# Santa Barbara Motorcycle Accident Lawyers | Call Anytime A broken collarbone can keep you off the job for weeks, and the emergency room bills keep coming whether you are working or not. A Santa Barbara motorcycle accident lawyer at Omega Law Group Accident & Injury Attorneys can pursue the driver who hit you for those medical costs and the paychecks you missed. We treat every client as part of our own family. Let our family take care of your family. Each [personal injury lawyer serving Santa Barbara](https://www.omegalaw.com/santa-barbara/personal-injury-lawyer/) at our firm brings that care to injured riders, and a free consultation is the first step. ## Santa Barbara Motorcycle Crash Numbers and Where They Happen In 2023, 32 motorcyclists were killed or injured in Santa Barbara crashes, ranking the city 4th of 103 similar-size California cities, according to the [California Office of Traffic Safety](https://www.ots.ca.gov/rankings/santa-barbara-2023/). In OTS rankings, number 1 is the worst, and Santa Barbara also ranked 14th for all crash victims and 16th for alcohol-involved victims. A few roads carry much of that risk. State Street and Cabrillo Boulevard put riders among tourists, delivery vans, and drivers hunting for parking near the waterfront. State Route 154 over San Marcos Pass draws weekend riders toward Lake Cachuma on long curves and steep grades. The Santa Barbara Police Department handles crashes on city streets. The [California Highway Patrol’s Santa Barbara Area office](https://www.chp.ca.gov/find-an-office/coastal-division/760-santa-barbara) patrols US 101 and State Route 154. Seriously hurt riders often go to [Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital](https://www.cottagehealth.org/services/emergency-medicine-trauma-services/trauma-center/), an adult Level I trauma center. ## Speed and Visibility Disputes After a Motorcycle Crash The driver who hit you may say they never saw the motorcycle, or that you came out of nowhere at high speed. Both claims aim to shift blame, and under California’s pure comparative fault rule in [Cal. Civ. Code § 1714](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DCIV%26sectionNum%3D1714), any share of fault placed on you lowers what you can recover. National data cuts against both stories. In 2024, 63 percent of motorcycle riders in fatal crashes were not speeding, and 56 percent of motorcyclist deaths happened in daylight, according to [NHTSA](https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813824). Physical evidence can settle the dispute. Working lights, the color of your gear, sun glare at that hour, and the damage pattern on both vehicles can show whether the driver had a clear view, and Omega Law Group can work with reconstruction professionals to test any speed estimate the insurer offers. ### Have you been involved in a motorcycle wreck? Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Santa Barbara are here to help. [![Telephone Icon](https://www.omegalaw.com/wp-content/themes/omega-rebuild/assets/app/svg/telephone-white.svg)(310) 526-8383](tel:+13105268383) ## Does Lane Splitting Make You at Fault for a Crash? Lane splitting does not make you at fault for a crash by itself, because California recognizes the practice under [Cal. Veh. Code § 21658.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DVEH%26sectionNum%3D21658.1), though an insurer may still argue you split lanes unsafely. A 2015 [UC Berkeley SafeTREC study](https://news.berkeley.edu/2015/05/29/motorcycle-lanesplitting-report/) of 997 lane-splitting crashes found the practice relatively safe in traffic moving at 50 mph or less when the rider went no more than 15 mph faster than surrounding vehicles. Lane-splitting riders in that study also had fewer head injuries, 9 percent compared with 17 percent for other riders. Insurers may still claim a rider moved too fast or squeezed into a tight gap. A driver who changed lanes without looking generally still bears fault for that choice, and a motorcycle accident lawyer serving Santa Barbara from Omega Law Group can use scene evidence and witness accounts to show where the real mistake happened. ## Multiple At-Fault Parties and Your Santa Barbara Motorcycle Accident Attorney Many motorcycle crashes involve more than one careless party. Depending on the facts, responsibility may fall on: - **Other drivers**: two or more drivers whose lane changes, sudden stops, or turns combined to cause the crash. - **Employers**: a company whose employee was driving for work, such as a contractor’s pickup or a delivery van. - **Public agencies**: the City of Santa Barbara or Caltrans, if a dangerous road condition played a part under [Cal. Gov. Code § 835](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DGOV%26sectionNum%3D835). - **Manufacturers**: the maker of a defective tire, brake, or other part on your motorcycle. Naming every party matters because of how California divides damages. Under [Cal. Civ. Code § 1431.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DCIV%26sectionNum%3D1431.2), each defendant pays only its own share of your non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering, while economic losses like medical bills can be collected from any of them in full. Leaving out a party can leave part of your pain and suffering unpaid. Omega Law Group can identify everyone who shared fault and file the claim that public agencies generally require within six months under [Cal. Gov. Code § 911.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DGOV%26sectionNum%3D911.2). ### Injured in a motorcycle crash? Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Santa Barbara are here to help. [![Telephone Icon](https://www.omegalaw.com/wp-content/themes/omega-rebuild/assets/app/svg/telephone-white.svg)(310) 526-8383](tel:+13105268383) ## Who Pays If an Uber, Lyft, or Delivery Driver Hits Your Motorcycle? If an Uber, Lyft, or delivery driver hits your motorcycle, who pays depends on whether the driver was working, and rideshare trips carry $1 million in liability coverage once a driver accepts a ride, according to the [California Public Utilities Commission](https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/tncinsurance). Coverage drops when the app is on, but no ride has been accepted: $50,000 per person, $100,000 per incident, and $30,000 for property damage, plus at least $200,000 in excess coverage, under [Cal. Pub. Util. Code § 5433](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DPUC%26sectionNum%3D5433). If the app was off, the driver’s personal auto policy generally applies. Food and package delivery drivers fall under different rules, and some personal policies exclude business driving. Omega Law Group can request the app records that show the driver’s status at the moment of the crash and identify every policy that may pay, including your own uninsured motorist coverage under [Cal. Ins. Code § 11580.2](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DINS%26sectionNum%3D11580.2). ### Hurt in a motorcycle accident? [![Telephone Icon](https://www.omegalaw.com/wp-content/themes/omega-rebuild/assets/app/svg/telephone-white.svg)(310) 526-8383](tel:+13105268383) ## Reach Our Team Any Hour, With Spanish-Language Help Crashes on US 101 or San Marcos Pass do not happen on a schedule, so Omega Law Group takes calls around the clock. When you contact us, you can count on: - **24**/**7 availability**: our team answers calls from injured people at night and on weekends. - **Spanish**–**language assistance**: you and your relatives can talk through the case in Spanish from the first call. - **A large team**: more than 20 attorneys who can handle the investigation, the insurers, and the paperwork at once. - **No upfront fees**: you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. Robin Saghian, a founding partner of Omega Law Group, holds an [Avvo 10.0 Superb rating](https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/90069-ca-robin-saghian-3333970.html), and attorneys at Omega Law Group are members of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Across its cases, Omega Law Group has [recovered millions of dollars for its clients](https://www.omegalaw.com/results/). Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Our founders started the firm in 2016 as a family-run practice. To read more about the people behind it, visit [Omega Law Group’s firm page](https://www.omegalaw.com/our-firm/). ## Get Help While the Evidence Is Still There Security video from State Street shops can be recorded over within days, and the two-year filing deadline under [Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode%3DCCP%26sectionNum%3D335.1) keeps running while you heal. A Santa Barbara motorcycle accident lawyer from our firm can move to preserve that evidence and may protect your claim before those deadlines close. Call Omega Law Group now for a free consultation before the evidence and deadlines run out. We can start on your case from your home or your hospital room. --- Source: https://www.omegalaw.com/santa-barbara/motorcycle-accident-lawyer/