves into an opening in traffic, or fails to check mirrors and blind spots.

The fact that a motorcycle was lane splitting does not automatically determine who caused an accident.

Relevant considerations may include:

• Motorcycle speed
• Speed of surrounding traffic
• Lane position
• Available space
• Vehicle movements
• Signaling
• Visibility
• Traffic congestion
• Roadway conditions
• Actions of the other driver

Insurance companies may focus heavily on lane splitting when attempting to assign responsibility to a rider.

The issue should instead be evaluated together with the complete circumstances of the collision.

Learn more about lane-splitting motorcycle accidents in California.

Motorcycles can be particularly vulnerable when drivers change lanes without recognizing a rider traveling beside them.

A driver may check a mirror but fail to recognize a motorcycle in a blind spot, begin moving into another lane without signaling, or change lanes suddenly during congested traffic.

A motorcyclist may have only seconds to react.

Depending on the circumstances, the rider may collide directly with the vehicle, be forced toward another lane, lose control, or strike another vehicle or roadway object while trying to avoid the collision.

Video, witnesses, vehicle damage, lane positions, signaling, and surrounding traffic may help explain what happened.

The claim that a motorcycle was “in the driver’s blind spot” does not automatically resolve responsibility. Drivers and motorcyclists both share responsibilities when traveling on California roads.

California motorcycle accidents can raise questions involving rules that do not usually arise in ordinary car accident cases.

Depending on the circumstances, issues may involve:

• Lane splitting
• Helmet use
• Motorcycle licensing
• Passenger requirements
• Lane position
• Motorcycle equipment
• Traffic signals
• Passing
• Insurance and financial responsibility

A possible motorcycle-related traffic issue does not automatically establish who caused a collision.

For example, a question concerning helmet use is different from determining whether another motorist caused a crash by making an unsafe left turn.

Likewise, the fact that a motorcycle was lane splitting does not automatically establish that another driver’s unsafe lane change was reasonable.

The relationship between any claimed violation and the actual collision should be evaluated from the evidence.

Learn more about California motorcycle laws every rider should know.

California has helmet requirements for motorcycle riders and passengers.

After an accident involving a head or brain injury, an insurance company may examine whether the rider was wearing a helmet, how it was worn, and whether helmet use had any connection to the particular injuries being claimed.

However, helmet use and responsibility for causing the collision are separate issues.

A driver may cause an accident by failing to yield, making an unsafe turn, changing lanes improperly, or becoming distracted regardless of whether the motorcyclist was properly wearing a helmet.

Helmet questions may become more relevant when evaluating a head, facial, skull, or brain injury.

The motorcycle, helmet, and riding equipment may also contain physical evidence and generally should not be discarded simply because they were damaged.

Learn more about California helmet laws and motorcycle accident claims.

The driver who caused the collision may be responsible, but some motorcycle accidents involve additional potentially responsible parties.

Depending on the circumstances, those parties may include:

• Another motorist
• Vehicle owner
• Driver’s employer
• Delivery company
• Rideshare company
• Commercial trucking company
• Transportation business
• Contractor
• Maintenance provider
• Manufacturer
• Government entity
• Another person or business connected to the crash

For example, a rider may be struck by a delivery driver who was working at the time of the accident.

Another collision may involve a commercial truck and raise questions concerning the driver’s employer.

A different crash may involve both another motorist and a potentially dangerous roadway condition.

Identifying all potentially responsible parties can affect available insurance, evidence, and how the accident should be investigated.

Learn more about who may be liable in a California motorcycle accident.

A collision involving a commercial or work vehicle can present additional issues.

The driver may have been acting within the scope of employment, and the vehicle may be owned or insured by another person or business.

Additional records and insurance coverage may therefore need to be evaluated.

A collision involving a large commercial truck can be particularly serious because of the difference in size and weight between the vehicles.

Learn more about California truck accident claims.

Motorcycle collisions involving Uber, Lyft, or another rideshare vehicle can also involve insurance questions that depend on how the rideshare vehicle was being used at the time.

Learn more about California Uber and Lyft accident claims.

Motorcycle accidents can cause some of the most serious injuries associated with roadway collisions.

Potential injuries may include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Facial injuries
• Broken bones
• Wrist and arm fractures
• Shoulder injuries
• Neck injuries
• Back injuries
• Spinal trauma
• Hip and pelvic injuries
• Knee and leg injuries
• Internal injuries
• Nerve damage
• Road rash
• Permanent scarring
• Other serious physical injuries

Some riders require emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy, rehabilitation, or continuing medical care.

Others experience permanent limitations affecting mobility, employment, exercise, driving, independence, and everyday activities.

Learn more about common injuries in California motorcycle accident cases.

When significant head trauma is involved, additional information is available through our California brain injury practice.

Road rash may occur when a motorcyclist slides across pavement after being thrown from the motorcycle.

Some abrasions are relatively superficial, while more serious injuries can involve deeper tissue damage, infection concerns, nerve injury, permanent scarring, or the need for additional medical treatment.

Scarring may develop on the arms, legs, hands, face, shoulders, back, or other areas exposed during the collision.

Photographs taken throughout the healing process can help document how visible injuries change over time.

When a motorcycle accident causes significant scarring or disfigurement, medical records, photographs, treatment recommendations, and the long-term effect on the rider may become relevant when evaluating the claim.

Motorcycle accidents frequently involve disputed accounts of what happened.

Another driver may claim the rider was speeding, lane splitting unsafely, traveling in a blind spot, or otherwise contributed to the collision.

Available evidence may help determine how the motorcycle and other vehicles were actually moving.

Potential evidence may include:

• Accident-scene photographs
• Motorcycle damage
• Other vehicle damage
• Dash-camera footage
• Helmet-camera footage
• Traffic-camera footage when available
• Nearby surveillance video
• Witness information
• Collision reports
• Lane markings
• Traffic signals and signs
• Roadway conditions
• Debris or skid marks
• Medical records
• Employment records
• Insurance documents
• Repair information
• Electronic information when relevant

The motorcycle itself can be especially important.

Damage to the wheels, handlebars, frame, exhaust, engine guards, fairings, and other components may help document the forces and direction involved in the crash.

The helmet and riding gear may also contain physical evidence.

When possible, damaged equipment should generally be preserved rather than immediately repaired, altered, or discarded while important accident questions remain unresolved.

Health and immediate safety should come first after a serious motorcycle collision.

When circumstances allow, useful steps may include identifying the other driver and vehicle, obtaining insurance information, photographing the scene and vehicle damage, gathering witness information, and identifying nearby cameras.

Records that may become useful include:

• Photographs
• Video
• Witness contact information
• Police or collision information
• Medical records
• Medical bills
• Motorcycle repair information
• Insurance communications
• Employment documentation
• Records of accident-related expenses

The motorcycle, helmet, protective clothing, and other riding equipment may also contain useful evidence.

Surveillance footage and other recordings may be overwritten, and motorcycles or vehicles may eventually be repaired or disposed of.

Preserving available evidence early can therefore be important even when a legal filing deadline appears far away.

Read our complete guide on what to do after a motorcycle accident in California.

Motorcycle accident responsibility is sometimes heavily disputed.

An insurance company may argue that a rider was speeding, lane splitting unsafely, following too closely, traveling in a blind spot, or making another unsafe movement.

Those allegations should be compared with the actual evidence.

California allows responsibility for an accident to be divided when more than one person contributed to what happened.

A rider should therefore not automatically assume that an allegation of partial responsibility means no claim can be considered.

Photographs, video, witness information, vehicle damage, road conditions, lane positions, and other evidence can help evaluate what each person was doing before the collision.

Learn more about California comparative negligence.

There is no reliable average settlement amount for a California motorcycle accident.

The potential value of an individual case depends on its particular circumstances.

Relevant considerations may include:

• Severity of the injuries
• Emergency treatment
• Hospitalization
• Surgery
• Rehabilitation
• Future medical care
• Lost income
• Reduced earning ability
• Permanent physical limitations
• Scarring or disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional effects
• Responsibility for the accident
• Strength of the available evidence
• Available insurance coverage
• Number of potentially responsible parties

A rider who recovers after relatively limited treatment has a different damages picture from someone who suffers a traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, multiple fractures, permanent scarring, or long-term disability.

Another person’s settlement or verdict does not determine the value of a different motorcycle accident claim.

Learn more about how much a California motorcycle accident case may be worth.

Serious motorcycle accidents can create substantial medical and financial consequences.

Treatment may involve ambulance transportation, emergency care, hospitalization, diagnostic testing, surgery, specialist appointments, physical therapy, rehabilitation, prescriptions, and future medical care.

An injured rider may also miss work during recovery.

More serious injuries may result in permanent restrictions affecting the person’s ability to perform the same occupation or work the same hours as before the collision.

Future earning ability can become particularly important when the injured person worked in a physically demanding occupation.

Medical records, employment records, wage information, work restrictions, and information concerning future treatment may help document the broader financial effects of the accident.

Some motorcycle crashes unfortunately result in fatal injuries.

Fatal collisions may involve unsafe turns, commercial vehicles, distracted drivers, freeway crashes, hit-and-runs, intersection accidents, or other circumstances.

When a motorcycle accident results in death, qualifying family members may need to consider potential wrongful death issues in addition to investigating how the collision occurred.

Evidence preservation can be especially important in fatal crashes because the motorcyclist may not be available to provide their own description of what happened.

Witness statements, photographs, video, motorcycle damage, vehicle damage, police information, and other evidence may help reconstruct the collision.

Families affected by a fatal motorcycle accident can learn more about California wrongful death claims.

Motorcycle accident claims are subject to filing deadlines.

California personal injury lawsuits are generally subject to a two-year filing deadline from the date of injury, although exceptions and different rules may apply.

Much shorter requirements can apply when a government entity may be responsible.

Government-related issues may arise when an accident involves a public vehicle, dangerous public roadway condition, construction area, roadway design issue, or another public entity.

In some California personal injury matters involving a government entity, an administrative claim generally must be presented within six months.

Different timelines may also apply to property damage, minors, insurance issues, and other circumstances.

These are general timeframes and should not be relied upon to calculate the deadline for a particular motorcycle accident claim.

An insurance investigation or ongoing medical treatment should also not automatically be assumed to extend an applicable legal deadline.

Learn more about how long you may have to file a California motorcycle accident claim.

DAG Law Firm, APC represents motorcycle riders injured in serious accidents throughout California.

Our statewide motorcycle accident practice is supported by local resources addressing issues that may arise in individual communities.

Learn more about motorcycle accident claims in Los Angeles, Long Beach, Riverside, San Bernardino, Anaheim, Bakersfield, Pasadena, Glendale, Santa Clarita, and Oxnard.

These local resources provide additional information concerning freeways, major streets, traffic conditions, accident issues, and evidence that may be relevant to motorcycle crashes in those communities.

This California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer page serves as DAG Law Firm’s primary statewide resource for broader questions involving motorcycle accidents, liability, lane splitting, injuries, insurance, evidence, damages, and filing deadlines.

California recognizes lane splitting by motorcycles.

However, the fact that a rider was lane splitting does not automatically determine responsibility when an accident happens.

Motorcycle speed, surrounding traffic, lane position, available space, visibility, vehicle movements, and the conduct of other drivers may all become relevant.

Learn more about lane-splitting motorcycle accidents in California.

Potentially.

The fact that a motorcycle was traveling between lanes does not automatically establish that the rider caused the collision.

Another driver may have changed lanes unsafely, drifted toward the motorcycle, failed to check surrounding traffic, or made another movement that contributed to the crash.

The circumstances should be evaluated from the available evidence.

A driver’s statement that they did not see a motorcycle does not automatically determine responsibility.

Motorcycles have a smaller visual profile, but drivers still have responsibilities when turning, changing lanes, entering traffic, and sharing the roadway.

The investigation may consider sight lines, mirrors, blind spots, traffic conditions, lighting, vehicle movements, witnesses, and available video.

Potentially.

California allows responsibility to be divided when more than one person contributed to an accident.

The effect of partial responsibility depends on the circumstances and percentage of responsibility attributed to the people involved.

An allegation that a motorcyclist contributed to the collision should be compared with the actual evidence.

Helmet use may become relevant after a motorcycle accident, particularly when a rider suffered a head, facial, skull, or brain injury.

However, helmet use and responsibility for causing the underlying collision are separate issues.

The effect of helmet use on a particular claim depends on the injuries, evidence, and circumstances.

Learn more about California helmet laws and motorcycle accident claims.

The motorcycle, helmet, and riding equipment may contain useful physical evidence after a serious collision.

Damage patterns can sometimes help document where and how impacts occurred.

Before disposing of or significantly altering damaged equipment, consideration should be given to whether it may be relevant to unresolved accident questions.

Additional parties or insurance policies may become relevant when a collision involves a commercial truck, delivery driver, rideshare vehicle, or someone driving for work.

The driver’s employment status, vehicle ownership, insurance coverage, and activity at the time of the accident may need to be investigated.

Many California personal injury lawsuits generally have a two-year filing deadline, but that rule does not apply identically to every situation.

Government claims can have substantially shorter requirements, and other circumstances can affect the applicable timeline.

Learn more about California motorcycle accident claim deadlines.

For more detailed information about issues that frequently arise after motorcycle collisions, explore DAG Law Firm’s California motorcycle accident resources:

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in California

California Motorcycle Laws Every Rider Should Know

Who Is Liable in a California Motorcycle Accident?

Common Injuries in California Motorcycle Accident Cases

How Much Is a California Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?

Lane-Splitting Motorcycle Accidents in California

California Helmet Laws and Motorcycle Accident Claims

Motorcycle Accidents Caused by Distracted Drivers in California

How Long Do You Have to File a California Motorcycle Accident Claim?

Motorcycle accident cases can involve serious injuries, disputed responsibility, motorcycle-specific traffic issues, multiple insurance policies, and evidence that can disappear as time passes.

DAG Law Firm, APC represents riders injured in serious motorcycle accidents throughout California.

Depending on the circumstances, our attorneys may review how the collision occurred, photographs and video, witness information, motorcycle and vehicle damage, roadway conditions, medical injuries and treatment, insurance coverage, lost income, and the people or businesses who may potentially be responsible.

Whether the accident involved an unsafe left turn, distracted driver, lane change, lane splitting, commercial vehicle, rideshare driver, roadway condition, serious brain injury, or disputed liability, the specific facts and available evidence matter.

Every motorcycle accident should be evaluated individually.

You do not pay attorney fees unless we win your case. There are no upfront attorney fees for qualifying motorcycle accident matters handled on a contingency fee basis.

If you or a loved one was injured in a California motorcycle accident, call (323) 930-2020 or contact DAG Law Firm today to discuss your situation.