Riverside Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Riverside Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Traffic accidents are far too common, and the potential for horrific injuries and damages is ever-present. While every motorist on the road is at risk of a sudden accident that could inflict life-altering, even fatal, harm — motorcycle riders are especially vulnerable to significant injury. If you or a loved one was hurt in a motorcycle collision, speak with a Riverside motorcycle accident lawyer about your situation and find out what your legal options are.

At the law firm of Kenneth M. Sigelman & Associates, we treat every client with the utmost regard and as a unique individual who suffered at the hands of another party’s negligent actions. Our attorneys are dedicated to working tirelessly to accomplish what’s needed in order to build a strong case on behalf of our clients and earn them the fair compensation that they’re entitled to.

What Does a Motorcycle Accident Injury Lawyer Do?

If you’re considering taking action against the negligent party in your injurious accident, it’s wise to choose to pursue your injury claim with the help of a qualified injury law professional – particularly one that is experienced with successfully handling circumstances similar to your situation, as they’ll be familiar with the relevant laws, injuries, effective proof, and the like.

A capable and skilled motorcycle accident attorney in Riverside will tell you what evidence to gather as well as investigate your case and collect compelling proof of their own. They’ll know which strategies and arguments are most likely to be convincing when building your case. Your injury attorney is there with you every step of the way during the legal process of seeking compensation for damages, ensuring you are fully informed and understand the various, complex procedures.

Additionally, your lawyer will prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of you by negotiating with them for fair compensation and advising you to deny settlement proposals that are significantly lower than your circumstances entitle you to. If needed, your attorney will take your claim to court, arguing for your right to compensation.

Different Ways a Motorcycle Crash Can Happen

Traffic accidents, unfortunately, happen every day, likely because there are so many ways something can go wrong and lead to an accident. With motorcycle collisions especially, many incidents occur due to motorcyclists being smaller compared to other motor vehicles– thus, they aren’t as visible, often go unnoticed and are more vulnerable to significant bodily harm compared to truck drivers or motorists in passenger cars.

These are some common circumstances that can lead to a motorcycle traffic accident:

• A driver stopping unexpectedly or driving recklessly. Drivers should avoid tailgating other vehicles, which is against traffic law, to reduce the risk of colliding with the vehicle in front of them if they stop suddenly, as well as keep motorists behind them from hitting their own vehicle. Additionally, drivers should aim to adhere to other traffic laws and regulations, such as following the speed limit. Speeding can make it harder to slow down or stop the vehicle and can increase the potential damage in the event of a crash.
• Intoxicated motorists on the road. Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is illegal and can severely impair the driver’s ability to drive effectively, including their reaction time and general awareness of their surroundings.
• Inattentive drivers changing lanes and motorcyclists lane splitting. It’s not uncommon for motorcycle riders to weave through lanes of stagnant traffic, which is illegal in many states, and despite California not having a statute expressly prohibiting lane splitting, motorcyclists should refrain from this habit. Car drivers are likely to change lanes suddenly, without checking their surroundings, or when a motorcyclist is out of view– causing motorcycle riders to get hit or run off the road.
• Motorcyclists trying to avoid an accident/no-contact crashes. Sometimes, when a motorcycle rider sees a car about to hit them or assume that other motorists don’t notice them, they will swerve out of the way to avoid impact and end up in an accident. Even if another driver doesn’t directly hit the motorcyclist, they are still at fault to some degree for the resulting injuries and damages.
• Left-turn incidents. Motorcycle riders should be extra cautious when making a left turn since oncoming cars may fail to see them and continue through the intersection, colliding with them.
• Colliding with car doors opening suddenly. Drivers leaving their parked cars on the side of the road may see no cars coming, not looking for motorcyclists or expecting one to turn onto the road suddenly, and when opening their car door, the motorcycle rider collides with it at full speed.

Injuries a Motorcycle Rider May Sustain from an Accident

Motorcyclists often endure more serious harm compared to other motorists in a traffic accident. This is because their body isn’t inside their vehicle; instead, they ride on top of it, and there is nothing preventing them from propelling from their motorcycle upon impact with another vehicle or stationary object. When a rider is thrown from their motorcycle, there’s no telling where or on what they’ll land, causing great bodily injury.

Additionally, while other drivers still suffer some of the impacts from a crash, it’s significantly less than the force of impact a motorcyclist receives since they have nothing shielding their body; effectively, there’s nothing between a motorcycle rider’s body and the moving vehicle they collide with, or the pavement below. Furthermore, a car is much heavier compared to a motorcycle and its rider, which can lead to greater injury.

The injuries motorcyclists may sustain from a traffic accident include road rash (abrasions from skidding along the road), burns, significant harm to the lower extremities– including broken or shattered bones – such as the rider’s femurs, shins, pelvic bones, as well as other bones in the forearms and hands/wrists, damage to the spinal cord and surrounding nerves, injuries to the neck and head, traumatic brain damage, internal bleeding, muscle injuries, and death.

Pure Comparative Fault Under Personal Injury Law in CA

Pure comparative fault, also called comparative negligence, is how California injury law conducts injury claims where more than one of the involved parties is proven to be partially at fault for the accident and the subsequent damages. Under comparative negligence, anyone can pursue and receive compensation within a personal injury claim– even if they are partially or mostly responsible for the incident.

Some states treat multiple negligent parties differently, such as disqualifying those who are more than 50 percent liable or who are found to have any degree of responsibility. In California, all involved parties can receive a settlement payout for their damages, but their compensation will be reduced by the percentage they’re determined to have been at fault (even if they’re up to 99 percent liable).

Riverside Motorcycle Accident Lawyer FAQs

Q: How Much Are Most Motorcycle Accident Settlements?

A: Most motorcycle accident settlements will vary in how much the plaintiff is awarded in compensation. The court attempts to award a settlement payout that’s proportional to the damages and losses suffered by the victim that’s provable.

Every case has different circumstances surrounding the details of the traffic accident, such as how it happened to begin with, the severity of the injuries sustained by the involved parties, and whether the liable driver’s negligent conduct was especially egregious.

Q: How Much Do Accident Attorneys Charge in California?

A: Most accident attorneys in California charge on a contingency fee basis, meaning they only charge a client if they’re able to win them a settlement payout. Injury lawyers who win will take the costs of their services from a percentage of their client’s compensation award. Your attorney will discuss with you prior to beginning your case how much they expect to charge, commonly around 33 percent, depending on how complicated your case is.

Q: What Is Comparative Fault for Motorcycle Crashes in CA?

A: Comparative fault, or pure comparative negligence, for motorcycle crashes is how California law handles injury claims with multiple parties at fault. Under this doctrine, the motorcyclist can still pursue compensation even if they are partially at fault, even if they’re found to be up to 99 percent liable.

However, each party found liable can only receive compensation that’s reduced by the percentage they’re deemed responsible; for example, if the motorcyclist was 30 percent at fault for the accident, they’d receive 70 percent of their settlement.

Q: Do I Need a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?

A: Legally, you don’t need a lawyer for your motorcycle accident case. However, getting the help of an attorney who’s educated in injury law and has extensive experience managing cases very similar to yours is always advised since it’s a wise decision to make for yourself and get the compensation you are entitled to.

Most personal injury lawyers won’t charge you for their services unless they’re able to win the case and earn you compensation, so there is little risk for hesitant individuals, which makes taking legal action more accessible.

Qualified Injury Lawyers Who’ll Earn You Compensation

Experienced personal injury attorney Kenneth M. Sigelman & Associates have helped numerous injured clients obtain compensation for their avoidable accidents. Our legal team is deeply familiar with negotiating with insurance companies as well as how to effectively represent you in courtroom litigation. Contact us to schedule a consultation with an attorney who’s dedicated to helping you.