What Are My Rights After a Motorcycle Accident in California?

California law gives motorcycle accident victims the right to pursue compensation when someone else causes the crash. These rights include seeking payment for medical bills, lost income, property damage, and pain and suffering.

That protection applies whether the at-fault party is a driver, commercial operator, pedestrian, or government agency. But asserting those rights often requires more than filing a claim.

A Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer can help you take the right steps early, avoid costly missteps, and protect the full value of your case.

How Motorcycle Riders Are Protected

Motorcyclists in California are entitled to the same legal protections as anyone else on the road. When another party’s negligence causes a crash, the injured rider has the right to file a personal injury claim. That claim may include compensation for both financial and non-financial losses.

These rights are protected regardless of who caused the accident. Whether a driver failed to yield, a trucking company was unable to maintain its vehicle, or a city left a dangerous pothole unaddressed, you have grounds to take legal action.

The challenge lies in proving liability, documenting damages, and responding to insurance tactics meant to downplay your claim.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

A single moment of inattention or carelessness can leave a motorcyclist with severe, long-lasting injuries. Many crashes involve preventable behaviors or failures to follow traffic safety laws. Some of the most common causes include:

• Unsafe lane changes: Drivers failing to check mirrors or blind spots
• Left-turn collisions: Vehicles turning across the motorcyclist’s path
• Rear-end crashes: Especially dangerous when motorcycles are stopped at intersections
• Distracted driving: Texting, eating, or interacting with devices while behind the wheel
• Road hazards: Poorly maintained streets, debris, or missing signage on public roads

If any of these factors contributed to your accident, you may be entitled to bring a personal injury claim against the party or parties responsible.

What Compensation Can You Recover?

In a successful motorcycle accident claim, you may recover compensation for a wide range of damages. These fall into two categories: economic damages (direct financial costs) and non-economic damages (related to pain, trauma, or long-term effects on your life).

Typical categories include:

• Medical expenses: Emergency care, surgeries, follow-up treatment, and rehab
• Lost income: Wages missed during recovery and any future loss of earning potential
• Pain and suffering: Physical discomfort, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life
• Property damage: Motorcycle repairs or replacement, plus gear or equipment damaged in the crash
• Loss of consortium: Impact of the injury on a spouse or partner’s relationship with the victim

Compensation should reflect both immediate costs and future needs. Insurance companies often focus only on surface-level expenses, but a full claim requires a deeper look at long-term recovery.

Comparative Fault and Your Legal Rights

California follows a pure comparative fault rule under California Civil Code § 1714. This means that even if you were partially at fault for the crash, you can still recover compensation. Your percentage of fault will reduce your total award.

For example, if your damages total $120,000 but you’re found to be 25% responsible, your final compensation would be $90,000. This structure allows injured riders to recover even when liability isn’t one-sided.

However, insurers often try to inflate the motorcyclist’s role in the accident to reduce payouts. That’s why documenting what happened—and having an advocate who understands comparative fault law—is so important.

How Long Do You Have to File a Claim?

In most motorcycle accident cases, California law gives you two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is known as the statute of limitations. But certain situations come with shorter filing periods.

• Claims against government entities (such as for unsafe roads or negligent public vehicle operators) must be filed within six months
• Minors and incapacitated victims may be granted extended deadlines, depending on the case

A missed deadline may block your right to recover compensation. Speak with a lawyer early, even if you’re still under medical care or haven’t decided whether to file.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident

The decisions you make in the hours and days following a motorcycle crash can significantly affect your ability to bring a claim later. Certain steps help preserve your legal rights and lay the groundwork for a stronger case.

• Seek medical attention: Even if you feel okay, some injuries can take hours or days to appear
• File a police report: An official record helps clarify key facts and strengthens your claim
• Document the scene: Take photos, gather contact info from witnesses, and note anything unusual
• Save all records: Keep copies of medical bills, receipts, estimates, and any communication with insurance
• Be careful with insurers: Don’t provide statements or accept early settlement offers without legal advice

Following these steps can help protect your claim and make sure your case starts on solid ground.

Why Work With Vaziri Law LLP?

Motorcycle crashes often leave riders with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and pressure from insurance companies to settle quickly. You need a legal team that takes the time to understand what actually happened—and what recovery will require in the long run.

At Vaziri Law LLP, our Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyers bring over 200 years of combined experience to every case. We’ve recovered more than $1 billion for injured clients across California.

Our firm offers remote services, multilingual support, and access to trusted physicians who provide care on lien, so you can focus on recovery, not logistics.

Other law firms often refer serious injury cases to us because they know we build strong claims and follow through. We take on fewer cases so we can do more for each client. If you’re ready to talk, we’re here to listen.