Riders get blamed first. A driver turns left across your lane, and the adjuster’s opening position is that you were speeding, or splitting lanes, or ‘hard to see.’ We represent riders because we know the bias, we know the law — lane splitting is legal in California — and we know how to prove what actually happened.
What we do for you
- Reconstruct the crash with scene evidence, vehicle damage patterns, and expert reconstruction when the insurer disputes fault.
- Push back on the ‘motorcycles are dangerous’ framing that insurers use to reduce what they pay riders.
- Coordinate care for the injuries riders actually suffer — fractures, road rash, head and spinal injuries — with doctors who treat on a lien.
- Pursue every policy, including your own UM/UIM coverage when the at-fault driver is underinsured (they usually are).
What your case may be worth
No honest lawyer can give you a number on the first call. What we can tell you is what California lets you recover, and we’ll give you a realistic range once we’ve seen your medical records and the facts.
- Medical bills, surgeries, rehabilitation, and future care.
- Lost wages and diminished earning capacity.
- Pain and suffering, disfigurement, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Your bike, gear, and helmet.
Deadlines that can end your case
- Two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit in California (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss it and the claim is gone, no matter how strong.
- Six months if a government entity is involved — a city bus, a public road defect, a county vehicle, a school. You must file an administrative claim first (Government Code §911.2), and that clock is unforgiving.
- Your own insurance policy may require notice within days for uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage. We handle that notice for you.
What to do now
After a motorcycle crash:
- Get medical care first. Even if you feel okay. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap in treatment is the first thing an adjuster uses against you.
- Report it. Police report for a crash; incident report to the property or business for a fall. Get a copy or the report number.
- Photograph everything. The scene, vehicles, hazards, your injuries, and anything that changes quickly (weather, lighting, a wet floor).
- Get names. Witnesses, the other driver, the store manager. People vanish fast.
- Don’t give a recorded statement to the other side’s insurer, and don’t sign anything, before you’ve talked to a lawyer.
- Call us. (818) 230-8380, any hour. We take it from there.
Questions we hear most
I was lane splitting. Does that kill my case?
No. Lane splitting has been legal in California since 2017. What matters is whether it was done safely and whether the other driver acted negligently — an unsignaled lane change into a splitting rider is the driver’s fault.
I wasn’t wearing a helmet.
California requires helmets, and the insurer will raise it. But it only matters for head injuries, and even then it reduces rather than eliminates recovery under comparative negligence. Injuries to the rest of your body are unaffected.
The driver said they didn’t see me.
That’s an admission, not a defense. Drivers have a duty to look. ‘I didn’t see the motorcycle’ is the most common sentence in these cases and it almost always means the driver failed to check.
Hurt in an accident? Talk to us before you talk to the insurance company.
Free case review, any hour, English or Spanish. No fee unless we win.
This page is general information about California law, not legal advice about your situation. Every case is different. Talk to an attorney about yours — the consultation is free.