Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
Protecting riders’ rights when negligent drivers fail to share the road
Were you injured in a motorcycle accident? Riders face a harsh reality on California’s roads: when a negligent driver crosses your path, there’s no steel cage to protect you. Motorcyclists suffer disproportionately severe injuries, and to make matters worse, insurance companies and juries often carry bias against riders. At Valor Legal Group, we reject that bias. We’ve represented hundreds of riders across Southern California, and we know how to build cases that overcome the “he was speeding” and “she shouldn’t have been lane splitting” narratives that insurers lean on.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
Do Not Remove Your Helmet
Unless you’re having difficulty breathing, leave your helmet on until paramedics arrive. Removing it improperly can worsen a neck or spinal injury that you may not yet feel.
Call 911 and Stay Where You Are
Do not try to stand up or move your motorcycle. Stay still, call for help, and let paramedics assess your condition. The adrenaline from a crash can mask fractures and internal injuries.
Photograph Road Conditions and Damage
If you can, photograph the road surface, potholes, debris, oil slicks, and vehicle damage. Capture the other vehicle’s position, skid marks, and traffic signals. These details can prove fault.
Get Witness Information
Bystanders who saw the car turn into your lane or fail to check their blind spot are invaluable. Collect names and phone numbers before they leave the scene.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Insurance companies will assume you were being reckless. You need an attorney who understands motorcycle law and will fight the stereotypes that adjusters exploit to deny your claim.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Road Rash
Sliding across asphalt can strip away skin and tissue through clothing. Severe road rash requires skin grafts and leaves permanent scarring.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Even helmeted riders suffer concussions and TBIs from violent impacts. Brain injuries can cause personality changes, memory loss, and permanent cognitive deficits.
Leg & Knee Injuries
Lower extremities are the most commonly injured body part in motorcycle crashes. Fractures, ligament tears, and crush injuries can require multiple surgeries.
Broken Collarbones & Shoulders
The instinct to break a fall with outstretched arms frequently results in fractured clavicles, separated shoulders, and rotator cuff tears.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Being thrown from a motorcycle or struck by a vehicle can cause herniated discs, vertebral fractures, or permanent spinal cord damage.
De-gloving Injuries
Rings, watches, or clothing caught during a slide can peel skin away from underlying tissue — a traumatic injury that requires extensive reconstructive surgery.
How Much Is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?
Motorcycle accident settlements vary widely based on the severity of your injuries and the circumstances of the crash. Here are the factors we evaluate.
Helmet use at the time of the crash. California requires helmets, but not wearing one doesn’t bar your claim — it may reduce damages only for head injuries specifically.
Lane-splitting circumstances. California legalized lane splitting in 2016. If you were splitting safely within CHP guidelines, the other driver is likely fully at fault.
The other driver’s specific negligence: failure to check mirrors, unsafe lane changes, left turns across your path, or opening a car door in your lane.
Road hazard conditions such as potholes, oil spills, gravel, or construction debris that contributed to the crash. The responsible government entity or contractor may be liable.
Your protective gear and riding experience, which can counter the “reckless rider” narrative that insurers use to shift blame onto you.
Long-term impact on your ability to ride, work, and maintain your quality of life — especially if injuries cause permanent disability or chronic pain.
Related Case Results
$2.4M
Lane-Splitting Collision
Car made a sudden lane change without checking mirrors, striking our client who was lawfully splitting between lanes on the 101.
$1.6M
Left-Turn Accident
SUV turned left across our client’s path at an intersection in Santa Monica, causing multiple fractures and a TBI.
$890K
Road Hazard Crash
Rider hit a pothole on a city street that the municipality had been notified about but failed to repair for over six months.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.