California Motorcycle Accident Attorney

California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

When an individual is involved in a motorcycle accident, the physical injuries and financial damage can be devastating. The path to recovery is frequently a long process.

If you were in an accident that was caused by another person's negligence, you will need a personal injury attorney who has the expertise and experience to represent motorcycle accident victims. According to Statista, there are more than 828,000 registered motorcycles in the state of California.

For people familiar with the state, this fact probably comes as no surprise. Our state is famous for its scenic drives, temperate weather, and varied landscapes that make living and riding in California a joy for millions of people.

Motorcyclists are often vulnerable to accidents in ways that vehicle drivers aren't, not the least of which is the fact that vehicle drivers fail to do a good job of looking out for motorcyclists, often causing a T-bone accident.

But even when a vehicle driver causes an accident, it is typically the motorcyclist who suffers most, as a result of the motorcycle being smaller and the motorcyclist being exposed.

If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, you need a professional accident attorney to protect your rights.

See our blog: Steps to Follow after a Motorcycle Accident in Los Angeles.

Unfortunately, riding a motorcycle also puts people at significant risk of serious injury.

Motorcycle accidents are typically considered the worst type of accident because motorcycles are often driven at a high rate of speed and don't offer the driver adequate protection. Data published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA) indicates that motorcyclists are five times more likely to be injured per vehicle mile traveled than occupants of passenger vehicles. Many motorcycle accidents end in very serious injuries or even death.

When California motorcycle accidents are caused by someone else's negligence, state law allows victims to recover compensation for their economic and non-economic losses. In cases involving serious injury or long-term disability, the compensation victims receive can be well into the hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars.

As a result, it is extremely important for anyone hurt in a motorcycle accident to speak with an accident lawyer as soon as they can.

See our blog: California Personal Injury Lawsuit Process.

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries

The list of injuries that can occur extends from minor, soft tissue injuries, such as muscle soreness, cuts, and bruises, to major traumatic injuries, such as concussions, amputations, broken bones, scarring, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injury eye injury, and paralysis.

Some reasons to cause injuries are head-on collisions, rear-end collisions, failure to yield, and unsafe lane change.

Other Drivers Can Cause Serious Motorcycle Accidents

The negligence of other motorists is one of the most common causes of serious motorcycle accidents in Southern California. Some of the specific ways in which people in cars, trucks or other motor vehicles can cause accidents to include the following:

Speeding
Distracted driving
Following too closely
Failure to yield
Drunk driving
Impaired driving
Running stop signs or stop lights
Improper turns
Driving the wrong way
Failure to signal lane changes

Steps To Take After a Motorcycle Accident

There are certain steps that you should take after a motorcycle accident involving another driver to protect your legal rights. Some of these include the following:

Do not apologize for the accident, as doing so could be interpreted as an admission of fault
Do not refuse any recommended emergency medical treatment
If you are physically able to do so, document information about the accident, including the names of the other drivers involved, their insurance information, the license plate number of the vehicles involved, and contact information from people who witnessed the accident take place
See a physician for a complete medical evaluation as soon as you can
Do not discuss the accident with the insurance company until you have spoken to an attorney

Motorcycle Accidents Are Often the Result of Road Defects

Because motorcycles only have two points of contact with the ground, they are much less stable than cars and trucks.

For this reason, they are more at risk for involvement in accidents caused by defects in the road, such as potholes, poor drainage, overgrown vegetation, or improperly graded turns.

It is important to consider whether road defects played a role in a motorcycle accident, including those that only involve the motorcycle itself.

Furthermore, if it is the case that a defect on a public road played a role in an accident, the time limit to file a claim is much shorter than in cases involving private parties, you should not hesitate to call a personal injury lawyer immediately after the accident has occurred.

Read our blog: Was Your Motorcycle Accident Caused by a Road Defect?

How a Personal Injury Attorney Can Help You

While the immediate experience of being involved in a motorcycle crash is traumatic, far too often the trauma continues as the motorcyclist has trouble obtaining the compensation that they are legally entitled to.

Having an experienced personal injury lawyer on your side is crucial and we will immediately intervene in your case to make sure all evidence and eyewitness testimony is preserved.

You may be curious as to what exactly a motorcycle accident lawyer can do for you after an accident has occurred, especially if you have already received a settlement offer from the insurance company handling your case. Here are some of the specific ways that an attorney can be of assistance in the aftermath of a serious accident:

Determine all the parties that may be liable for your accident
Accurately assess the value of your claim and make sure that any settlement you accept fully compensates you for your losses
Represent you in negotiations with the insurance company
File a lawsuit on your behalf
Represent you in court

As an accident victim, you should always remember that you will not owe your lawyer anything unless he or she recovers compensation on your behalf.

For this reason, you have nothing to lose by discussing your accident with a lawyer and should always do so after you have been injured in an accident you believe was caused by another person's carelessness.

See our blog: Common Types of California Personal Injury Compensation.

Call Us for a Free Consultation

Determining who was at fault often requires a thorough and detailed investigation before evidence and witnesses become unavailable. To obtain compensation for your injuries in the motorcycle accident, it will be legally necessary to prove the negligence of the other driver.

These types of investigations are often complex and will require a skilled personal injury attorney who has the resources and ability to establish driver fault.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in the Los Angeles area, you should retain legal counsel as soon as you can.

Our firm has a team of experts ready to investigate and testify on your behalf. Finally, we will aggressively advocate on your behalf to ensure that you get compensated for all losses you are entitled to, from vehicle damage to medical expenses to lost past and future earnings, future medical costs, and pain and suffering.

We know the law, how to fight for you in court, and guide you through the process, which goes a long way in making sure you get the maximum compensation you deserve. Please call us at (310) 734-7974, or use the contact form to request a free case evaluation today.

Related Information:

Motorcycle Accidents