Santa Ana Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Three mistakes cause most Santa Ana motorcycle crashes: a driver turning left in front of a rider (“I didn’t see him”) at the big signalized intersections on Bristol, Harbor, 17th and Edinger; a driver changing lanes into a rider on the I-5, SR-55 or SR-22 without checking the mirror — especially at the 5/55 and 5/22 interchanges; and a distracted driver rear-ending a stopped rider on Main Street or First Street. Speed is the local multiplier: Santa Ana ranked 3rd-worst of the state’s largest cities for speed-related injury crashes in 2023.

Across all crash types, in the California Office of Traffic Safety’s 2023 rankings Santa Ana had 1,972 people killed or injured in crashes and ranked 4th-worst of the 15 California cities with more than 250,000 residents. It ranked 3rd for speed-related crashes (319), 3rd for child pedestrians hurt (17), 4th for bicyclists (115), 5th for pedestrians overall (157), 5th for hit-and-run injury crashes (229) and 5th for nighttime crashes (219) (OTS Crash Rankings, 2023). The city’s own Vision Zero plan update cites the same OTS data and names Flower Street, Edinger Avenue, Segerstrom Avenue, MacArthur Boulevard and Dyer Road as its next priority corridors.

Hit-and-run drivers hit riders too (229 injury hit-and-run crashes in 2023). In those cases the rider’s own uninsured-motorist coverage is often the only source of recovery.

• 72-year-old pedestrian killed on Main Street near Cubbon Street in Santa Ana (October 2026)
• 72-year-old cyclist killed by a driver at McFadden Avenue and Fairview Street (September 2026)
• Pedestrian killed crossing Warner Avenue at Yale Street (August 2026)
• Arrest in an Edinger Avenue hit-and-run that left a pedestrian with major injuries (August 2026)

All Santa Ana accident news · Law Blog

The most serious injuries go to UCI Medical Center in Orange (Level I trauma center) or Orange County Global Medical Center on North Tustin Avenue in Santa Ana (Level II). If a lawsuit is needed it is filed in the Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701.

On city streets the collision report comes from the Santa Ana Police Department; on the I-5, SR-55 and SR-22 it comes from the CHP Santa Ana Area office. We pull the report for our clients at no cost.

California is the only state that expressly allows lane splitting (Veh. Code § 21658.1); the CHP publishes safety guidelines but splitting itself is not a violation. Insurers still argue that a rider between lanes “assumed the risk”. That is not the law: a driver who changes lanes without signaling or checking is negligent whether the rider was splitting or not. Fault is decided by what each person actually did.

Every driver owes ordinary care to riders (Civil Code § 1714), and a driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard. Under pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975)) a rider found partly at fault still recovers the rest of their damages. Helmets are required in California, but not wearing one does not bar a claim; it can only reduce damages for head injuries a helmet would have prevented.

Two years from the crash for injuries (CCP § 335.1), three years for damage to the bike and gear (CCP § 338). If a pothole, missing signage, a construction trench, an OCTA bus or a city vehicle caused the crash, a government claim must be presented within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2). Road-defect motorcycle cases against the City of Santa Ana or Caltrans run on that short clock.

The at-fault driver’s minimum policy since January 1, 2025 is $30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident / $15,000 property damage (SB 1107) — one orthopedic surgery can exceed it. Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (Ins. Code § 11580.2) on the motorcycle policy, or on a car policy in your household, often pays the difference, and it applies to hit-and-run when the crash is reported to police within 24 hours.

A driver who was drunk (§ 23152), on a handheld phone (§ 23123.5) or who left the scene (§ 20001) was negligent per se. In DUI cases punitive damages are available under Taylor v. Superior Court (1979). We obtain the arrest report, the phone records and the Santa Ana PD or CHP collision file.

The first offer arrives before anyone knows how badly you are hurt, and signing it ends the claim. Our team includes former insurance adjusters who know how carriers value Orange County motorcycle accident claims and what they leave out. We take every call from the insurance company so you never have to.

In motorcycle cases we start from the physical evidence — the bike, the car’s damage, the gouge marks on the pavement — and, where needed, an accident reconstructionist, because the driver’s “I didn’t see him” is never the last word.

• Order the Santa Ana PD or CHP report and your 911 records.
• Send preservation letters for business, bus and traffic-camera video before it is overwritten.
• Help you get your vehicle repaired or valued, and a rental where coverage allows.
• Refer you to doctors and specialists in Orange County who treat on a lien, so care does not wait for a settlement.
• In some cases, help arrange pre-settlement funding so bills do not force a bad decision.
• Open the claim with every insurer that may owe coverage, including your own UM/UIM policy.

Most Santa Ana motorcycle accident claims settle once treatment is finished and a complete demand goes out — often within a few months. If the insurer will not pay what the case is worth, we file in Orange County Superior Court; litigated cases commonly take one to two years and most still settle before trial.

Deadlines run from the day of the crash: two years for injury (CCP § 335.1) and only six months to present a government claim if the City of Santa Ana, OCTA, Caltrans or a road defect is involved (Gov. Code § 911.2).

No attorney fee unless we win. Whether case costs are deducted from a recovery is explained in your written fee agreement. Everything is explained in writing before we start.

Results shown on our About page include a $2,500,000 settlement after an initial offer of $100,000, and Lyft and Uber accident settlements after initial offers of $60,000 and $30,000. Results vary. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.

Beverly Law was founded in 2008 and has 4.8 stars from 600+ Google reviews. Cases are reviewed by Michael Shemtoub, Esq. (California State Bar #253948, admitted 2007), a former corporate attorney who also worked for a federal judge, a Super Lawyers Rising Star 2015–2017, rated 10.0 “Superb” by Avvo.

It depends on the injuries (fractures, road rash requiring grafts, head and spinal injuries are common), the cost of treatment and future care, lost income, how clearly the driver was at fault and how much insurance exists on every policy that applies — including your own UM/UIM coverage. Motorcycle cases are often worth more than the at-fault driver’s policy limit, which is why we look at every policy.

Not automatically. Lane splitting is legal (Veh. Code § 21658.1). The question is who was careless: a driver who changed lanes without checking is negligent. If an insurer assigns you a percentage of fault for the speed at which you were splitting, you still recover the rest under comparative negligence.

Usually not. Most Santa Ana motorcycle accident claims settle with the insurer before a lawsuit is filed, and most filed cases settle before trial. If a lawsuit is needed it is filed at the Orange County Superior Court’s Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West in Santa Ana, and we handle every hearing. You would only testify at a deposition or trial, and we prepare you for both.

Yes. California follows pure comparative negligence (Li v. Yellow Cab Co., 1975). Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault but never eliminated — a person found 40% at fault still recovers 60% of their damages. Insurers routinely inflate the victim’s share, which is one reason not to give a recorded statement.

A claim with clear fault and finished treatment can settle in three to six months. Serious injuries, disputed fault or several insurers take longer, and a case filed in Orange County Superior Court commonly takes one to two years. We do not rush a settlement before your doctors know whether you will need future care.

Yes. Beverly Law’s intake team, case managers and attorneys work in Spanish and English every day. Calls, texts, WhatsApp and documents can all be in Spanish, and this page has a Spanish version (the ES button at the top).

Our office is at 4929 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960, Los Angeles, CA 90010, about 35 miles from Santa Ana. We serve Santa Ana clients by phone, video and WhatsApp and meet in person in Orange County by appointment; most clients never need to come to Los Angeles. Call 1 (877) 427-2752 any time.