If you or a loved one has been injured or worse in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault in California, you may be entitled to financial compensation. Often, drivers do not respect motorcyclists on the road, and negligent behavior by other road uses can result in devastating consequences for motorcyclists. The California personal injury attorneys of OnderLaw work to hold other road users accountable for their accidents and fight for the compensation that motorcycle accident victims need.
You should never have to file a motorcycle accident claim or lawsuit alone. The experienced California motorcycle accident attorneys of OnderLaw are here to help. Give us a call today for a free, no-pressure initial consultation.
Motorcycle accidents are hazardous because of the relatively small weight and size of a motorcycle, but motorcyclists themselves can be facing an uphill battle when pursuing a claim in the wake of an accident. Many people carry a bias against motorcyclists because of portrayals in TV or movies or because they believe that all motorcyclists break the rules of the road. Truthfully, most motorcyclists follow the rules of the road, and a dedicated California motorcycle lawyer will be able to help you overcome these biases and get a fair settlement.
An attorney from OnderLaw will be able to investigate your accident, gather the facts of your case, and build strategies that will be your best course toward a successful settlement or award of compensation. Your attorney will fight for your rights and make sure the insurance company, with their deep pockets and aggressive attorneys, doesn’t take advantage of you. We can help you hold the at-fault party responsible and get the compensation that you need to get on the road to recovery.
At OnderLaw , we have a track record of recovering settlements for clients involved in a variety of different accidents. We’re recovered $3 billion in compensation for clients across California since the firm’s founding in 2002. While we are proud to be listed in several prestigious legal organizations, such as Super Lawyers, National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, we are the proudest of the compensation that we have recovered for our clients over the years and of the relationships we build with our clients. Read some of our results and testimonials for yourself.
Motorcyclists and other road users need a basic understanding of motorcycle laws in California.
The California Highway Patrol outlines several of California’s most important laws as they pertain to motorcycle safety. Since 1992, all California motorcyclists have been required to wear helmets. While some motorcyclists feel that helmets are a matter of personal choice, wearing a helmet means that you are following the law, which may be to your benefit if you are involved in a motorcycle accident.
Lane splitting has been legal in California since 2017, but many drivers are either unaware of this or annoyed that motorcycles can lane split. Keep in mind that lane splitting is more dangerous when traffic is faster or going at several different speeds.
Some other California motorcycle laws to keep in mind include:
Motorcycles must be equipped with both left and right mirrors, and motorcycles registered after January 1, 1973 must have working turn signals.
Handlebars must not be installed in a position where the driver’s hands are more than 6 inches above their shoulders when sitting.
All motorcycle occupants must be seated at all times while the motorcycle is in motion.
There are many types of accidents in which motorcyclists can be injured. Particularly when a larger vehicle strikes a motorcyclist, the consequences can be devastating. Some common types of motorcycle accidents include:
Whether your motorcycle accident was like any of the above scenarios or not, the experienced team at OnderLaw will be able to understand the facts of your case and fight the at-fault driver’s insurance company to obtain a fair settlement for you. If we can’t reach a satisfactory settlement, we’ll file a lawsuit.
There are a variety of causes of any type of accident, and motorcycle accidents are no exception. Some of the most common causes we’ve seen include:
Any of these improper behaviors can have devastating effects when a collision occurs between a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle.
While every motorcycle accident is different, injuries can often be severe. One cause is the weight and size difference between the vehicles. Another is the relative lack of protection a motorcyclist has from the impact with the other vehicle and then with the road – a helmet and protective clothing cannot help prevent many injuries, especially at higher speeds. Some common injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents include:
No matter what injuries you have, you need a trusted California personal injury lawyer on your side. You will require medical care, and that care comes with mounting medical bills. You may find that you have to take time off work to heal your injuries or that you can’t return to work at all. It’s already stressful to try to recuperate from a traumatic accident without adding financial stress to the equation. Your OnderLaw lawyer will handle all the elements of your claim for you. We’ll deal with the insurance company, and we’ll handle all communication about your claim. All you have to do is get better.
Determining who is responsible for a motorcycle accident involves proving who is liable by gathering evidence and assessing the level of responsibility for all parties. OnderLaw can help to prove the liability of those who are responsible. When we investigate your accident, we may be looking into any of the following parties:
Our investigation will point us in the direction of those responsible for your accident, and once we know who that is, we can obtain copies of their insurance policies to determine the available insurance limits for compensation.
Motorcycle accidents can have devastating and life-changing consequences, and an effective motorcycle accident lawyer can help get the compensation you deserve from those who have injured you. Compensation can be awarded due to a number of financial and other factors in the wake of an accident, including:
Motorcycle accidents can lead to severe physical and mental trauma, some of which can last with you the rest of your life. You need a lawyer who knows how to review your medical documentation, collect all the expenses related to your accident, and assess the value of your intangible losses so that you are compensated for every loss, not just those with receipts.
While not all categories of injuries and fatalities in accidents are decreasing, there have been fewer motorcycle fatalities in recent years on California roads. According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, there were 9.4 percent fewer motorcycle fatalities in 2018 than in 2019 (from 523 to 474). Similarly, deaths from failure to wear a helmet decreased from 34 in 2018 to 28 in 2019, an 18 percent decrease.
Overall, accidents in California are declining but remain worryingly common. Overall traffic fatalities decreased from 3,798 in 2018 to 3,606 in 2019, a 5.1 percent decrease. Fatalities due to alcohol-impaired driving decreased from 1,116 in 2018 to 1,066 in 2019, a 4.5 percent decrease.
In the wake of a motorcycle accident, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Unfortunately, the injuries from a motorcycle accident can take months, if not years, to recover from, but this does not mean that you should go it alone. OnderLaw wants to go to work for you. We can be your fierce advocate, striving to obtain the compensation you need to care for your family and move ahead with your recovery.
Call the California motorcycle accident attorneys of OnderLaw today for a free, no-pressure initial consultation. We are here to help.
