Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Los Angeles

Hurt in a Motorcycle Crash in Los Angeles?

A driver turned left across your lane or drifted into the gap you were riding in, and there was nothing between you and the pavement. Now you are hurt, the bike is in a tow yard, and an adjuster you have never met is asking how fast you were going.

If you are looking for a Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer, Ravan Law represents riders and passengers seriously hurt in motorcycle crashes across Los Angeles County. The driver says you came out of nowhere. The insurance company says riders take their chances. We answer both with evidence.

Some crashes are caused by the road itself or by a government vehicle. Those claims run on a separate legal track with strict rules and a six-month deadline, and we take them on.

Call (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.

A Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Attorney Who Knows Your Case

We work from our office on San Vicente Boulevard in Los Angeles. When you call, we listen to what happened, and we tell you plainly where your motorcycle accident claim stands. You work with us directly, and we keep you updated at every stage. We work on contingency: no fee unless we win. Information is also available in Spanish.

Ted H. Ravan, a Los Angeles personal injury attorney, studied political science at UC San Diego and earned his law degree at the University of San Diego School of Law, where he gave more than 100 volunteer hours to the campus free legal clinic. Read more about attorney Ted H. Ravan.

Rider Bias: Why Motorcycle Claims Are Fought Harder, and How Insurers Use It

Motorcycle claims often start with a question about you, not the other driver. Many people who have never ridden assume that riders speed, weave, and accept the danger. Adjusters know that some jurors share that view, and they price it into the first offer. Here is how it shows up in a claim:

• “The motorcycle came out of nowhere.” A driver who never looked says this to the officer, and it lands in the collision report.
• Speed estimates with nothing behind them. A witness who heard an engine will say you were “flying”. We test that against skid marks, crush damage, and video.
• Lane splitting treated as recklessness. California does not prohibit it. An adjuster will still call it “weaving through traffic”.
• The one-sided report. If you left by ambulance, the officer may have heard only the driver’s version.

We put facts where the assumption was: video, data from the other vehicle, measurements from the scene, and your helmet and gear.

Motorcycle Accident Attorney Los Angeles: The California Rules That Decide a Rider’s Claim

Four California rules come up in almost every motorcycle case.

Lane Splitting in California: Vehicle Code 21658.1 and CHP Guidance

Vehicle Code 21658.1 defines lane splitting as driving a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane, on divided and undivided streets, roads, and highways. The statute sets no speed for lane splitting. It authorizes the California Highway Patrol to develop educational guidelines, and CHP has published lane splitting safety tips.

For riders, CHP says danger increases with overall speed and with the speed difference between you and traffic, that splitting between the far left lanes is typically safer, and that riders should avoid splitting next to big rigs and buses. Riding on the shoulder is illegal and is not lane splitting.

For drivers, CHP says lane splitting is legal in California. Intentionally blocking or impeding a rider in a way that could cause harm is illegal, and so is opening a door to impede a rider.

So riding between lanes does not by itself establish fault. The CHP tips are guidance, not law. A driver who moves over without signaling or checking violates Vehicle Code 22107, which bars moving right or left on a roadway until it is reasonably safe and an appropriate signal has been given. The insurer will argue your speed was unsafe under the basic speed law, Vehicle Code 22350, and we answer with evidence of how fast traffic was actually moving.

The Helmet Law: Vehicle Code 27803 and the No-Helmet Argument

Vehicle Code 27803 requires every motorcycle driver and passenger to wear a safety helmet meeting the standards set under Vehicle Code 27802, which incorporates Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 218. The statute defines “wearing”: the helmet must be on your head, fastened with the straps, and sized to fit securely. Insurers look at novelty helmets and unbuckled straps as well as bare heads.

Riding without a compliant helmet does not cancel your claim. It can reduce damages for injuries a helmet would have prevented or lessened, which in practice means head, face, and brain injuries. It has no bearing on a fractured pelvis or a crushed leg. If you were wearing a compliant helmet, we preserve it, because a damaged helmet shows how hard you were hit.

Pure Comparative Fault

California follows pure comparative fault, adopted in Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975). You can recover compensation even if you were partly responsible, reduced by your percentage of fault. If your damages are $500,000 and you are found 20% at fault, you recover $400,000.

An adjuster who cannot deny the claim will try to put 30% or 40% on you for speed or lane position. We contest each point with evidence. Our article on who is at fault in a car accident explains how fault is assigned.

Prop 213 and Uninsured Riders: Civil Code 3333.4

California requires insurance on every vehicle operated on its roads, motorcycles included. Under Proposition 213 (Civil Code 3333.4), the owner of an uninsured vehicle involved in the crash, or an operator who cannot establish financial responsibility, generally cannot recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, even when the other driver was entirely at fault.

Prop 213 does not end the claim. Medical bills, future care, and lost income remain recoverable, and an uninsured owner hit by a driver who is convicted of DUI for that crash is not barred. If your policy had lapsed, or you were riding a friend’s bike, tell us at the start. See our article on when Prop 213 applies.

Motorcycle Crash Lawyer Los Angeles: The Collisions Behind Most Serious Rider Claims

Left Turns Across a Rider’s Path

Vehicle Code 21801 requires a driver turning left or making a U-turn to yield to approaching vehicles close enough to be a hazard, and to keep yielding until the turn can be made with reasonable safety. The usual defense is that you were speeding. Signal timing records, intersection video, and the damage pattern answer that.

Unsafe Lane Changes and Merges

On the freeways, many motorcycle crashes begin with a car moving sideways. Vehicle Code 21658 requires a vehicle to stay within a single lane until a move can be made with reasonable safety. A driver who cuts across to reach an exit or drifts while looking at a phone is at fault whether or not you were splitting lanes.

Dooring

Vehicle Code 22517 bars anyone from opening a vehicle door on the side of moving traffic unless it is reasonably safe and does not interfere with that traffic. If the door belonged to an Uber or Lyft, different insurance applies, as our Uber and Lyft accident page explains.

Rear-End Collisions

A tap that would dent a bumper can throw a rider into the car ahead. Vehicle Code 21703 bars following more closely than is reasonable and prudent. See our guide to rear-end collision injury claims in Los Angeles.

Road Defects and Debris

Four wheels roll over a pothole, a pavement seam, or loose gravel. Two wheels may not. When the road caused the crash, the claim is usually against the public entity that owns it, as explained below.

We also handle hit-and-run crashes and crashes with commercial trucks.

Where Motorcycle Accidents Happen in Los Angeles: PCH, Angeles Crest, the Canyons, and the Freeways

• Pacific Coast Highway (State Route 1). Drivers make left turns and U-turns across fast traffic.
• Angeles Crest Highway (State Route 2). The mountain stretch climbs from the 210 in La Cañada Flintridge into the San Gabriel Mountains.
• The canyon roads. Topanga Canyon Boulevard (State Route 27) and the other canyon roads above the Valley have blind curves, where head-on collisions happen.
• The 405 and the 101. Through the Sepulveda Pass and the Cahuenga Pass, sudden slowdowns, short merges, and last-second lane changes catch riders moving through slow traffic.
• The 10, the 110, and the I-5. Backed-up exits on the 10, the tight curves and very short on-ramps of the Arroyo Seco section of the 110, and freight traffic on the 5.
• Surface streets. Left turns across multiple lanes in Downtown Los Angeles, and nightlife and rideshare traffic on Sunset and Hollywood Boulevards.

The California Highway Patrol handles the freeways and roads in unincorporated areas. The Los Angeles Police Department handles city streets in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department covers its contract cities, and cities such as Santa Monica, Pasadena, Glendale, and Burbank have their own departments. The freeways, PCH, Angeles Crest, and Topanga Canyon Boulevard are state highways.

Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Lawyer for Crashes the Road Itself Caused

A rider who goes down on a pothole or gravel is often told nobody else is responsible. California law says otherwise.

Dangerous Condition of Public Property: Government Code 835

Under Government Code 835, a public entity is liable for an injury caused by a dangerous condition of its property when the condition created a reasonably foreseeable risk of the kind of injury that occurred, and either a public employee created the condition or the entity had actual or constructive notice of it in time to protect against it. Under Government Code 835.2, constructive notice exists when the condition had been there long enough, and was obvious enough, that the entity should have found it with reasonable care.

Public entities have defenses. Under Government Code 830.2, a condition is not dangerous if its risk was minor, trivial, or insignificant. Government Code 830.6 gives immunity for an approved plan or design in defined circumstances, and Government Code 835.4 lets the entity argue that its response was reasonable. A defect a car would not notice can still be dangerous to a motorcycle, and we show that with photographs, measurements, and maintenance records.

Who Owns the Road

Freeways and state routes are maintained by Caltrans, and claims against the State over $12,500 are presented to the Government Claims Program at the Department of General Services. Claims of $12,500 or less go to the Caltrans district claims office. City streets belong to the city. Parts of some state routes have been handed over to cities, so we confirm who owned the exact spot before we present anything.

The Six-Month Government Claim

Before any lawsuit, a written claim must be presented to the public entity within six months of the injury, under Government Code 911.2. If the agency rejects the claim in writing, the lawsuit generally must be filed within six months of that notice (Government Code 945.6). A late-claim application can be made within one year under Government Code 911.4, but relief is not automatic.

This deadline is separate from the two-year statute of limitations and is not extended by it. A road crew can patch a pothole in a day, so photograph it right away. The same six months applies when a city or county vehicle hit you, because a public entity is liable for an employee’s negligent driving on the job under Vehicle Code 17001. Our guides explain more:

• Los Angeles government claims lawyer
• Claims against Caltrans and the State of California after a highway crash
• Filing a claim against the City of Los Angeles

Motorcycle Accident Injuries and the Cost of Living With Them

• Traumatic brain injury, including concussions that look mild at first and later cause memory loss and personality changes.
• Spinal cord injury and paralysis, requiring equipment, home modification, and attendant care.
• Leg, pelvis, and arm fractures, often needing more than one surgery.
• Road rash, which can mean skin grafts and permanent scarring.

We build serious cases on projections from treating physicians, a life-care plan, and an economist’s analysis of lost earning capacity. Read more about Los Angeles catastrophic injury claims.

When a motorcycle crash takes a life, Code of Civil Procedure 377.60 allows certain family members, including a spouse, domestic partner, and children, to bring a wrongful death claim, generally within two years under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1. Read more about Los Angeles wrongful death claims.

Evidence That Decides a Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Claim

• The motorcycle, helmet, and gear. Do not repair, sell, or clean anything until it has been photographed and inspected.
• Video. Your own helmet or handlebar camera, dashcams, buses, and business cameras. Many systems overwrite footage within days, so we send preservation letters right away.
• The other vehicle’s data. Most modern cars store speed and braking in the seconds before a crash. Under Vehicle Code 9951, that data generally cannot be downloaded without the owner’s consent or a court order, so we move to preserve it early.
• The police report. CHP reports are requested from the area office that took the report, using CHP Form 190.

Insurance After a Motorcycle Accident: Liability Limits, UM, and UIM

The At-Fault Driver’s Policy

Senate Bill 1107 raised California’s minimum auto liability limits effective January 1, 2025: $30,000 for injury to one person, $60,000 for all injuries in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Many drivers carry only that, so we look for every other policy. Read more in new California auto insurance minimums under SB 1107.

Your Own UM and UIM Coverage

If the driver had no insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage may pay under Insurance Code 11580.2. If the driver carried only the minimum, underinsured motorist coverage generally pays the difference between your UIM limit and what the at-fault insurer paid. The same statute allows this coverage to be waived or reduced by written agreement, so we get your full policy and check what it includes. Our explainer on uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage covers both.

Hit-and-Run Riders

When the driver is never identified, Insurance Code 11580.2 requires physical contact between the unidentified vehicle and you or your motorcycle, a police report within 24 hours, and a sworn statement to your insurer within 30 days. The contact rule is hard on riders, because a car that forces you off the road without touching you may not qualify. See the phantom driver rule in Los Angeles hit-and-runs.

What Compensation Can a Motorcycle Accident Claim Recover?

Economic damages: emergency care, surgery, and rehabilitation; future medical care; lost wages and earning capacity; in-home care; and repair or replacement of the motorcycle and your gear.

Non-economic damages: physical pain, emotional distress, scarring and disfigurement, and the loss of the activities that made up your life, including riding. See our article on economic and non-economic damages.

Punitive damages require clear and convincing evidence of malice, oppression, or fraud under Civil Code 3294, and they are not available against a public entity (Government Code 818).

There is no reliable “average” motorcycle accident settlement. The number moves with the injury, the cost of future care, your share of fault, whether Prop 213 applies, and the insurance available. As your Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer, we generally advise against settling before treatment has run its course.

California Motorcycle Accident Deadlines

See the full guide to California personal injury time limits.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Los Angeles

We wrote these steps for a rider who does not have a lawyer yet. If you are able:

1. Call 911 and get an officer to the scene. Make sure your account is taken, at the scene or later at the hospital.
2. Get medical care the same day. Adrenaline hides fractures and head injuries.
3. Photograph everything and get witness names: both vehicles, the road surface, the other driver’s plate, and your injuries.
4. Save your camera footage and keep the bike and your gear as they are.
5. Report to the DMV within 10 days if required under Vehicle Code 16000, and notify your own insurer.
6. Do not give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and stay off social media.
7. Write down the date. If a road defect or a government vehicle may be involved, the six-month clock started on the day of the crash.

How We Handle a Motorcycle Accident Case at Ravan Law

1. Free consultation. We tell you whether there is a claim worth pursuing, including when the answer is no, and which deadline comes first.
2. Preservation and investigation. We send letters for video, vehicle data, and records, secure the motorcycle and your gear, and interview witnesses.
3. Road ownership and government claim. If the surface, a signal, or a public vehicle played a part, we identify the entity and present the claim inside the six-month window.
4. Insurance review. We identify every policy, including your own UM and UIM coverage, and check whether Prop 213 is an issue.
5. Demand and negotiation. We answer the rider-blame arguments in the demand itself, with the evidence attached.
6. Litigation where needed. If an offer does not reflect the harm, we file suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court and prepare your case for trial.

Motor Vehicle Settlements and Verdicts

These are motor vehicle results from across our practice. We list them as vehicle cases, without describing any of them as a motorcycle case.

In his first year of practice, attorney Ted H. Ravan obtained more than $1 million for his clients. Clients rate our firm 4.9 on Google across 65 reviews. Every settlement depends on the injury, the evidence, the available insurance, and the facts of the claim.

Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.

For other vehicle claims, see our Los Angeles car accident page or our personal injury practice.

Speak With a Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

If you or someone in your family was seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash in Los Angeles, the first weeks matter more than most people realize. A claim over a dangerous road or a government vehicle must be presented within six months under Government Code 911.2, and that clock starts on the day of the crash, not the day you leave the hospital.

Call Ravan Law at (424) 465-2500 for a free consultation with a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney. You work with us directly, and we keep you updated at every stage. No fee unless we win.

6310 San Vicente Blvd., Suite 401, Los Angeles, CA 90048

Attorney Advertising. Ted H. Ravan, Esq., Ravan Law, Los Angeles, CA. This content is general information, not legal advice. Every case depends on its specific facts.

Every result depended on the facts of that case, and results will differ based on different facts. Past results do not guarantee, warrant, or predict the outcome of your matter.