Los Angeles Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

One California-specific factor is our lane-splitting and lane-sharing laws, which are unique in the United States and allow motorcycles to legally share (“split”) lanes with other cars or motorcycles. The results of allowing lane-sharing are likely themselves split: supporters point out that the practice helps riders avoid being rear-ended in stop-and-go traffic.

However, both supporters and opponents of the policy tend to agree that vehicle driver education about how to watch out for and behave around motorcycles splitting lanes could use improvement.

There are a wide variety of reasons for the high number of motorcycle accidents, both nationally and here in California. One of the most obvious causes is the too-often fatal mixture of driver inattention and the relatively small profile of a motorcycle. The driver of a vehicle fails to check their blindspots or notice a motorcycle in the adjacent lane before getting over, leading to a dangerous collision.

Other motorcycle accidents are caused by road conditions and environmental factors. Hazards such as severe potholes, fallen debris, and more can all cause an accident, either when the motorcycle makes direct contact or when the rider swerves to avoid the obstacle.

Motorcycle accidents are much more likely to result in a fatality than standard vehicle-to-vehicle accidents. According to data from the Governors Highway Safety Association, more than 5,286 motorcyclists were killed on U.S. roadways in 2016, making motorcyclist fatalities 28 times more frequent than passenger vehicle fatalities even with mileage taken into account. That same year, 14,400 motorcyclists in California were injured in accidents.

The dangers of motorcycles are not lost on riders. This form of transportation lacks the protective layer of a larger vehicle, which can mean that even low-speed collisions can jettison the rider from the bike and onto the street. Serious injuries can be the result, from broken bones and serious burns to brain and spinal injuries that cause serious quality-of-life issues down the road.

A motorcycle accident that causes serious injuries for the rider can also lead to major medical costs, ranging from medical bills to the loss of income while the rider recovers. In the event that the rider is killed in the accident, their family faces the cost of the funeral and burial for their loved one, as well as the loss of income and support from the deceased.

As a comparative negligence law state, California allows insurers to reduce compensation to accident victims based on the degree of fault they shared in the accident. This rule—when paired with the built-in biases many have against motorcyclists—means that many accident victims end up receiving less in compensation for their injuries than they should.

As your Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer, the attorneys at Blair & Ramirez LLP are ready to stand with you and work to get you maximum compensation for the injuries you sustained as the victim of a motorcycle accident. For a free consultation, call us at (213) 568-4000.