Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

The same three mistakes cause most Los Angeles motorcycle crashes: a driver turning left in front of a rider (“I didn’t see him”), a driver changing lanes into a rider on the I-405, I-10, US-101 or I-5 without checking the mirror, and a distracted driver rear-ending a stopped rider on Figueroa, Western, Vermont or Sunset. Road conditions add to it — grooved pavement and debris on the 110, uneven lanes in Downtown construction zones, and oil at busy intersections.

Across all crash types, the Office of Traffic Safety counted 8,116 people killed or injured in Los Angeles crashes in 2023, including 1,432 pedestrians, 553 motorcyclists and 2,549 injury hit-and-run crashes; 1,508 victims were in alcohol-involved crashes and 1,104 crashes were speed-related (OTS Crash Rankings, 2023 data).

Hit-and-run drivers hit riders too: one of the crashes below was a motorcyclist killed by a driver who fled on Broadway in South LA. In those cases the rider’s own uninsured-motorist coverage is often the only source of recovery.

• Motorcyclist killed in a hit-and-run on Broadway near 91st Street in South Los Angeles
• E-bike rider killed in a crash with an SUV on Osborne Street in the northeast Valley
• Woman killed and a second driver hurt in a suspected DUI crash on 8th Street in Koreatown
• Man in a wheelchair killed in a hit-and-run at Vermont Avenue and 83rd Street
• Four injured in a multi-vehicle crash involving an LAPD patrol car on Vernon Avenue

All Los Angeles accident news · Law Blog

Serious injuries from Los Angeles crashes go to the county’s trauma centers: Los Angeles General Medical Center (formerly LAC+USC) in Boyle Heights, Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Grove, Ronald Reagan UCLA in Westwood, Harbor-UCLA near Torrance and Northridge Hospital in the Valley. Which hospital you were taken to tells us which records to request first.

If a claim has to be filed, it goes to the Los Angeles County Superior Court. Central District cases are heard at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 N. Hill Street, Downtown; a crash in the Valley, the South Bay, the Pomona Valley, Compton or the Westside can be assigned to the Van Nuys, Torrance, Pomona, Compton or Santa Monica courthouse instead. More on where Los Angeles cases get filed

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 who was 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 — for speed, for example — still recovers the rest of their damages. Helmet use is required in California, but not wearing one does not bar a claim; it can only reduce damages for head injuries that 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 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 Los Angeles or Caltrans are common, and the six-month clock is unforgiving.

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) — a single 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 any LAPD or CHP collision-investigation file.

The first offer usually arrives before anyone knows how badly you are hurt, and accepting it closes the claim for good. Our team includes former insurance adjusters who know how carriers value motorcycle accident claims and what they leave out. We handle every call with 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 police report and your 911 and dispatch records.
• Send preservation letters for video, data and documents before they are erased.
• Help you get your vehicle repaired or valued, and a rental where coverage allows.
• Refer you to doctors and specialists 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 Los Angeles motorcycle accident claims resolve by settlement once treatment is finished and a complete demand goes out. A straightforward claim can resolve in a few months. If the insurer will not pay what the case is worth, we file in Los Angeles County Superior Court; litigated cases commonly take one to two years, and the great majority 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 a City of Los Angeles, Metro, County or Caltrans vehicle or 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, named a Super Lawyers Rising Star 2015–2017 and 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 motorcycle accident claims in Los Angeles settle with the insurance company before a lawsuit is filed, and most filed cases settle before trial. If a lawsuit is needed, it is filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court (the Stanley Mosk Courthouse for the Central District) and we handle every hearing. You would only testify if the case went to 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 share of fault, but it is never cut off — even a person found 60% at fault recovers 40% of their damages. Insurers routinely overstate 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. Cases with serious injuries, disputed fault or several insurers take longer, and a case that is filed in 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. Your calls, texts, WhatsApp messages and documents can all be in Spanish, and this page has a Spanish version (the ES button at the top).

Beverly Law is at 4929 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 960, Los Angeles, CA 90010, in Mid-Wilshire. You can come in by appointment, or we can handle everything by phone, video and WhatsApp — many clients never need to visit. Call 1 (877) 427-2752 any time.