Motorcycle accidents in California often result in severe injuries, financial stress, and legal complications. Calling a lawyer promptly can protect your rights, counter insurance tactics, and secure compensation. Experienced local attorneys investigate accidents, negotiate with insurers, calculate damages, and represent you in trial if needed, ensuring fair outcomes.
- Motorcycle accidents frequently cause serious injuries and financial burdens.
- Even minor injuries may worsen—legal help is crucial.
- Lawyers combat insurance claim denials and disputes over fault.
- Attorneys investigate, negotiate, and calculate fair compensation.
- Local legal experience in California strengthens case outcomes.
- Many cases settle, but skilled lawyers are trial-ready.
Motorcycle accidents often carry a devastating impact. Riders can face serious injuries, expensive medical bills, and insurance companies that don’t play fair. Also, the psychological weight of the incident may not leave your shoulders long after the crash itself.
If you’ve been involved in such an accident, ask yourself: Do I need a lawyer? In many cases, the answer is yes – especially in California, where motorcycle accidents are all too common. Let’s review why you should call a California motorcycle accident lawyer soon after a crash and what they can do for you.
When It’s Time to Call a Motorcycle Wreck Attorney
Based on the most recent NHTSA data (from 2023), 583 motorcyclists died in California crashes. That was the year’s third-highest fatality total in the US, per the National Safety Council.
Also, approximately 80% of motorcycle crashes cause injuries. These range from minor lacerations and sprains to broken arms or legs, traumatic brain injuries, internal organ damage, spinal fractures, and more
As such, injuries – even minor ones – should prompt you to contact an injury lawyer with motorcycle accident experience. For example, a bruise that seems minor at first could develop into a dangerous hematoma. Similarly, concussions that first present as non-critical can later reveal themselves to be TBIs that cause memory loss, cognitive difficulties, or aggressive behavior.
If anyone caused the accident leading to your injuries, you deserve to know if they were negligent. A skilled California motorbike accident lawyer can help determine if you have a case for negligence and pursue compensation on your behalf.
Other Reasons to Call a Lawyer After a California Motorcycle Accident
A personal injury lawyer with wide-ranging auto accident experience can offer invaluable aid in various situations. Here are some of the biggest examples:
Insurance Claim Difficulties
Claims adjusters and other insurance professionals protect their employers’ interests by saving money however they can. This includes denying or minimizing claims.
Contacting a motorbike accident lawyer immediately after (or just before) you file a claim can reduce the risk of that outcome. If not, touch base with an attorney at the first sign of any reticence from your insurer.
Fault Disputes
Any motor vehicle accident involving multiple parties can lead to plenty of finger-pointing. Inevitably, you’ll receive some of that, no matter who’s truly at fault – especially if you were the motorcycle’s operator.
For starters, other motorists involved in the accident will have their insurers trying to pin fault on you. This way, they can pay out their policyholders’ claims but break even (or better) by collecting from you and other parties in a process called subrogation.
On top of that, attorneys for those other motorists could go after you. They might leverage a combination of motorcyclist stereotypes and unfortunate facts (like the high fatality rate surrounding motorcycle crashes, which is far more frightening than the annual number) to make their case. (Insurers won’t hesitate to do the same, if they can).
You’ll want to enlist a personal injury lawyer experienced with motorcycle accident cases if you’re receiving any pushback or accusations of fault, no matter whether you were driving (or which vehicle). An attorney with this background will be particularly helpful for motorcycle riders at risk of being scapegoated.
What a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Do for You
When you retain a California motorcycle accident attorney, they’ll approach your case methodically and holistically. You can expect them to take the following steps:
Thorough Investigation
Perhaps you came through your accident mostly unhurt and aren’t experiencing notable emotional or psychological whiplash from the crash. Even if all those things are true (and that’s hardly guaranteed), it doesn’t mean you’re equipped to investigate your accident. The experience, resources, and access necessary to do so likely aren’t at your disposal.
By contrast, a personal injury attorney can easily reach out to police, local transportation officials, medical personnel, and other parties involved in the accident (or their representatives). They’ll collect any available evidence that can help your case, ranging from police reports and eyewitness statements to medical records and video footage.
Insurance and Attorney Negotiations
You need not worry about the confusion that comes from insurance-company doublespeak or legalese if you’ve hired an accident lawyer. They can handle all communications with claims adjusters and opposing attorneys. This helps ensure that you don’t fall for unfair settlement offers, questionable opposition to insurance claims, or other underhanded tactics.
Calculation of Your Potential Compensation
Under California law, motorcycle accident victims injured through other parties’ negligence can receive economic or non-economic damages via settlement or trial.
Economic damages are hard costs directly tied to an accident: medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. Non-economic damages refer to difficulties like pain and suffering, loss of life enjoyment, and wrongful death.
Using the evidence assembled and their experience with past cases, your attorney will determine the compensation you have the strongest case for being owed.
Economic damages may offer the best chance of a successful award because they’re tied to objectively accurate numbers. That said, expert personal injury lawyers also know when they’d have a realistic chance of collecting non-economic damages and will pursue them in kind.
Trial Representation
Many auto accident cases, including motorcycle crashes, end in settlements. This can easily be the best outcome for all involved, keeping you from the stress and scrutiny of a lengthy court case.
However, an experienced California motorcycle accident attorney can and will bring your case to civil trial if insurers, other parties, or their lawyers decide to play hardball.
Why Local Experience Matters in California Motorcycle Accident Cases
If your accident took place in Los Angeles or the greater L.A. County/SoCal area, it’s only natural to want a Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer. Similarly, you’d benefit most from a Bay Area motorcycle accident attorney if your crash occurred around San Francisco, San Jose, or Fresno.
Granted, the most relevant traffic laws are part of the California Code and county or city variances won’t majorly affect them. But the highways are much different across regions – after all, no one would confuse the 405 for an idyllic stretch of the PCH. Also, it’s a matter of relationships. Lawyers with an established local presence will have better knowledge of regional insurance agents, law enforcement departments, and civil judges.
Fortunately, if you’ve been in a motorcycle accident within either of these major regions, the May Firm has a presence there. We have offices ranging from Visalia and Fresno to Long Beach and Chula Vista.
Contact us right away using the contact form on this page or call the regional office closest to you. We’ll set up a no-obligation free consultation to discuss your case and brainstorm how we can help get you any compensation you’re owed.
