Motorcycle Accidents

Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

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California Motorcycle & Sportbike Accident Attorneys

Injured in a motorcycle crash? Here is what to know.

Yaghmai Law Firm represents motorcycle riders and passengers injured anywhere in Los Angeles, Sherman Oaks, the San Fernando Valley, and across California.
We handle crashes from left-turning cars, lane-change collisions, rear-enders, dooring, road hazards, defective bikes or helmets, and DUI drivers.
California gives you two years from the date of the crash to file an injury claim under CCP Section 335.1. Cases involving a public entity have shorter government-claim deadlines.
No fees unless we recover compensation. Free, confidential case review.
Call or text (888) 800-6731 or submit your case online.

A motorcycle accident lawyer Los Angeles riders trust understands how insurance adjusters use bias against bikers to undervalue rider claims. Motorcycles do not have crumple zones, airbags, or seatbelts. When a car, truck, SUV, or rideshare driver fails to yield, drifts across a lane, opens a door into traffic, or runs a light, the rider absorbs the full force of the impact. Even at urban speeds, that translates into broken bones, road rash, internal injuries, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord damage, and amputations. Many crashes in Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley happen because drivers simply do not see motorcycles — the classic “I never saw him” defense.

At Yaghmai Law Firm, we represent motorcycle riders, passengers, and surviving family members across California. We push back hard against the bias that insurance carriers bring to any motorcycle file, document the at-fault driver’s conduct, build out medical and economic damages, and demand the full value of the case. Our clients keep riding, working, and recovering while we handle the insurance carriers, paperwork, and litigation. Call or text (888) 800-6731 any time, or submit your case online for a free review with a Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer.

If you or a loved one was hurt in a motorcycle crash, we are ready to help.

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No Win, No Fee — We Only Get Paid If You Do

Hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer should not be a financial decision. We take Los Angeles motorcycle accident cases on contingency: no money up front, no hourly billing, and no fee unless we recover compensation for you. We advance the costs of investigation, expert reconstruction, medical records, and litigation. If we do not win, you do not owe us a fee. That keeps the playing field level against the carriers, fleets, and corporate defendants on the other side. Submit your case online or call (888) 800-6731 for a free, no-obligation review.

Types of Motorcycle Accident Cases We Handle

We represent riders and passengers in every type of motorcycle crash that happens on California roads:

Left-turn collisions — the most common, and most preventable, motorcycle crash, when a driver turns left across the rider’s path of travel.
Unsafe lane changes and merges — drivers who change lanes into a motorcyclist or sideswipe a rider in their blind spot.
Rear-end collisions — distracted, drowsy, or impaired drivers who fail to stop behind a motorcyclist at a light or in traffic.
Lane-splitting and lane-sharing crashes — California is the only state where lane splitting is expressly legal under Vehicle Code section 21658.1, and the at-fault driver, not the rider, is usually responsible.
Dooring — drivers and passengers who open a door into the path of a rider in violation of Vehicle Code section 22517.
DUI and drug-impaired driver crashes — drunk, high, or distracted drivers who strike a motorcycle.
Hit-and-run motorcycle crashes — uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) claims under the rider’s own auto policy when the at-fault driver flees.
Rideshare-involved crashes — Uber and Lyft drivers who strike riders while logged into the app, triggering the $1,000,000 commercial policy.
Dangerous road conditions — potholes, road debris, gravel, fluid spills, and improperly maintained roads, often involving Caltrans, the city, or the county.
Defective motorcycle, tire, or helmet — manufacturing defects, brake failures, tire blowouts, and non-compliant helmets.
Single-vehicle wrongful death — fatal motorcycle crashes pursued by the surviving family. See our Los Angeles wrongful death attorney page.

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Los Angeles

The vast majority of motorcycle crashes in Southern California come down to driver inattention and right-of-way violations. Common causes include:

Failure to yield at intersections — particularly left-turning drivers who misjudge the speed of an oncoming motorcycle.
Distracted driving — texting, GPS, infotainment, eating, and other phone use.
Speeding and street racing — common on the 101, 405, 5, 10, and surface streets across the Valley and Westside.
DUI and drugged driving — alcohol, cannabis, prescription medications, and stimulants.
Improper lane changes — drivers who do not check mirrors or blind spots before merging.
Dooring — parked drivers and passengers who throw a door open without looking.
Tailgating and aggressive driving — particularly toward riders who lane-split or filter.
Roadway hazards — potholes, uneven pavement, construction debris, fluid spills, and unmarked lane drops.
Mechanical or defective product failures — tire blowouts, brake failures, defective helmets, and recalled motorcycles.
Commercial-vehicle conduct — commercial truck and box-truck drivers who do not see motorcycles in their no-zones.

Riders are not the only people we represent. We also represent passengers, surviving family in wrongful death cases, and motorcyclists struck while a pedestrian or cyclist was also involved.

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries and Symptoms

Because riders are exposed, motorcycle injuries tend to be more severe than other auto cases. Get medical attention immediately after any crash, even if you feel okay — adrenaline masks pain, and many serious injuries (brain bleeds, internal bleeding, spinal damage) are not obvious in the first hours. Common injuries include:

Traumatic brain injuries — concussions, contusions, subdural hematomas, and diffuse axonal injuries, even with a DOT-compliant helmet. See our Los Angeles brain injury lawyer page.
Spinal cord injuries and paralysis — cervical, thoracic, and lumbar fractures; incomplete and complete paralysis.
Road rash and degloving injuries — severe abrasions that require debridement, skin grafts, and reconstructive surgery.
Burn injuries — thermal burns from exhaust pipes, friction burns, and post-crash fires. See our burn injury lawyer page.
Broken bones and fractures — wrists, arms, clavicles, ribs, pelvis, femur, tibia, fibula, ankles, and feet.
Amputations — traumatic limb loss and surgical amputation due to crush injuries.
Internal organ injuries — lacerated spleen, kidney, or liver; punctured lung; internal bleeding.
Soft-tissue and joint damage — torn ligaments, meniscus tears, rotator cuff tears, herniated discs.
Facial trauma and dental injuries — jaw fractures, orbital fractures, lost teeth, scarring.
Post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression — psychological injuries that are real, compensable, and frequently overlooked.
Fatal injuries — tragically common in high-speed motorcycle crashes. Survivors may bring a wrongful death claim.

Document everything: photograph your bike, your gear, your injuries; keep every medical record; keep the helmet and protective gear (do not throw them out, even if damaged). These are evidence.

What Is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?

Every case is different, but motorcycle settlements and verdicts generally compensate for the same categories of damages under California law:

Medical expenses — past and future emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, rehab, physical therapy, prescriptions, durable medical equipment, and ongoing treatment.
Lost wages and lost earning capacity — time off work, reduced hours, vocational retraining, and lifetime earnings loss for catastrophic injuries.
Property damage — your motorcycle, helmet, gear, and personal property.
Pain and suffering — the physical and emotional toll of the injury and recovery.
Disfigurement and scarring — permanent road-rash scars, surgical scars, and visible deformities.
Loss of consortium — the impact on a spouse or registered domestic partner.
Punitive damages — in cases of DUI, hit-and-run, racing, or other conduct that California courts have held may support exemplary damages.

The biggest drivers of case value are the severity of injury, available insurance and assets, fault evidence, and the credibility of the parties. Cases involving brain injury, paralysis, amputation, or wrongful death routinely resolve in the seven and eight figures when liability is solid. Cases with minor injuries and clear fault often resolve in the high five to low six figures. Be skeptical of any lawyer or paralegal who quotes you a number on the first call — the value of a motorcycle case is built case-by-case, doctor-by-doctor, and bill-by-bill.

California Law That Affects Motorcycle Accident Cases

A few California-specific rules tend to come up in almost every motorcycle file:

Two-year statute of limitations — Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1 gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss the deadline, lose the case.
Government-claim deadline — if the at-fault driver was a public employee, or the cause of the crash was a dangerous public road (Caltrans, city, county), you have only six months to file a written claim under Government Code section 911.2.
Pure comparative fault — California follows Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804 (1975): if the rider is partially at fault, recovery is reduced by that percentage but never eliminated. Even a 90% at-fault rider can recover 10%.
Lane splitting is legal — under Vehicle Code section 21658.1, lane splitting between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane is permitted. Drivers cannot retaliate against, or intentionally block, lane-splitting riders.
Universal helmet law — Vehicle Code section 27803 requires every rider and passenger to wear a DOT-compliant helmet. Lack of a helmet does not bar recovery, but it can be argued as comparative fault for head and neck injuries.
Right of way and turning rules — Vehicle Code section 21801 requires left-turning drivers to yield to oncoming traffic, including motorcycles. Vehicle Code section 22517 prohibits opening a door into traffic.
Insurance minimums — California minimum auto liability under Vehicle Code section 16056 increased to 30/60/15 effective January 1, 2025. Riders should also carry uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage in case the at-fault driver is uninsured.

Talk to a lawyer before you talk to the other driver’s insurance company. They will record the call, and they will use everything you say to lower the value of your case.

Talk to a Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer today. No fees unless we win.

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Why Choose Yaghmai Law Firm for Your Motorcycle Accident Case

We are a Sherman Oaks-based, statewide California injury and immigration firm. Our motorcycle practice combines aggressive plaintiff-side litigation experience with a personal, accessible client model: you talk directly to the attorney handling your case, not a rotating cast of paralegals. We have recovered millions of dollars for injured Californians and their families, and we limit our caseload so every file gets real attention.

“Motorcyclists start every case at a disadvantage — jurors and adjusters assume the rider was speeding, lane-splitting recklessly, or wearing the wrong gear. Our job is to dismantle that bias with evidence: scene reconstruction, electronic data, medical records, and the at-fault driver’s own statements. When we do that well, the case stops being about the bike and starts being about a driver who broke the rules and hurt our client.”

– Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney

We practice remotely: no office visits required. We meet by phone, text, video call, and online intake. We work in English, Persian (Farsi), and French, and offer Spanish through a professional interpreter. Submit your case online or call or text (888) 800-6731 to talk to us today.

Frequently Asked Motorcycle Accident Questions

How long do I have to file a motorcycle accident lawsuit in California?

Two years from the date of the crash for most cases, under CCP section 335.1. If a public entity is involved (Caltrans, the city, the county, the MTA), you have only six months to file a written government claim under Government Code section 911.2. Talk to a lawyer immediately if there is any chance a public entity is on the hook.

Is lane splitting legal in California, and will it hurt my case?

Yes, lane splitting is legal under Vehicle Code section 21658.1. Lane splitting itself does not make the rider at fault. The driver who changes lanes into a rider, opens a door, or intentionally blocks the rider is still responsible. Reasonable lane splitting (modest speed differential, attentive scanning, predictable lane position) is not negligence.

What if I was not wearing a helmet, or my helmet was not DOT-compliant?

You can still recover. Vehicle Code section 27803 requires a DOT-certified helmet, but the absence of a helmet does not bar your claim. Insurance carriers may argue comparative fault on head, neck, and facial injuries, and your recovery on those specific damages can be reduced by the percentage the helmet would have helped. Other injuries (legs, internal organs, road rash) are not affected.

The driver fled the scene. Can I still recover?

Yes — this is exactly what uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage on your own auto or motorcycle policy is for. UM/UIM also covers hit-and-run drivers and at-fault drivers with too little insurance. If you have UM/UIM, we open a claim against your own carrier; if you do not, we look for additional defendants, including potential bar/restaurant liability (dram-shop) or vehicle-owner liability.

What if I was partially at fault for the crash?

California is a pure comparative fault state under Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 13 Cal.3d 804 (1975). Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault, but never eliminated. Even a rider who is 80% at fault can still recover 20% of the damages from the other party. Do not assume your case is worthless just because the police report blames the rider.

How much does a motorcycle accident lawyer cost?

Nothing up front. We work on contingency: we only get paid if we recover money for you, and the fee is a percentage of the recovery (disclosed in writing before you sign anything). All costs of the case — investigators, experts, records, court fees — are advanced by the firm and paid back from the settlement only if you win. If we do not recover, you do not owe us a fee.

Should I give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company?

No. Their adjuster is not your friend, and recorded statements are routinely used to twist the story or lock you into a version of events before you fully understand your injuries. Politely decline, refer them to your attorney, and let us handle the communications. We will give a controlled, accurate statement at the right time.

What if my loved one died in a motorcycle crash?

Surviving spouses, registered domestic partners, children, and certain other dependents may bring a wrongful death claim under California Code of Civil Procedure section 377.60, plus a survival action under section 377.30 for the decedent’s own pre-death damages. These cases are time-sensitive; the same two-year statute applies, and government-entity defendants still trigger the six-month claim deadline.

Related Practice Areas

Motorcycle crashes often overlap with other personal injury matters we handle:

Reviewed by Houtan Yaghmai, Esq., President & Managing Attorney. Admitted to practice law in California (State Bar No. 298487). He represents personal injury and immigration clients statewide.

Last updated: May 30, 2026.