Los Angeles ranks among the most dangerous cities for motorcycle riders in the U.S. NHTSA reports that 583 motorcyclists lost their lives in California in 2023, and Los Angeles County alone sees over 2,500 motorcycle accidents every year.
In 2024, 78 motorcyclists died on LA roads. These numbers speak for themselves if you ride and you crash, hiring the best Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer is not a luxury. It is a necessity.
Why LA Motorcycle Accidents Hit So Hard
A motorcycle gives you zero crash protection. Riders face a 28 times higher death risk per mile compared to people sitting inside cars. LA adds fuel to the fire with bumper-to-bumper freeway traffic, reckless drivers, and weather that keeps bikes on the road all year long.
Here is a number that should stop every rider in their tracks motorcyclists represent just 3% of registered vehicles but account for 15% of all traffic deaths across the country.
What Causes Most Motorcycle Accidents
Somebody else’s carelessness causes the majority of motorcycle crashes. The most common reasons include:
- Distracted driving — Texting, phone calls, eating behind the wheel
- Failure to yield — Left-turn collisions rank among the deadliest for riders
- Speeding — 36% of fatal motorcycle crashes in 2023 involved excessive speed
- DUI — 26% of riders who died had a BAC at or above 0.08
- Unsafe lane changes — Motorcycles sit in blind spots far too easily
- Lane splitting collisions — California remains the only state that allows lane splitting
- Poor road conditions — Potholes, loose gravel, and oil slicks put riders at serious risk
- Fatigued driving — Tired drivers react too slowly to avoid a crash
Injuries Riders Face After a Crash
Motorcycle accidents leave riders with severe, often life-changing injuries. The most common ones include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Broken bones — legs, arms, ribs, pelvis
- Road rash and deep burns
- Amputations
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- PTSD, anxiety, and emotional trauma
A helmet cuts your death risk by 37% and your chance of a head injury by 70%. Still, riders without helmets make up 38% of all motorcycle fatalities. That single piece of gear can save your life.
What Should You Do Right After a Crash
Every step you take after the accident shapes your claim. Do not skip any of these:
- Get to safety if you can, especially on busy freeways
- Dial 911 right away — You need that police report as evidence
- See a doctor immediately — Adrenaline hides pain, and internal injuries do not always show up right away
- Photograph everything — Damage, skid marks, road conditions, traffic signs, and any visible injuries
- Collect witness names and numbers — Their testimony matters
- Keep your mouth shut about fault — Even saying “I’m sorry” can hurt your case
- Refuse any recorded statement from the insurance company without a lawyer present
- Stay off social media — Insurance adjusters will dig through your posts looking for anything to use against you
- Call a motorcycle accident lawyer — Early action means stronger evidence
How Does Your Lawyer Prove the Other Driver’s Fault?
Your attorney needs to establish four things:
- Duty of care — The other driver had a legal obligation to drive responsibly
- Breach — They broke that obligation through negligence or recklessness
- Causation — That breach directly led to your accident and injuries
- Damages — You suffered real, measurable losses
California uses a pure comparative negligence system. So even if you carry 20% of the blame, you still walk away with 80% of your total damages. Insurance companies will try hard to push more fault onto you a skilled lawyer fights back against that.
What Money Can You Recover?
Economic damages cover your medical bills, lost paychecks, future treatment, property damage, rehabilitation costs, and long-term care if your injuries demand it.
Non-economic damages address your pain, emotional suffering, loss of enjoyment in daily life, scarring, and the impact on your relationships.
Serious motorcycle injury cases regularly settle anywhere from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars, depending on the severity.
Helmet Laws and Filing Deadlines You Need to Know
According to California law, all riders must be wearing DOT-approved helmets. Skip it and you can still file a claim, but just know that the defense will argue that you are partly at fault for how bad your injuries became.
Your time begins to run from the time your accident occurs. You have 2 years to file a personal injury claim. If a government agency is at least partially at fault say, for a dangerous pothole or unguarded bridge you have only 6 months to file a tort claim. Miss those windows and you forfeit your right to compensation. Period.
“But What If My Situation Is Complicated?”
- No health insurance? Your lawyer can set up treatment now and subtract those costs from your settlement later.
- Undocumented? California protects your right to file a claim no matter what your immigration status looks like.
- You were riding as a passenger? You hold the exact same rights as any other accident victim.
- You share some of the blame? Comparative negligence still lets you collect just at a reduced amount.
How Do You Actually Pick the Right Lawyer?
Everyone says “hire an experienced attorney.” Nobody tells you how to separate the great ones from the average. Here is what to look for:
- Motorcycle case history — Ask how many motorcycle-specific cases they handled in the past five years, not just general personal injury work
- Courtroom track record — A lawyer who actually goes to trial scares insurance companies into offering better settlements
- Investigation muscle — Find out if the firm has in-house investigators and works with accident reconstruction experts
- Real client reviews — Ignore the star ratings and read what people say about communication, follow-through, and actual results
- Your gut feeling at the consultation — Did they listen? Did they ask smart questions? Or did they just promise you the moon?
- Total fee transparency — Know the contingency percentage upfront, and ask whether expenses come out before or after the fee calculation
- Clean record with the State Bar — Run their name through calbar.ca.gov and check for any disciplinary flags
- Personal connection — You will spend months, maybe years, working with this person. Make sure the relationship feels right.
Where Do Most LA Motorcycle Crashes Happen?
Knowing the danger zones keeps you safer on the road and gives your lawyer powerful evidence if your crash happened at a known hotspot.
Freeways that see the worst crashes:
- I-405 through Sherman Oaks, between Exit 63A and Exit 66A
- The US-101 / I-405 interchange — roughly 3 fatal motorcycle crashes hit this spot every year
- I-10 Santa Monica Freeway — trucks and high speeds create a deadly combination
- I-110 Harbor Freeway — tight downtown congestion leaves riders exposed
Surface streets with ugly track records:
- Pacific Coast Highway — fast traffic, sharp curves, limited sight lines
- Laurel Canyon Boulevard — a history of fatal hit-and-run incidents
- Mulholland Drive — beautiful but full of blind corners and steep drops
When crashes spike:
- Morning and evening rush hours (7–9 AM and 4–7 PM)
- Weekends, when more recreational riders take to the road
- The warmer stretch from May through October
- After dark, when visibility drops dramatically
If your accident took place at one of these locations, your attorney can pull historical crash data to build a stronger case. It may also open the door to a claim against a government body for poor road design or missing safety features.
Final Thought
You are in a motorcycle accident and your whole world is turned upside down in an instant. But in the coming days and weeks, the decisions you make will have a huge impact on your recovery for years to come. Do not let an insurance company lowball you. Do not wait until witnesses’ memories fade or surveillance footage is deleted. The best Los Angeles motorcycle accident lawyer already knows how to handle cases like yours and the initial consultation is free. Make that call today. You only pay if you win.