CALIFORNIA MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYER

Experienced Southern California Motorcycle Accident Attorneys with a Passion for Motorcycles and Justice

Motorcycle riders face risks that drivers of larger vehicles often do not. A negligent driver who fails to check a blind spot, turns across traffic, or follows too closely can cause a motorcycle collision that leaves a rider facing serious injuries, medical bills, lost wages, and a long recovery.

At Owen, Patterson & Owen, motorcycles are more than another practice area. Senior Partner Greg Owen was a professional motocross racer in the 1970s before becoming a personal injury attorney, giving our firm a firsthand appreciation for motorcycles and the challenges injured riders face.

If you were injured in a motorcycle crash, contact OPO to discuss your circumstances and legal options during a free consultation.

A motorcycle accident lawyer can provide valuable assistance in various aspects of your California motorcycle accident case, including their expertise in motorcycle accident law, which allows them to navigate the complexities of your case.

They can help gather crucial evidence to support your claims, such as police reports, medical records, witness statements, and expert testimony, while also working with accident reconstruction experts to determine the cause of the accident and identify liable parties.

Many crashes result from circumstances outside the rider’s control. Common causes of motorcycle accidents include distracted driving, unsafe turns, failure to yield, speeding, and driver negligence.

Because motorcycles can disappear into blind spots more easily than other vehicles, a negligent driver may change lanes or turn directly into a rider’s path. Lane splitting and interactions with other drivers can introduce additional questions about fault, making a detailed investigation especially important.

Mechanical defects can also contribute to severe motorcycle accidents. Brake failure, defective tires, engine problems, and other equipment issues may require investigation beyond the conduct of the motorists involved.

Unlike occupants of cars in accidents, riders do not have a vehicle frame surrounding them during a collision. Motorcycle accident injuries can therefore include broken bones, burns, head injuries, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injury, and other catastrophic injuries.

Even physical injuries that initially appear manageable can require significant or ongoing medical treatment. Seeking medical attention after a collision also creates medical documentation that may become important when pursuing a personal injury claim.

If your injuries are affecting your ability to work or continue normal daily activities, contact us so our team can review the circumstances surrounding your case.

A motorcycle accident claim requires evidence showing what happened, who may be responsible, and how the crash affected your life.

Our legal team may gather:

• Medical records and medical expenses
• Photographs or videos from the scene
• Witness statements
• Insurance information
• Repair estimates
• Police and accident reports
• Available surveillance or dashcam footage

Accident reconstructionists may also be useful in complicated cases where the parties disagree about how the collision occurred.

A well-documented claim helps us evaluate the at-fault party, available insurance coverage, and damages such as medical costs, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering.

Insurance companies may dispute liability, question the seriousness of common motorcycle accident injuries, or argue that the rider contributed to the crash. Statements made to your own insurance company or another carrier can also become part of the insurance claim.

An experienced motorcycle accident attorney can manage these communications, help document your losses, and advocate for fair compensation based on the facts of your case.

For nearly 50 years, our firm has represented people facing powerful insurers and other parties after serious injury accidents.

The responsible party is not always limited to another driver. Depending on the facts, potential liability may lie with a vehicle owner, manufacturer, a government entity responsible for unsafe roadway conditions, or another party whose negligence contributed to the crash.

Our motorcycle accident law firm conducts a thorough investigation to identify the parties and evidence relevant to each case. When needed, that can include reviewing road design, vehicle condition, traffic signals, weather, and actions taken by other vehicles immediately before the collision.

Your legal options will depend on how the crash occurred, the evidence available, applicable insurance policies, and the parties involved.

An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can help determine whether pursuing an insurance claim, entering into settlement negotiations, or filing a personal injury lawsuit is appropriate. If litigation becomes necessary, our attorneys are prepared to guide clients through the legal process and advocate on their behalf.

If a fatal crash results in the loss of a loved one, surviving family members may also have rights through a wrongful death claim.

Motorcycle law includes rules affecting riders as well as the duties all motorists owe one another on California roads. Questions involving lane use, right-of-way, traffic signals, insurance coverage, and fault can become central to a motorcycle accident case.

Our personal injury lawyers evaluate those issues alongside the specific facts of the collision. We do not assume that a rider caused a crash simply because a motorcycle was involved.

Your safety should come first. Call emergency services when appropriate and seek medical attention, particularly after a collision involving significant impact.

If you can do so safely, document the accident scene, exchange insurance information, identify witnesses, and preserve photographs of the motorcycle and other vehicles. Keep copies of medical bills, repair estimates, correspondence, and other documents connected to the accident.

Before making major decisions about a settlement or signing insurance documents, speaking with an injury attorney can help you understand how those decisions may affect your claim.