Fair Oaks Boulevard winds through Carmichael past shopping centers, side streets, and dozens of driveways where a turning driver can cross a rider’s path without warning. A Carmichael motorcycle accident lawyer at Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys can take on the driver and the insurer after a crash like that.
Our motto is putting our clients first. Always! Every personal injury lawyer serving Carmichael at our firm holds to it. Contact us for a free consultation.
Why Do Insurers Ask for a Recorded Statement So Soon After a Crash?
Insurers ask for a recorded statement soon after a crash because answers given before you know the full extent of your injuries can later be used to argue you were partly at fault or not badly hurt.
A quick offer often follows, and it usually comes with a release. Once you sign, the claim is generally over, even if an MRI later shows a torn ligament or your surgeon recommends a second operation.
Your own policy may require you to cooperate with your insurer, but the other driver’s company is a different matter. Omega Law Group can take those calls, compare any offer against your medical records, and explain what a release would give up before you sign anything.
Carmichael Intersections and Streets With Crash Histories
From 2015 to 2019, the intersection of Marconi Avenue and Walnut Avenue had 7 fatal and serious injury crashes, ranking 7th in unincorporated Sacramento County, according to the county’s Local Road Safety Plan. The same plan flags other Carmichael-area locations where riders should stay alert:
- Manzanita Avenue at Madison Avenue: the signalized intersection with the highest crash count in the plan’s ranking.
- Manzanita Avenue at Fair Oaks Boulevard: ranked 6th among county locations for crashes of all severities.
- Winding Way: the stretches from Oxbow Ridge Place to Buchanan Drive and from College Oak Drive to Walnut Avenue ranked 2nd and 6th for lane-departure crashes.
- Watt Avenue at El Camino Avenue: ranked 4th in the county for motorcycle-involved crashes, just west of Carmichael.
Carmichael is unincorporated, so the California Highway Patrol generally investigates traffic crashes here. Seriously injured riders may be taken to Mercy San Juan Medical Center on Coyle Avenue in Carmichael, a Level II trauma center listed in Sacramento County’s trauma system report.
Have you been involved
in a motorcycle wreck?
Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Carmichael are here to help.
(310) 526-8383
What a Settlement Must Cover After the Case Closes
California allows damages for future harm that is certain to result from an injury, under Cal. Civ. Code § 3283. For a rider with lasting injuries, a claim may need to cover:
- A life care plan: a doctor-supported projection of surgeries, therapy, medication, and equipment you will need, priced year by year.
- Lost earning capacity: the gap between what you could have earned over your career and what you can earn now.
- Lost benefits: retirement contributions, health coverage, and other benefits tied to work you can no longer do.
- Changes at home: ramps, a walk-in shower, or a modified vehicle if your mobility is limited.
Future losses are often the largest part of a serious claim, and they cannot be added once you settle. A rider in their 30s who can no longer do physical work may lose decades of earnings. Omega Law Group can work with your doctors, vocational consultants, and economists to put a value on them before any offer is accepted.
Minimum Insurance Limits and How a Carmichael Motorcycle Accident Attorney Finds More Coverage
California’s minimum liability coverage is $30,000 for one person’s injuries, $60,000 per crash for more than one person, and $15,000 for property damage, under Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.1b, according to the California DMV.
Those limits often fall far short of a serious motorcycle injury. The first-year cost of a spinal cord injury causing paraplegia averaged $667,569 in 2023 dollars, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, more than 20 times the $30,000 minimum.
Other coverage may fill the gap, including your own underinsured motorist coverage under Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2, an employer’s policy if the driver was working, or a second at-fault party. A motorcycle accident lawyer serving Carmichael from Omega Law Group can trace every policy that may apply.
Injured in a motorcycle crash?
Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Carmichael are here to help.
(310) 526-8383
Can a Passenger Sue the Rider of the Motorcycle They Were On?
A passenger can generally sue the rider of the motorcycle they were on if the rider’s carelessness caused the crash, because California’s negligence rule in Cal. Civ. Code § 1714 applies to riders like any other driver.
Many passengers hesitate because the rider is a spouse, relative, or friend. The claim usually goes to the rider’s liability insurance, which exists for this kind of loss. If both the rider and another driver caused the crash, the passenger may have claims against both.
Omega Law Group can review the rider’s policy and every other source of coverage so a passenger’s recovery does not depend on a single limit.
Hurt in a
motorcycle accident?
(310) 526-8383
Your Lawyer’s Cellphone Number, From the First Day
At Omega Law Group, our clients have our personal cellphone numbers, so you can reach your lawyer directly. A question about a bill, a new symptom, or an adjuster’s call can get an answer the same day, from the person who knows your file, during a recovery that may run for months.
Omega Law Group is a BBB Accredited Business with an A+ rating and has a law firm profile in the Super Lawyers directory. For injured clients across California, Omega Law Group has recovered millions of dollars for its clients. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
To learn more about our founders and team, visit Omega Law Group’s firm page.
Start Before Witnesses and Video Disappear
A Carmichael motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm can act quickly to preserve evidence, and early action is the best way to get the most from any accident claim. Call Omega Law Group now for a free consultation before key evidence is lost.
