(1) Get to safety & call 911. Move out of traffic if you can and summon police and paramedics so an official report and medical evaluation are on record.

(2) Exchange Information: Make sure you get accurate contact, vehicle, and insurance information from all parties involved in the accident.

(3) Document Everything: In addition to getting the other party’s information, take photos of everything – the road conditions, skid marks, the property damage, surrounding builds, traffic signals, etc. The more information you can gather at the scene, the better you and your attorney will be prepared.

(4) Seek Medical Care: Getting an initial evaluation is crucial. Adrenaline can often times mask serious injuries and/or you may have sustained injuries internally that are not immediately apparent. Also, insurance companies will attempt to use any “gap” in treatment to argue that you weren’t “that injured.”

(5) Briefly Notify Your Insurer: Report the accident, but only provide basic information until you have retained an attorney. Even your insurance own insurance company can use your statements against you.

(6) Call The Motorcycle Law pro!

Yes. The California Highway Patrol has provided advisory guidelines (not laws) to promote safe lane splitting and lane filtering. For example, the CHP recommends that at all times motorcyclists should not travel more than 10 mph faster than traffic. Generally speaking, the faster a motorcycle is going than the surrounding the traffic, the greater the risk of an accident. Lane splitting is also advised to be done at 30 mph or less. As speeds increase, so does the likelihood of severe injury in the event of a collision.

CHP guidelines also put an emphasis on traffic conditions. Lane splitting is safer when traffic is moving slowly or is stopped because the of other vehicles are more predictable and collisions are easier to avoid. Lastly, CHP advises motorcyclists to split lanes between the far-left lanes (the number one and two lanes)

Yes you can. California is a “pure comparative negligence” state meaning that fault is assigned to parties involved in an accident in percentages. For example, say you are 25% at fault while another party is 75% at fault. Both of you can receive compensation for your damages, however, your recovery can be reduced by your percentage of fault.

Yes! Depending on the severity of your accident, you may not feel immediate pain. However, that does not mean you are not injured. Adrenaline can mask pain, then, a few days later you start to feel immense pain from the accident. You may have also sustained internal injuries that are not immediately noticeable. Getting evaluated by a medical professional after an accident is extremely important to ensuring your health and wellbeing. Also, insurance companies will try to use any “gap” in treatment (even a day or 2) to argue that you weren’t injured in the accident. They will use arguments like you didn’t immediately complain of pain or seek medical care or that you injured yourself some other way during the “gap” in treatment.

Common causes of motorcycle accidents include impaired driving, distracted driving, left-turn collisions, road conditions/hazards, and lack of experience.

Yes. Under California Vehicle Code § 27801(b), your motorcycle’s handlebars (including popular “ape hangers”) cannot be set so that your hands rest more than six inches above your shoulder height while seated. Riding with bars higher than this can lead to a traffic stop, a fix‑it ticket or fine, and it may be used against you if an accident occurs because the bike was technically out of compliance.

The length of time to file a lawsuit for injuries or property damage (generally known as the “Statute of Limitations”) depends on the type of claim you are pursuing. In California you generally have 2 years to file a lawsuit for bodily injury, and 3 years for property damage. However, it is important to consult with the Motorcycle Law Pro as soon as possible to ensure your rights are protected.