Fresno Motorcycle
ACCIDENT Lawyers

OUR FIRM HAS RECOVERED MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS FOR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT VICTIMS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA.

25+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

When you hire us, you’re adding unmatched experience to your team, ensuring you get the best possible outcome.

99% WIN RATE

Our firm maintains an impressive 99% win rate, even while accepting difficult cases other law firms have turned away.

NO UPFRONT FEES

We are not afraid of trial, and insurance companies know this. If it’s in your best interest, we are always trial ready.

Fresno Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Did you know that a motorcycle rider is almost thirty times more likely to die in an accident than someone in a passenger vehicle? The NHTSA has released data that demonstrates the statistic. Motorcycle accidents are dangerous, and Fresno motorcyclists confront this unfortunate fact every time they take to Fresno’s roadways. Many people who are hurt in motorcycle crashes experience devastating consequences—some physical, and some mental.

If you were hurt in a motorcycle accident in Fresno, you could collect compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, and more. Contact our Fresno injury attorneys today.

Community Involvement

At The May Firm we strive to be involved and connected to our local community. For example, this past holiday season we organized bicycle and Christmas tree giveaways for individuals in our community. Our goal is to be a positive force for good in the local community and give back in some small measure to those we can serve. We receive satisfaction and joy from serving our clients and will continue to look for ways to be of assistance to the community as a whole. We receive positive energy from the community when we are involved.

We have listed a few of the local organizations we support and look forward to growing our outreach in the future. If you have any suggestions for ways we can be of service or support, please reach out to us.

Where Compassion Meets Experience

We take pride in working hard for each of our valued clients and will help you recover from your injuries and losses, including lost wages, mental anguish, future earning potential, disability or continued health care needs and lost or damaged property.

Our Fresno injury lawyers stay well-informed and up-to-date on all applicable legal changes, so you can be confident that you will always receive relevant, current legal advice.

If you have suffered a personal injury or are a victim of an accident that is not your at fault for, contact our award winning Fresno attorneys 24/7 to schedule your free case consultation. You can also call our Fresno office at 1-(559)-385-2090. Let us be your personal injury and accident advocate.

“My number one goal is to help others. When you step foot into our firm, you’ll be treated like family, period.”
Robert May, Attorney | Founder

Motorcyclist Death Tolls Are on the Rise: Do You Need Your Legal Support After a Fresno Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycle Accident Lawyers: The May Firm

Motorcyclist death tolls are only increasing with each passing year. There’s no doubt that as time goes on, it becomes more and more dangerous to ride a motorcycle, and Fresno is no exception.

This shouldn’t prevent motorcyclists from heading out and enjoying time on the road—it should prompt vehicle drivers to drive more safely around motorcyclists, though.

If you or someone you love has been impacted by a motorcycle accident in the Fresno area, there is legal help available. Nobody deserves to be injured or lose their life because of another driver’s negligence or recklessness.

At The May Firm, we maintain a team of qualified legal professionals who are prepared to help you after an accident. Our lawyers work diligently to empower our clients and aid them in pursuing the compensation that they deserve. Reach out to us today to find out more about how we may help after your motorcycle accident.

Motorcycles Are Smaller and Lighter Than Cars?

Here’s one key reason that it’s so dangerous for motorcycle riders to get into accidents: the average car weighs ten times more than most motorcycles.

The average weight of a motorcycle is about 400 pounds
The average weight of a passenger vehicle is about 4,000 pounds

This doesn’t even begin to factor in the size of large trucks that share the road with motorcyclists. Did you know that a fully-loaded semi-truck can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds? That amount of weight can do a lot of damage to a motorcycle and its passengers. People who are riding motorcycles during an accident face more danger than people in cars and trucks.

Motorcycle accidents are almost guaranteed to cause catastrophic injuries for motorcycle drivers and riders. People in cars are afforded some basic protections during a crash: seatbelts, airbags, the sides of the car to hold them in place. Motorcycles don’t have any of those safety features.

Common Injuries After Fresno Motorcycle Accidents

If you can think of an injury, it’s probably possible for that injury to stem from a motorcycle crash. Some people only receive “minor” or “mild” injuries during motorcycle accidents; but, most of the time, the injuries people sustain in these crashes are severe.

Lots of different things can happen during an accident to injure someone. For example, the accident may throw you from or under your motorcycle.

Debris or other objects strike some people.

Brain injuries: Traumatic brain injuries (also referred to as TBIs) are startlingly common after motorcycle accidents. Many of them cause lifelong symptoms and complications for survivors. Even though some brain injuries are classified as “mild,” even those have the potential to change someone’s day-to-day life
Broken bones: Broken bones can vary a lot in their severity. A “minor” break will still be very painful and likely bring on a fair share of medical bills, but severe bone breaks can do a lot of damage. Some broken bones even break through the skin and break in numerous places
Internal injuries: Internal injuries are often difficult to pinpoint. That makes them exceptionally dangerous. If internal injuries go unnoticed for too long, they can worsen and cause death
Spinal cord injuries: Our spinal cords are bundles of nerves that run from our brains down our spines. Without our spinal cords, all of the functions we rely on to live (like breathing or our heartbeat) would no longer occur. People whose spinal cords are damaged or hurt can experience very severe consequences
Road rash: You’ve almost certainly heard of road rash before, but lots of people don’t actually know what road rash is. It’s most common in people who are involved in accidents but aren’t in cars. Motorcyclists, bicyclists, pedestrians, and other people are all very prone to road rash
Back injuries
Head injuries
Neck injuries
Soft tissue injuries
Bruises
Lacerations
Burns

Causes of Fresno Motorcycle Accidents

A motorcycle accident can happen for lots of reasons. It’s impossible to list them all. Lots of these crashes happen because of someone else’s negligence or recklessness, though. It’s very common for people in cars to overlook or disrespect motorcyclists. If you’ve ridden on a motorcycle, you’re probably familiar with people not giving you enough space to move or underestimating your speed.

Here are some examples of common causes of motorcycle accidents:

Lane splitting
Cars left-turning into or in front of motorcyclists
Failure to yield to the motorcyclist
Cutting off motorcyclists in intersections

Steps to Take After a Fresno Motorcycle Accident

What To Do After A Fresno Motorcycle Accident

There are some steps that you can take to protect yourself, others, and your legal rights following a motorcycle crash. It will benefit you in the moment and it will help if you choose to take legal action down the road.

Make Sure Everyone Is Physically Safe

If you can, make sure that anyone who was in your accident is physically safe. That means that they should get out of the way of coming traffic, away from vehicles if there’s a risk of fire, and so on.

If you can stand and walk, speak to other people on the scene
If you can’t do any one of these things, stay where you are while you call 911 or wait for somebody to help
Don’t move if your head, neck, or back hurt badly

Contact Authorities

Calling the police after an accident doesn’t mean that a huge crime occurred. It’s just a good way to make sure that you file a timely accident report (the police will help) and that the scene of your accident is handled appropriately.

You can call 911 for help. From there, the operator will send out the appropriate responders depending on your accident. Emergency, fire, and first aid services will be sent to the scene of your accident if necessary.

Gather Evidence

Not everyone knows this, but it’s actually possible to collect evidence about what happened at the scene of your motorcycle crash.

You obviously shouldn’t worry about hunting down evidence if you’re badly injured; but, if you’re in stable condition after a motorcycle accident, you can:

Take photos of your injuries
Take photos of the damage to your motorcycle and belongings
Take photos of other signs of your collision (tire marks in the road, potential structural damage nearby, and so on)

Alongside gathering some evidence, you should also note important information about any other drivers involved in the crash. You can ask for their names, contact information, and driver’s license and insurance information.

Get Medical Care

Unfortunately, many motorcycle accidents necessitate survivors receiving emergency transport and medical care. ambulances or medical helicopters take many people from the scene of motorcycle crashes. Usually, they receive medical attention immediately.

You need to seek medical care after a motorcycle accident regardless of the care you received after the crash. If a first responder checked you over or provided care at the scene, great! If the hospital staff helped you after your accident, even better.

You should still schedule an appointment with your primary care physician as soon as possible after the crash.

This serves a few purposes:

Your doctor will be updated on your current condition
Your doctor can examine you for delayed symptoms
Your doctor can answer questions about what’s normal in terms of post-accident experience

Consult Our Fresno Legal Professionals

There’s a lot that we could say about getting in touch with motorcycle accident lawyers after your crash.

Here are some of the most important things to remember:

The more attorneys you can speak to, the better; it helps give you additional perspectives on the legalities of your accident
A trustworthy attorney will never pressure you to work with them
Most attorneys offer free initial consultations so that you can determine whether you’ll work well together

The sooner you select a Fresno motorcycle accident attorney to represent your best interests, the sooner you can start on your path to pursuing compensation after your accident. It’s also best to retain an attorney before you start dealing with insurance companies or other entities. Your lawyer can help you make sure that you don’t say anything that could ruin your case when you speak to outside parties.

Insurance Companies and Fresno Motorcycle Accidents

You’re probably going to get calls from insurance companies once you’ve been in a motorcycle accident. It can feel like the calls keep coming—but no matter what, it’s best to wait to talk to insurance agents until you have a lawyer.

Here’s why: insurance agents have one primary job. They’re supposed to get you to agree to a settlement. Whatever settlement they offer, it’s structured to meet the insurance company’s needs. The offers you receive from insurance companies are not in your best interest.

Minimize the contact you have with insurers after your accident and refer them to us.

Don’t make agreements
Don’t stay on the phone too long
Don’t be rude

Recovering Damages After a Fresno Motorcycle Accident

We get countless questions about what sort of compensation is available for motorcycle accident survivors. The truth is that there’s limitless potential when it comes to the damages you may receive—the only cap is the actual costs associated with your damages (like the cost of your medical bills).

Whether your bills are $20 or $20,000, you have the same right to pursue and receive compensation.

Medical expenses: There are lots of medical expenses that are compensable after a motorcycle accident. Any form of emergency medical attention (like care on-scene or transport to a hospital) is eligible for compensation. Specialty costs may be recoverable, too, like the costs of personalized medical equipment or specific therapies. Surgeries, prescriptions—anything associated with your accident. It’s also worth noting that past, present, and projected medical bills associated with the accident may be eligible for compensation
Lost wages: The average person is going to miss some time from work because of a motorcycle accident. Even if you’re only gone for a day or two, you don’t deserve to lose out on the wages you would’ve earned if you had been at work. You can work with your lawyer to recover lost wages in court after a crash
Diminished earning capacity: What happens when lost wages turn into a permanent change in how you earn a living? If your earning capacity is diminished by your motorcycle accident, then you could have the right to recover damages to account for diminished earning capacity
Loss of enjoyment of life: Nobody deserves to have their enjoyment of life taken because of someone else’s negligent actions. Unfortunately, though, this can and does happen after motorcycle accidents regularly. People who have lost their enjoyment of life because of their experiences in a motorcycle crash may recover compensation to help account for what has happened
Pain and suffering: Never overlook the physical pain and suffering associated with a motorcycle crash. Fortunately, our laws don’t overlook it—you can pursue pain and suffering damages if you have experienced physical pain because of your motorcycle accident. Almost any accident has the potential to cause pain and suffering: never underestimate your physical experiences because you aren’t sure whether compensation is possible

Disability: Some motorcycle accidents cause disability in survivors. This is especially true for people on motorcycles at the time of their crashes, since they’re more likely to suffer debilitating injuries than people in cars

Frequently Asked Questions About Fresno Motorcycle Accidents

There are no two ways about it: if you were hurt in a motorcycle accident, there’s a high likelihood that you deserve compensation for your experience. Nobody deserves to face physical, emotional, or financial hardship because of someone else’s negligence or recklessness—but when it happens, our legal system is here to offer protection.

If you or a loved one was the victim of a truck accident in or around Fresno, contact The May Firm today at (559) 385-2090 to schedule a free consultation.

(559) 385-2090

7111 N. Fresno St, Suite 240 Fresno
California 93720

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are answers provided by Fresno motorcycle accident lawyers courtesy of The May Firm
to some frequently asked questions we receive from clients.

How long will my Fresno motorcycle accident case take?

It’s difficult to predict how long any given motorcycle accident case may take. Lots of factors can influence the length of a motorcycle accident case. Some cases finish quickly—within weeks or a handful of months. Some cases take many months (or even years) to come to an end.

Some cases are known for taking longer than others:

Cases that involve extreme damages
Cases that involve severe injuries
Cases that involve unknown or several responsible parties

Do some injuries make Fresno motorcycle accident cases take longer?

Yes. More severe injuries usually lead to longer cases. Some injuries are severe more often than others.

These injuries are all commonly associated with longer case lengths:

Injuries that lead to disability: If someone experiences a disability because of an injury that he or she received during a motorcycle accident, their case may take more time to finish. It would be difficult to determine the total impact of the injury or disability without some time to observe and diagnose what had happened. This all needs to occur before a case can win or settle, so it may mean a longer case
Spinal cord injuries: Our spinal cords are crucial to the way that we function, Some spinal cord injuries even lead to death. Many of them require extensive and expensive treatment. This lengthens the legal process and leads to longer cases
Certain bone fractures: There are lots of instances where a broken bone shouldn’t hold up a case at all. It’s true that broken bones are very painful and they can have a big impact on your life, but many of them are not so severe that they might impact how long a legal case takes. Some bone fractures, though, are severe. Compound bone fractures, for example, may require lots of time and work to heal
Traumatic brain injuries: If something has “traumatic” in its name, there’s a high likelihood that it might cause some lagging in a legal case. Brain injuries that cause significant damage can also take significant time to heal (if they do at all)

Remember: there’s no guarantee that someone’s motorcycle accident case will take a long time just because they have certain injuries. There’s also no guarantee that someone’s case will win or settle quickly just because it seems “simple.”

With that said, there are patterns when it comes to case timing. Some of the examples above should help shed light on when and why some motorcycle accident cases take longer than others.

What is my Fresno motorcycle accident case worth?

There’s no technical cap to the potential value of a motorcycle accident case. Your lawyer will base your case’s value on many things. Someone who missed 50 days of work because of their accident will likely receive more in lost wages than someone who missed two days of work. A person who got hit on an expensive bike may have a higher case value than someone who got into an accident on a cheaper bike.

Most attorneys will offer a loose case value estimate during your initial consultation.

If they do, here are some of the things that might influence their estimate:

The cause of the accident
Your insurance coverage; the insurance coverage of anyone else in the accident
Your medical bills
Your health before the accident
Your age before the accident
How much time you had to take off of work because of the accident
Damage to your motorcycle, material possessions, etc.

A Qualified Fresno Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Help

When you choose to work with a qualified motorcycle accident lawyer in Fresno, he or she will help you with lots of different aspects of life after your motorcycle crash.

They’ll be your first line of help throughout the legal process that follows the accident.

How to Find the Right Fresno Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

The first step to working with a lawyer is finding one.

There are a wealth of motorcycle accident attorneys who say they’re ready to help clients throughout Fresno—so how do you know which one is best for you?

We always recommend meeting with several attorneys to find the one that suits you best
Ask lawyers questions about their experience and their opinion of your case
Take advantage of free initial consultations; try to partner with a lawyer who doesn’t charge unless you win or settle

Investigation And Negotiation

Your attorney is responsible for conducting an investigative process on your behalf. They’ll determine exactly what happened before, during, and after your accident. Much of the investigation will center around finding out who was liable for the crash. Your lawyer will determine who was responsible for what happened and draft documents to prove it.

Then, the negotiation phase begins. This is the time when your attorney will make demands for compensation on your behalf. Many cases settle out of court at this point.

Filing A Fresno Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit

If your case doesn’t settle by this point, your lawyer may help you file a Fresno motorcycle accident lawsuit. This is when both sides collect evidence and document why their side of the argument is the “correct” side. Some legal teams come to agreements at this point. Some cases need a mediator to settle out of court. Some cases progress to trial.

Trial, If Necessary

We could write a whole book on the trial process, so we’ll keep it succinct here: your lawyer might tell you it’s best to go to trial. Even though the process looks different than settling out of court, you shouldn’t panic if you hear that your case should move into the trial phase. It’s one more opportunity to prove someone else’s negligence and receive the compensation that you deserve.

A lawyer will help you throughout your time at trial. He or she will work diligently to defend your rights—they may even partner with industry experts to strengthen the case.

Call Us for a Free Consultation

Contact us to get started. It is important to have the proper legal representation on your side if you’re involved in a motorcycle crash. Often wrongful blame is placed on the rider in a multi-vehicle collision due to the increased risk that comes with riding a motorcycle. Insurance companies are reluctant to side with the motorcyclist and oftentimes will attempt to place the full or partial blame on them. Don’t accept that blame and the legal repercussions that come with it.

Call (866) 619-6679 to schedule a free consultation with our award-winning motorcycle accident lawyers. We’ll help determine the viability of your case based on your testimony and help you determine the best way to proceed. Working on a contingency fee means our lawyers are only compensated when your case or settlement is won, and our extensive experience and case history allow us to settle most claims out of court, giving you a faster resolution to your case and allowing you to focus on your recovery process. We factor in every possible expense when building your settlement: Medical bills, wage loss, property damage, and emotional suffering are all considered. Our goal is to help you put your life back in order to the best of our ability.

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(866) 825-7909

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Fresno Motorcycle ACCIDENT Lawyers

OUR FIRM HAS RECOVERED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT VICTIMS THROUGHOUT CALIFORNIA.