Motorcycle Accidents

Although the majority of vehicles on the road have four wheels, the U.S. Department of Transportation reports that there are over eight million registered motorcycles in the United States. Unfortunately, statistics prove that motorcyclists are more likely to be involved in an accident and suffer a severe injury. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 87,000 motorcyclists were injured across the United States in 2024.

Motorcyclists also account for 15% of all traffic fatalities, despite making up only three percent of all registered vehicles in the United States. However, in many cases, negligent motorists in other vehicles cause these wrecks. A motorcycle accident attorney can help you by preparing a claim that proves you were the injured party and deserve no blame for the accident.

With over 200 years of combined experience helping personal injury victims obtain reasonable compensation, our attorneys at The Brandi Law Firm understand California personal injury law and can help you develop a convincing case. Our $1.75 billion in verdicts and settlements is a testament to our litigation team's ability to maximize your financial recovery.

Along with an emphasis on fair compensation, our San Francisco motorcycle accident attorneys recognize the tricky balance between settling a case and heading to trial. While settlements are common in personal injury claims, there are situations where a case should be brought to trial. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators who work hard to procure a strong financial settlement, but never hesitate to take a case to trial when that serves our client's interests.

Beyond the physical injuries, motorcyclists face an additional challenge: bias. Many insurance adjusters, defense attorneys, and jurors harbor negative assumptions about motorcyclists, believing that riders inherently assume greater risk or are more likely to be at fault. We build our cases with meticulous attention to evidence — working with accident reconstruction professionals, biomechanical engineers, and traffic safety consultants — to demonstrate what happened and who was at fault, leaving little room for assumption or prejudice.

Motorcycle helmet laws vary from state to state. In California, all motorcyclists are required to wear a helmet. California Vehicle Code Section 27803 mandates that all drivers and passengers must wear helmets meeting federal safety standards when riding on a motorcycle. Approximately nineteen states have universal helmet laws on the books. Failure to wear a helmet can result in an equipment violation or a heavier punishment from California police.

While universal helmet laws make motorcyclists safer on the roads, once an accident occurs, there are other legal matters to consider. Not wearing a helmet on a motorcycle may impact your case, but it does not bar recovery when an accident occurs. You have every right to pursue a personal injury claim, even if your injuries were exacerbated by your failure to wear a helmet.

California Vehicle Code section 21658.1 permits lane splitting, making California the only state to explicitly legalize this practice. However, riders must still exercise reasonable care while lane splitting. Our attorneys understand the nuances of lane splitting law and defend our clients against unfounded allegations of fault.

California's pure comparative negligence system means a motorcyclist can recover damages even if they share some percentage of fault. Our attorneys work to minimize fault attributed to the rider, whether the issue is helmet use, lane splitting, or any other element the defense tries to highlight.

The statute of limitations for motorcycle accident claims is generally two years from the date of the accident. Claims involving road defects or government entities may have shorter deadlines. Prompt legal consultation is recommended to protect your legal rights and gather crucial evidence such as marks on the roadway needed to reconstruct the accident.