Santa Monica Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Kermani’s team of Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Santa Monica have experience advocating for victims of motorcycle accidents.

Kermani motorcycle accident lawyers are highly experienced at advocating for motorcycle riders and have a solid track record for successfully fighting insurance companies and other liable parties to compensate motorcycle accident victims to the fullest extent possible.

Our motorcycle accident attorneys take an aggressive, no-nonsense approach to negotiating with insurance companies resulting in fast, out-of-court settlements that bring our clients the full compensation they deserve. And if we can’t reach a motorcycle accident settlement through negotiations, our vast trial experience means you have the best team possible ready to fight in court on your behalf.

Why Hire a Santa Monica Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Santa Monica have all the experience and expertise needed to negotiate with insurance companies and will strive to get you the best possible settlement in the shortest period of time. Whether your injuries are mild or severe, your attorney can help you prepare a strong case in your favor. Your Santa Monica motorcycle accident lawyer will serve as your advocate whether you have an injury such as broken bones or something more catastrophic like a head injury.

Riding a motorcycle in and around Santa Monica can be an invigorating experience. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are exposed to a much greater risk of suffering serious or fatal injury during motorcycle accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), riders involved in a motorcycle accident are 26 times more likely than car drivers to be killed or sustain serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and orthopedic injuries. The unfortunate truth is few motorcyclists walk away from a motorcycle accident scene without injury. Adding insult to injury, many motorcycle accident victims and their families are severely under-compensated by insurance companies. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need a highly rated motorcycle accident law firm like Kermani LLP on your side. 

Contact Kermani for a free one-on-one motorcycle accident case evaluation. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will explain how to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Motorcycle accident cases are taken on a contingency basis meaning you won’t pay any fees until we win your case.

Deadliest California Freeways

Motorcycle accidents happen everywhere, however, California’s freeways routinely top the list of the deadliest highways in the country. The deadliest California freeways are the Interstate 5, Highway 101 and State Route 99. In 2019, Interstate 5, a north-south highway which spans the entire west coast of the United States claimed 192 lives in California. In the same year, Highway 101, a north-south highway that spans most of California, Oregon and Washington claimed 139 lives in the state. State Route 99 a north–south state highway that stretches almost the entire length of the Central Valley was nearly as dangerous claiming 110 lives in 2019.

California & Santa Monica Motorcycle Laws

According to California law, a person injured in an accident can recover damages even when he or she is partially to blame for the accident. This is known as “Comparative Fault Law” where different parties can share liability. Damages are reduced by the percentage to which a liable party contributed to the accident.

Motorcycle accident victims are better served by contacting Kermani motorcycle accident lawyers to protect their rights to compensation. Kermani motorcycle accident lawyers can help you understand liability in your particular motorcycle accident especially in cases that involve lane splitting. Liable drivers and their insurance companies often attempt to take advantage of Comparative Fault Law in California to push liability to riders if the accident occurred during lane-splitting.

Lane Splitting Explained

California is one of the few states that allows lane-splitting. Lane splitting is riding a motorcycle between lanes of stopped or slow-moving traffic moving in the same direction and since its allowance in California, lane-splitting has been controversial. Many drivers view lane-splitting to be dangerous and startling because motorcycles seemingly “come out of nowhere.”

On the other hand, many riders believe lane-splitting protects motorcyclists by allowing them to exit the highway faster and avoid rear-end collisions which are more likely to occur in slow moving traffic scenarios.

Causes of Santa Monica Motorcycle Accidents

There are far more deaths and serious injuries from motorcycle accidents than from car accidents. Unfortunately, no matter how safely a motorcyclist rides, accidents are often caused by the negligence or recklessness of passenger vehicle drivers. Some of the common causes of motorcycle accidents in Santa Monica include:

• Unsafe Lane Changing – Lane splitting and lane sharing are legal in California, however, many drivers do not check their blind spots and risk side-swiping motorcyclists.
• Left-Hand Turns – Drivers of passenger vehicles not expecting a motorcycle to follow a car when waiting to make a left turn at an intersection may cause a motorcyclist to plow head-on into the vehicle causing serious injury.
• Tailgating – The driver of the vehicle behind the motorcyclist fails to notice the motorcycle has stopped, and the driver collides into the motorcycle.
• Driving Under the Influence – Severe impairment of judgment and ability to safely operate a motorcycle or other vehicle due to use of drugs and/or alcohol.
• Excessive Speeds – Speeding reduces the amount of time a driver or rider has to react to hazards in the road.
• Unsafe Road Conditions – Motorcycles are more susceptible to crashes due to road hazards such as bumps in the road, loose gravel, debris and slippery roads.

Common Santa Moncia Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcycles offer less protection to riders than the protection provided to passengers in an enclosed vehicle making motorcyclists more vulnerable to serious injuries in an accident. The most common injuries motorcycle riders endure are: 

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) – impact to the head during motorcycle accidents may have long-term negative effects, cause seizures, memory loss, and difficulty concentrating. 
• Broken Bones – including major fractures to the skull, ribs, collarbone, wrists, arms, and legs especially when riders try to catch themselves from the fall. 
• Spinal cord injuries – SCIs can result in paralysis or numbness below the place of injury. 
• Muscle Damage – including scrapes of layers of the muscle and/or ruptures of muscle tissue. 
• Internal injuries – including damage to internal organs and internal bleeding caused by trauma to the body. 
• Road rash – an injury sustained when riders slide sideways across the pavement following impact, which results in damage to the skin, muscles, and nerves. 
• Loss of limbs – severity of injuries may require the amputation of limbs.

Determining Fault & Proving Negligence in a Santa Monica Motorcycle Accident

Proving negligence in motorcycle accidents can be complicated. Proof of negligence and the degree of it substantially impacts the compensation to victims of motorcycle accidents. 

Motorcycle accident victims are better served by contacting a reputable motorcycle accident law firm like Kermani LLP to protect their rights to compensation. Proving negligence in a motorcycle accident requires demonstrating that the driver of the passenger vehicle breached the duty of operating his or her vehicle safely, the actions of the driver of the passenger vehicle caused the accident and that the accident directly caused injuries, property damage, pain and suffering and/or other financial losses to the motorcyclist. After a motorcycle accident, we recommend you follow the steps below to help support your case. Here’s what to do after a motorcycle accident in Santa Monica:

• Stay calm and move to a safe area.
• If you are injured, seek immediate medical assistance.
• Do not remove your helmet or gear. Keep your neck and spine protected until paramedics arrive.
• Call the police or CHP to report the accident and remain at the scene. Take down the names and badge numbers of responding officers.
• With a high possibility of injury in motorcycle accidents, it is always a good idea to get checked by a doctor even if you feel okay.
• Do not state that you are not hurt, serious injuries are not always readily identifiable.
• Record information about other drivers and vehicles involved including contact, license, insurance and vehicle information.
• Collect names and contact information of witnesses.
• Take pictures and video of the accident scene and vehicles involved.
• Document your version of the accident right away. Include information about when, where and how the motorcycle accident occurred.

California & Santa Monica Motorcycle Accident Insurance Claims

California motorcycle accident insurance claims are often underpaid and under settled. Insurance companies frequently attempt to pay motorcycle accident victims less than the full compensation they deserve by using California law to their advantage. In California, drivers can be found to be partially at fault for a motorcycle accident instead of fully at fault. A common tactic used by insurance companies is to claim their insureds are only partially liable so they can justify paying motorcycle accident victims less than they deserve.

Kermani motorcycle accident lawyers take an aggressive, no-nonsense approach to negotiating with insurance companies. Our motorcycle accident attorneys are able to get fast, out-of-court settlements that bring our clients the full compensation they deserve. With our vast trial experience, if we can’t reach a motorcycle accident settlement through negotiations, we’re ready to fight in court. We’ve litigated over 100 trials in the past five years alone.

How to Prevent Motorcycle Accidents

Riding a motorcycle can be fun, convenient, and a quick way to get around Santa Monica. Practicing safety measures is the key to riding with peace of mind. Your life is important and staying safe should be a priority when riding your motorcycle. Below are some tips that can reduce your risk of being in a motorcycle accident or reduce your risk of injury if you are involved in one.

• Wear a full-face helmet, gloves, boots, long pants and sleeves made of leather or other protective clothing.
• Wear bright colors and add reflective elements to your clothing and motorcycle.
• Always use your headlight, day or night.
• Stay alert and watch out for distracted drivers. Be prepared for sudden lane changes and swerves.
• Be extra alert and cautious at intersections. More than half of all motorcycle accidents occur at intersections. Watch out especially for motorists turning left in front of you.
• Don’t ride while under the influence. More than one-third of motorcycle riders who die in single-vehicle crashes were riding while under the influence of drugs (even doctor-prescribed drugs) or alcohol.
• Avoid riding in bad weather especially in conditions that reduce visibility.
• Ride on freeways that have motorcycle-friendly HOV lanes to reduce the risk of cars cutting in front of you.
• Check your motorcycle to make sure it is in good riding condition, especially wheels, brakes and the horn to warn drivers if they are getting too close.
• Never ride if fatigued, get your sleep and ride safely. Riding sleepy is just as dangerous as riding under the influence.

Recovering Santa Monica Motorcycle Accident Damages

Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Santa Monica have all the experience and expertise needed to negotiate with insurance companies and will strive to get you the best possible settlement in the shortest period of time. Whether your injuries are mild or severe, your attorney can help you prepare a strong case in your favor. Your Santa Monica motorcycle accident lawyer will serve as your advocate whether you have an injury such as broken bones or something more catastrophic like a head injury.

Medical Expenses & Pain and Suffering

Medical expenses are typically high in cost, even if an injury is relatively minor. Even if an injury is mild, after a motorcycle accident, you should still go to the hospital emergency room to get examined to ensure that you aren’t suffering something more serious. You can expect to undergo a checkup and sometimes a few diagnostic tests and may even receive prescription medication for pain. If your motorcycle accident was particularly serious, you may be required to stay overnight or longer at the hospital, undergo surgery and receive ongoing treatment and long-term care. When you have an experienced attorney on your side, you can get a better idea of what your financial compensation should be to cover all of your present and future medical expenses, ongoing care, property damage, lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses.

Lost Income

The injuries you sustain from a Santa Monica motorcycle accident can be debilitating and disabling, which means you will probably have to miss time off from work. In some cases, you might even have to leave your job altogether. This means you will suffer lost wages and may have financial hardship due to your ongoing medical expenses. You deserve compensation for your lost income whether you have to miss time off from work, get a reduction in hours and pay or have to leave your job permanently. An attorney can help you to recover the compensation you deserve and can help you to get future lost earning capacity compensation as well.

Property Damage & Loss

If you have been in a Santa Monica motorcycle accident, chances are high that the damage to your motorcycle is very expensive. If the crash was the fault of someone else, you deserve compensation for the repairs to your bike and to its diminished value as well. Your attorney will fight to get you the right amount of compensation for both.

Why Turn to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Santa Monica

Riding a motorcycle in and around Santa Monica can be an invigorating experience. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are exposed to a much greater risk of suffering serious or fatal injury during motorcycle accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), riders involved in a motorcycle accident are 26 times more likely than car drivers to be killed or sustain serious injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, orthopedic injuries. The unfortunate truth is few motorcyclists walk away from a motorcycle accident scene without injury. Adding insult to injury, many motorcycle accident victims and their families are severely under-compensated by insurance companies. If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you need a highly rated motorcycle accident law firm like Kermani LLP on your side.

Contact Kermani for a free one-on-one motorcycle accident case evaluation. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer will explain how to ensure you get the compensation you deserve. Motorcycle accident cases are taken on a contingency basis meaning you won’t pay any fees until we win your case.

Contact Our Santa Monica Motorcycle Accident Attorneys 

Kermani motorcycle accident attorneys offer free consultations and take all motorcycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis. We do not charge any legal fees unless we win your motorcycle accident case. Kermani’s motorcycle accident attorneys in Santa Monica are on your side and can fight insurance companies and other liable parties on your behalf to get you the full compensation you deserve. We aggressively advocate for motorcycle accident victims to quickly get them fair and full compensation for personal injury, pain and suffering, loss of income and loss of property.

Contact Kermani now to speak with an experienced and highly rated motorcycle accident lawyer. We’ve successfully settled thousands of cases in favor of our clients. What sets us apart is our vast trial experience. We’ve litigated over 100 trials in the past five years alone, with one of the highest personal injury success rates in the country. Call for a consultation now at 855-KERMANI.