Long Beach Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Experienced Motorcycle Accident Attorney
As many motorcycle riders will tell you, there is nothing like the thrill of driving a motorcycle. Especially in California, which offers scenic views of the coast and long stretches of winding roads throughout the mountains. So, it is no wonder over 900,000 motorcycles were registered in California last year alone. But with so many motorcycles on the street, the chances of a motorcycle accident increase significantly. If you have suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident, call our Long Beach motorcycle accident lawyer for a free consultation.
Crowded roadways, dense traffic, and impatient drivers lead to dangerous situations that often affect motorcyclists more than other motorists. Motorcycle riders are about 28 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash than passenger vehicle occupants and four times more likely to be injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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On a motorcycle, you expose yourself entirely to the environment and have little protection against the elements. Even with the proper clothing and helmet, a motorcycle rider, if hit by a truck or run off the road, has little means to protect against serious injuries or even death. As a motorcycle accident victim, you can recover compensation for injuries, lost wages, medical costs, and property damage.
Contact our Long Beach motorcycle accident lawyers today!
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Our team of Long Beach attorneys has 20+ years of professional legal experience.
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How Can A Long Beach Motorcycle Accident Attorney Help
After a motorcycle accident, victims may be dealing with serious motorcycle accident injuries, medical bills, future medical treatment, extensive physical therapy, pain and suffering, and lost income. The Long Beach motorcycle accident attorneys at Belmont Accident Lawyers dedicate themselves to providing the best resources and legal advice to injured motorcycle accident victims and their families.
We believe in upholding the rights of motorcycle riders and doing whatever possible to defend those rights. When a negligent driver of a car, truck, bus, or any other type of vehicle injures a motorcycle rider, we demand maximum compensation for the victim. Our team of motorcycle accident lawyers takes an aggressive approach against the at-fault party and the insurance company when they try to avoid taking responsibility for their negligent actions.
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We understand the challenges motorcycle riders face, especially after accidents caused by careless drivers. Contact us at (562) 685-9740 if you are or have been injured in a motorcycle crash to learn more about your motorcycle accident case today.
Page Update: 01-19-24
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Who is Liable for Injuries in Long Beach Motorcycle Accidents?
Anyone involved in a motorcycle accident and found to be fully or partially at fault can be held legally liable for their injuries. A distracted car driver causing the motorcycle crash can be held liable. If a poorly maintained or designed roadway caused the accident, then the government agency responsible for that maintenance or design can be liable. If someone was speeding, ran a red light, or failed to yield the right of way – all are reasons to be held liable for a motorcycle crash.
However, liability is not always clear. As a result, we always encourage you to speak with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible since different statutes of limitations may apply in the case of government agencies.
Motorcyclists deserve to share the road safely with other vehicles. Unfortunately, motorcycles tend to get a bad reputation. They are often considered reckless, dangerous, unsafe, and irresponsible. Most people automatically place blame on motorcyclists for causing accidents. But this is not true. Motorcyclists take great care while riding because of the implied risk. Motorcycle riders understand they are at higher risk of injury in accidents and recognize that other vehicles frequently overlook or fail to see motorcycles on the road.
When injured in a motorcycle accident, the victim will want to determine who is responsible for their injuries and how to seek the proper compensation for their pain and suffering. A driver or other parties partially or fully responsible for an accident that caused personal injuries or death to a motorcyclist may be liable for damages.
Possibly liable parties may include:
Negligent Drivers
A negligent driver is one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents. There are many ways a driver can endanger motorcyclists on the road. Drivers can fail to notice a motorcycle riding near their vehicle, especially if they are texting while driving, making a phone call, playing with the radio, or doing other activities. Especially in Southern California, where lane splitting is legal – when a motorcycle can legally ride between lanes of slow or stopped traffic. Cars can make last-minute lane changes without signaling and easily miss a faster-moving motorcycle, cutting off or crashing into a motorcyclist.
Traffic violations are another common way negligent drivers cause accidents. A motor vehicle speeding or tailgating might be unable to avoid colliding with a motorcycle from behind. Running red lights or stop signs, making unsafe lane changes, or failing to give the right of way can all cause significant accidents and catastrophic injuries. Drunk or intoxicated driving is one of the most dangerous acts of negligence someone can commit. Intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, an at-fault driver will experience blurred vision, poor judgment, impaired coordination, and slow reaction time. This deliberate, negligent choice can lead to a serious injury or wrongful death.
Parts Manufacturers
Many motorcycle accidents happen because of the failure of car and motorcycle parts. If a vehicle's brakes fail or a tire pops, this can cause the driver to lose control and crash with a motorcycle. If a piece of the car breaks off, the debris can hit the rider or cause the bike to crash. Defective parts of a motorcycle can also lead to motorcycle crashes. An accident will likely occur if the tires do not provide proper traction or the engine gives out. In these cases, a mechanic who did not install parts correctly or a manufacturer who made a defective product may be liable.
Local or State Governments
California motorcycle accidents can occur due to dangerous or unkempt freeways, highways, and roads. If an intersection has irresponsible design features like blind spots or other issues that block visibility, this may lead to a serious crash. A motorcycle rider might also crash because of damaged roads, unfilled potholes, and missing pavement. In these cases, government organizations responsible for maintaining and designing safe roads may be liable, especially if they were aware of the issue that led to the motorcycle crash.
Motorcycle riders who suffered internal injuries – or families of those who have died from their severe injuries – can best protect themselves by working with a Long Beach motorcycle accident attorney. After a motorcycle crash, an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will investigate your personal injury case, gather evidence to prove liability, and hold the responsible party responsible. We can help you navigate motorcycle accident claims and insurance adjusters to seek compensation for your injuries and recovery.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
When a reckless driver in a car or truck crashes into a motorcyclist, the results are typically catastrophic and often fatal. Unlike car accidents involving traditional two or four-door vehicles, motorcycle crashes are far more violent ─ first with the impact of the passenger vehicle, then with a secondary effect on the roadway or other objects. Due to the severity of motorcycle accidents, an injured motorcyclist may never completely heal from serious injuries suffered in an accident.
Although there are many types of injuries motorcycle riders can sustain, the most common injuries can include:
Traumatic Brain and Head Injuries
Head and brain injuries are some of the most serious injuries that a motorcyclist can suffer, and this is why motorcycle helmet laws are in place. Even with a proper motorcycle helmet and gear, a head injury can range from mild to severe. They can cause permanent physical, mental, and emotional disabilities. These painful injuries can result in death in the worst motorcycle accident cases.
Some common injuries riders suffer in motorcycle accidents include concussions, traumatic brain injuries, coma, brain hemorrhaging, brain swelling, seizures, paralysis, and immobility. Injured motorcyclists might also experience confusion, brain damage, disorientation, memory loss, depression, anxiety, and loss of coordination and motor skills. In addition, speech and vision problems can frequently occur after an accident.
Neck and Face Injuries
Motorcyclists injured in motorcycle accidents also risk suffering significant facial and neck injuries due to their exposed skin and bodies to the elements. Common face injuries include broken noses, jawbones, eye sockets, and teeth. In addition, road rash can cause a rider permanent scarring and disfigurement, emotional trauma from such a life-changing event, and difficult recovery.
Motorcycle accidents can cause broken bones and damage the neck's muscles, ligaments, tendons, and nerves. The neck is susceptible and fragile. Any damage can affect a person's ability to control their head and neck movements, which may be permanent. Severe neck injuries can even cause damage to the spinal cord and cause partial or total paralysis.
Neck injuries often lead to nerve damage. Nerve injuries can radiate and cause pain in various places, such as the jaw, legs, arms, and hands. Nerve pain can also affect a person's equilibrium and cause ongoing vertigo.
Additionally, motorcyclists can suffer whiplash when struck from the rear. Whiplash occurs when a driver's neck is "whipped" back and forth after an impact. Although whiplash is often associated with vehicle crashes, motorcyclists are also vulnerable to this injury.
Back and Spine Injuries
Any injury to the back, spine, and spinal cord can be devastating to your body. That is because these parts control so much of your entire body. The brain sends commands through the nerves of the spinal cord. These commands control your movement, functions, and autonomic nervous system.
Injuries to your back and spine can result in various forms of paralysis, including quadriplegia, which is total paralysis from the neck down. Paralysis of different body parts can interfere with the body's primary functions. A motorcycle accident victim who becomes paralyzed may lose the ability to breathe independently and may require a ventilator for the rest of their life.
Other spinal injuries may result in respiratory problems, incontinence, and sexual dysfunction. Unfortunately, damage to a spinal cord cannot be reversed. Treatment depends on the extent of the injury. The primary goals of treatment are to prevent further injury and enable a return to a fulfilling, productive life. However, that is not always possible. Motorcycle riders with these injuries often suffer chronic pain and are unable to return to work.
Arms and Legs
Road rash caused by motorcycle accidents can seriously impact a rider's arms and legs. While the proper protective equipment – such as long-sleeved clothing and pants – can protect a motorcyclist from the elements, it can only do so much in a serious crash. Even at low speeds, road rash can result in severe, burn-like abrasions that require skin grafts and hospitalization. Road rash injuries are excruciating and can result in infections, sepsis, nerve damage, and permanent scarring.
In many accidents, motorcycles eject the riders. As a result, motorcyclists who experience a hard landing in an accident are likely to suffer shoulder injuries and torn rotator cuffs. Broken arms, elbows, and fingers are also common, as well as broken legs, pelvis, and ribs. Injured motorcyclists might experience permanent nerve damage to the upper and lower body due to the impact of the ground.
All motorcycle accident injuries usually require extensive hospitalization, rehabilitation, and life-long treatment and lead to future medical bills that are too expensive for an average person to afford, especially since these medical expenses come unexpectedly as a result of a severe accident.
That is why keeping track of your medical records and accident-related expenses is extremely important. If you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit, these records will help strengthen your motorcycle accident case. The money you receive from your personal injury claim can cover past, future, and ongoing medical expenses.
Hire an Experienced Long Beach Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If you or someone you know was in a motorcycle accident, contact the law offices of Belmont Accident Lawyers today. You deserve a fair settlement for your motorcycle accident injuries and future trauma caused by a negligent driver's actions. A Long Beach motorcycle accident attorney can help you hold the at-fault driver accountable. With trusted and proven legal representation, you will know your motorcycle accident case is in the best care.
Call or email our Southern California law firm today to speak with a Long Beach motorcycle accident lawyer. Over the last two decades, we have helped numerous injured victims throughout Los Angeles County recover financial compensation.