$36.0M
Recovery for a pedestrian who suffered a traumatic brain injury after being struck by a vehicle.
Personal Injury
California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Were you hurt riding on a California road? At Wilshire Law Firm — an award-winning, nationally recognized team — our attorneys help injured riders pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We know the biases riders face from insurers and juries, and we know the law that answers them: lane splitting is legal here, partial fault doesn’t bar your claim, and the burden of blaming the rider is heavier than adjusters pretend. Contact us 24/7 for a free case review — there are no fees unless you get paid.
- $3B+RECOVERED
- 7X"BEST LAW FIRM" AWARDS
- 24/7AVAILABILITY & SUPPORT
- 500+LEGAL PROFESSIONALS
Understanding Your Motorcycle Accident Case
Explore essential resources on your rights, your options, and what to expect — everything you need to navigate the legal process, all in one place.
Wilshire Law Firm is an award-winning, nationally recognized team that has represented thousands of injured Californians. Motorcycle cases carry a burden car cases don't: rider bias. Adjusters assume speed and recklessness, and build lowball offers on that assumption. Our attorneys answer bias with evidence — crash reconstruction, scene documentation, the CHP report — and with the law, from the statute that makes lane splitting legal to the comparative fault rule that protects partially at-fault riders. There are no fees unless you get paid.
State crash data (SWITRS, 2023) tells a clear story: unsafe speed is the primary factor in 28.2% of fatal and serious-injury motorcycle crashes, improper turning in 19.8%, automobile right-of-way violations in 19.3%, impaired driving in 8.7%, and unsafe lane changes in 5.2%. Behind those numbers is the pattern every rider knows — drivers who turn left across your path or merge without seeing you. Our California motorcycle accident statistics page breaks down the full dataset; establishing which factor caused your crash is the foundation of the claim, and it is where our investigation starts.
Riders absorb what vehicle occupants' cages deflect: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, fractures, road rash and degloving, internal injuries. Nationally, motorcyclists die in crashes at roughly 28 times the rate of passenger-car occupants per mile traveled (NHTSA, 2023). Severe injuries change the shape of a claim — future medical care, lost earning capacity, and life-care planning dominate the damages. Our catastrophic injury team works these cases alongside the motorcycle team.
Potentially several parties: the driver's employer if they were working, a rideshare company's higher policy tiers, a bar that overserved an obviously intoxicated driver, the manufacturer of a defective bike component, or a public entity responsible for a dangerous road condition like gravel or a broken guardrail. That last one carries a trap — government claims must be presented within six months, one of several deadlines that can end a rider's case. Identifying every defendant early is often the difference between a policy-limits recovery and full compensation.
After investigation, we assemble a demand supported by medical records and reconstruction, negotiate with every liable insurer, and file suit when negotiation undervalues the claim. Value turns on injury severity, medical costs, lost income, fault allocation, and available coverage — see our guide to what motorcycle settlements are actually worth for how those factors interact. Throughout, you make the decisions; we handle the insurers, the liens, and the litigation.
Meet Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Nationally-Recognized Powerhouse, Fighting for the Justice You Deserve
Our award-winning attorneys have recovered billions for clients while taking on insurance companies and major corporations.
Colin M. Jones, Esq.Senior Partner and Senior Trial Attorney, Chair of the Personal Injury Litigation Department
Jennifer P. Burkes, Esq.Senior Partner & Strategic Advisor, Personal Injury Litigation Department
Mary Lee Caruso, Esq.Senior Partner
Ryan Casey, Esq.Senior Partner and Trial Attorney
Tae-Yoon Kim, Esq.Senior Partner
Alivia E. Abreu, Esq.Partner
Shervin G. Ghanoongooi, Esq.Partner
Christopher Goodroe, Esq.Partner
Nathan A. Guest, Esq.Partner and Trial Attorney
Brian M. Jacobson, Esq.Partner
Ariella Perry, Esq.Partner$28.5M
Recovery for victims of a rear-end collision involving a commercial truck.
$14.5M
Recovery for a victim who suffered a traumatic brain injury due to unsafe property conditions.
$14.0M
Recovery for a victim injured in a motorcycle accident.
$13.5M
Recovery for victims injured in a collision involving a commercial truck.
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Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts.
How Do I Know If I Have a Motorcycle Accident Claim in California?
Three factors determine whether you have a valid claim — fault, damages, and proof. Fault means another party's negligence caused the crash: a driver who turned across your path, merged into you, or a public entity that left a road hazard. Damages are your losses — medical bills, lost wages, bike damage, pain and suffering. Proof is the police report, scene photos, witness statements, and medical records tying it together. California's pure comparative negligence rule means you can recover even if you were partly at fault — your award is reduced, not eliminated. Most claims must be filed within two years (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1), and claims involving a government entity have a six-month deadline, so don't wait to get answers.
Start Your Free Motorcycle Accident Case Review
- Available 24/7
- Hablamos Español
- Nationally-Recognized Powerhouse Team
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No fees unless you get paid.
Record breaking results
Winners of #1 Settlements in California
Our attorneys have recovered billions of dollars, including some of the biggest settlements in California.
17#1 Settlements in California, 2022–2024*
TopVerdict #1TopVerdict.com #1 settlements
1–1 of 17
#1 Truck v. Pedestrian Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Multi-Vehicle Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Equipment Malfunction Settlement
2024
#1 Car v. Stationary Object Collision Settlement
2024
#1 Bus v. Passenger Accident Settlement
2024
#1 Whistleblower Retaliation Settlement
2023
#1 Underinsured Motorist Settlement
2023
#1 Slip & Fall Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Negligent Security Settlement
2023
#1 Ladder Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Hotel Premises Liability Settlement
2023
#1 Car v. Car Collision Settlement
2023
#1 Bicycle Accident Settlement
2023
#1 Pregnancy Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Age/Disability Discrimination Settlement
2022
#1 Wrongful Termination Settlement
2022
#1 Meal & Rest Breaks Settlement
2022
*#1 settlements in California have been awarded by TopVerdict.com. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.
Motorcycle Accident FAQs
Our Most Frequently Asked Questions
We've answered the most common ones below. If yours isn't here, call us — we're available 24/7.
Don't give a recorded statement, and get counsel involved before you respond. Rider bias is a negotiating tactic, not evidence — objective proof like scene photos, the CHP report, and reconstruction beats it, and California's comparative fault rule protects you even if you share some blame.
Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.), so your recovery is reduced by your share of fault — never erased. Riders found 30% at fault still recover 70% of their damages.
California requires an SR-1 report to the DMV within 10 days if anyone was injured or damage exceeded $1,000 — separate from the police report. Missing it can affect your license, not your claim; we help clients handle it.
California minimums rose to $30,000/$60,000 in 2025, but serious rider injuries exceed that fast. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, umbrella policies, and additional defendants become the recovery path — bring your declarations page to your free case review.
Nothing upfront — we work on contingency, so there are no fees unless you get paid. The case review is free and available 24/7.