Long Beach Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle crashes can cause severe injuries and expensive property damage. A motorcycle accident lawyer in Long Beach can help you overcome the financial obstacles standing between you and the freedom of the open road.

Our Long Beach personal injury lawyers have worked within California’s civil courts for years. We know how intimidating the system can seem from the outside, and we will help you navigate it. We’ve assisted thousands of people in getting the financial aid they need to pay their motorcycle accident bills, and we can use that experience for you. 

Contact Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys today to book a FREE motorcycle accident case evaluation, during which you can learn more about how our services can benefit you. Let our family take care of your family.

When Should You Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Long Beach?

Right now. Motorcycle accidents can leave you in a tricky financial situation. Our team recognizes that you have bills to pay. We also acknowledge that you may find yourself reluctant to reach out out of concern about the cost of legal representation. Omega Law Group anticipates these concerns and works to accommodate them.

Following a crash, you can meet with a Long Beach motorcycle accident attorney free of charge. If you choose to work with our team, you can benefit from our contingency policy, which ensures you don’t pay us unless we win your case.

With that in mind, we recommend that you contact a personal injury attorney within hours of your accident. The sooner you have an attorney on your side, the faster you can delegate the legal elements of your recovery to an experienced professional. Even if you decide not to move forward with a civil case, you can still benefit from our early advice.

Personal Injury Claims Help You Hold Negligent Parties Accountable

Motorcyclists find themselves in uniquely dangerous situations when navigating Long Beach’s interstates. This isn’t to say that you should never drive your motorcycle in Long Beach. Rather, the people around a motorcyclist like yourself need to take particular care to prevent accidents that might put you in harm’s way.

The responsibility that other motorists owe motorcyclists is referred to as the duty of care. All parties on the road must uphold the duty of care they owe to one another to prevent accidents. Parties who engage in recklessness or unchecked negligence violate that duty and can find themselves held civilly accountable for an accident.

You can work within the California civil system to claim that a negligent party violated the duty of care owed to you. In doing so, you can open a personal injury case against that party and demand that they help you financially recover from your accident. 

Criminal Motorcycle Accident Cases vs. Civil Motorcycle Accident Cases

Often, negligence that leads to a motorcycle accident can result in an offending driver, pedestrian, bicyclist, or other party violating California’s rules of the road. As a result, the offending driver may receive a ticket or suffer a criminal investigation helmed by the state.

Even as an accident victim, you cannot initiate a criminal investigation into the negligence that led to your accident. Likewise, you cannot recommend that a criminal judge enact any particular punishment against the party responsible for your accident.

You can, however, benefit from the state’s efforts to bring a criminal case against the party responsible for your accident. Should California’s criminal justice system convict the party accountable for your accident of criminal roadway negligence, you can submit that conviction to a civil judge as proof of negligence in your case.

A criminal conviction does not guarantee that you will win your civil case. However, using a criminal conviction as proof of negligence can make it easier for you to argue that a negligent party violated the duty of care owed to you and thereby owed you financial support.

Identifying the Liable Party for a Motorcycle Crash in Long Beach

Identifying the liable party in a motorcycle crash is a key step in filing a successful claim. Liability means legal responsibility for the accident. While drivers are at fault for most motorcycle accidents, depending on your case, other parties may also be responsible.

To figure out who is responsible, our Long Beach motorcycle accident lawyers look at things like police reports, traffic camera footage, and accident scene evidence. Sometimes, more than one party may share fault.

Any of the following parties could be liable for your motorcycle accident:

• Driver: If another driver was speeding, distracted, ran a red light, or made an unsafe lane change, they could be held responsible for the accident. 
• Another motorcyclist: Like car drivers, other motorcyclists can also act negligently. If they ride aggressively, fail to signal, or weave through traffic unsafely, they may be at fault.
• Vehicle manufacturer: If a defective motorcycle part (such as faulty brakes, tires, or a steering mechanism) caused the crash, the manufacturer or distributor of that part could be liable under product liability laws.
• Pedestrian: A pedestrian who steps into traffic unexpectedly, crosses outside of a crosswalk, or ignores traffic signals can cause an accident.
• A government entity: If poor road conditions like potholes, missing signage, or a lack of proper maintenance contributed to the crash, the city or state agency responsible for the roadway might be liable. Claims against government entities have special rules and short filing deadlines.

The legal process differs depending on which party is liable for the collision. For example, if a car driver is at fault, the case typically follows a standard process for personal injury claims. This includes filing a claim with the driver’s insurance company, negotiating a settlement, or pursuing a lawsuit if a fair offer isn’t made.

If the manufacturer is responsible for a defective motorcycle part, the case becomes a product liability claim. These claims require technical evidence to prove that the defect existed and caused the accident. Our Long Beach product liability lawyers know how to handle these types of claims.

Stay on Top of California’s Statute of Limitations

According to California law CCP § 335.1, motorcycle accident survivors usually have two years to bring a personal injury claim against the responsible party. If you contact a personal injury attorney shortly after your accident, you can make the most of that timeline. 

That said, you can contact Omega Law Group at any point before your statute of limitations expires to learn more about your legal right to compensation. Our team will explain how California’s motorcycle laws apply to your case.

How California Helmet Laws Impact Your Motorcycle Accident Claim

In California, helmet laws play a significant role in motorcycle accident claims. Under CVC § 27803, the state requires all motorcyclists and their passengers to wear a helmet that meets specific safety standards. If you’re involved in an accident and weren’t wearing a helmet, it could impact your claim.

Not wearing a helmet can be seen as negligence, which might reduce the amount of compensation you can receive, even if the other party is at fault. However, if the accident wasn’t related to a head injury or helmet use, it may not directly affect your case. Always wear a helmet to ensure your safety and avoid complications in your claim.

The Pros and Cons of Working With Insurers to Recover From a Motorcycle Crash

California requires everyone on the road to maintain certain auto insurance requirements, if not more coverage. This means that you should have the right to file an insurance claim against an offending party after a motorcycle accident.

Unfortunately, securing support from an insurance provider isn’t always that easy. Some insurance companies operating in California have an inherent bias against motorcyclists and may deny your claim without further consideration. Claims adjusters may act in bad faith to either minimize your losses or outright deny your claim.

If you work with an insurance provider who acknowledges the reality of your losses, you can receive compensation to relieve your most immediate sources of financial stress.

However, if you find yourself contending with an insurance company’s bad faith conduct, working with a provider may prove more stressful than beneficial.

You can request that a motorcycle accident lawyer in Long Beach step in to negotiate with an uncooperative insurance company. Omega Law Group always protects your rights.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Long Beach

As accident attorneys, we have handled a wide range of cases. We are familiar with the many ways negligence leads to severe injuries. Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Long Beach will investigate the accident scene and use all available evidence to determine what caused your crash.

Common causes of local motorcycle accidents include:

• Left–turn accidents: Many crashes happen when a car turns left in front of a motorcycle, often because the driver fails to see the bike or misjudges its speed.
• Lane changes: Drivers may not check their blind spots or use signals before changing lanes or cutting off a motorcyclist.
• Speeding: High speeds reduce reaction time and increase the severity of crashes, whether caused by the motorcyclist or another driver.
• Distracted driving: Texting, eating, or adjusting the radio can take a driver’s attention off the road, leading to a collision with a motorcycle.
• Driving under the influence: Alcohol or drugs impair judgment and reaction time, putting everyone on the road at risk.
• Poor road conditions: Potholes, gravel, uneven pavement, and slick roads are especially dangerous for motorcycles due to their smaller size and balance.
• Car doors opening: A driver or passenger may open a parked car door into a motorcyclist’s path without checking first.
• Mechanical failures: Issues like brake failure or tire blowouts can cause a rider to lose control, especially if the bike hasn’t been properly maintained.

Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcycle riders are more exposed to injury because they lack the physical protection that cars and trucks provide. Unlike drivers in enclosed vehicles, motorcyclists don’t have seat belts, airbags, or a metal frame around them. This means that in a crash, they are more likely to be thrown from the bike or come into direct contact with the road, other vehicles, or objects.

Even low-speed accidents can cause serious injuries like broken bones, head trauma, or road rash. Because of this increased risk, wearing a helmet and protective gear is especially important for motorcyclists.

Common injuries motorcycle accident victims experience include:

• Head injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Road rash
• Internal injuries
• Neck injuries
• Amputations
• Burns

As experienced Long Beach catastrophic injury lawyers, we understand the long-term impact of motorcycle accident injuries. We will work with you closely to understand the full impact of your injuries after the crash.

Work With an Experienced Long Beach Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Our injury attorneys understand that motorcycle accident survivors may find themselves reluctant to reach out for legal support out of concern for the cost of that representation.

We don’t want to add to the financial stress you’re already under. That’s why Omega Law Group offers you an initial motorcycle accident case evaluation free of charge.

You can meet with our Long Beach motorcycle accident attorneys without having to commit to legal action. During your first meeting, we can discuss the negligence that led to your accident and the damages you may be able to recover in a civil lawsuit. We can also outline our contingency fee policy, which ensures you don’t pay us unless we win your case.

Contact us today to schedule your FREE case evaluation.