Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Bakersfield, CA

Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Palmdale, CA

Motorcycle accident attorneys Palmdale riders can contact help injured riders, passengers, and families understand their options after a crash. In short, a rider may have a claim when another driver’s carelessness caused the crash. California generally allows two years to file a lawsuit for injury or death (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). This page explains what a claim covers, which deadlines apply, and what happens after you reach out.

Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in Palmdale: Who This Service Is For

This service is for riders, passengers, and family members hurt or killed in a motorcycle crash in Palmdale or the Antelope Valley.

• Riders and passengers injured on Palmdale streets or highways.
• Families of a rider who died. Certain relatives may bring a wrongful death claim.
• Riders struck by a car, truck, or bus, or hurt by a road defect.

Typical crashes include a driver turning left across a rider’s path, a lane change into a motorcycle, and a rear-end collision at a stop. Donald Norman Colvin, a California lawyer, is the responsible lawyer for this page.

What a Motorcycle Accident Claim Covers

A motorcycle claim looks at who caused the crash, what injuries followed, and what losses resulted.

• Fault: Speeding, distracted driving, failure to yield, unsafe lane changes, and impaired driving all matter. California bars driving faster than is reasonable or prudent for traffic, visibility, and road conditions.
• Injuries: Road rash and fractures are common. A motorcycle crash can also cause traumatic brain injury, including severe brain damage. The spinal cord is protected by three layers of tissue and cerebrospinal fluid, so injury there is serious.
• Helmets: California requires a driver and any passenger riding on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle operated on the highways to wear a helmet that meets required standards (Vehicle Code § 27803). Insurers may raise helmet use. It is reviewed together with fault and injuries.
• Shared fault: More than one person can share responsibility for an accident, and how fault is divided can affect a claim.
• Other losses: Medical bills, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and damage to the motorcycle and gear.

How the Process Works, Step by Step

The process starts with a confidential consultation, then moves through records, investigation, insurer talks, and possibly a lawsuit.

1. First consultation: We review the crash, your injuries, and insurance information.
2. Case review: Gather the crash report, scene and bike photos, witness names, medical records, and insurance declarations.
3. Investigation: Request records, identify all insurance coverage, and ask that vehicle data and other evidence be preserved.
4. Documenting damages: Organize treatment records, bills, wage records, and how the injury affects daily life.
5. Negotiation: Present the claim to insurers.
6. Lawsuit if needed: California generally allows two years from the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. That period also covers death caused by another’s wrongful act.

Under Gov. Code § 911.2, a claim for personal injury against a public entity must be presented within six months after it accrues. A claim for injury to a person against a public entity, such as a city or county, must be presented not later than six months after the accrual of the cause of action; claims against a private party, such as a driver, follow a different deadline. Case length depends on injury severity, treatment, insurer response, and whether litigation is needed.

What Affects the Value of a Motorcycle Injury Claim

Value depends on the facts of each claim, so no single figure applies to every rider.

Economic damages are objectively verifiable losses. Under Civil Code § 1431.2, they include medical expenses, loss of earnings, burial costs, and property repair or replacement.

Non-economic damages are subjective losses, such as pain, suffering, emotional distress, and loss of companionship.

For breach of an obligation not arising from contract, the measure of damages is the amount that will compensate for all detriment proximately caused by the breach, whether or not it could have been anticipated, unless the Civil Code expressly provides otherwise (Civil Code § 3333). Other factors include injury severity, consistency of treatment, documentation of the crash, fault allocation, and available insurance.

About Colvin Accident Lawyers

Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, CA, and handles motorcycle accident cases for people in Palmdale and other communities it serves. The firm handles motorcycle, car, truck, bus, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes, dog bites, premises liability, wrongful death, and catastrophic injury cases.

• Based in Bakersfield, California. Represents riders in Palmdale and Lancaster, along with Kern County, Fresno, Visalia, Delano, and Tehachapi.
• Donald Norman Colvin is the responsible lawyer named on this page, and he is licensed to practice law in California.
• Support staff, including assistants and office staff, handle records requests and correspondence.
• Our team reviews deadlines and insurer requests with you during your consultation.

Questions Palmdale Riders Ask Before Calling a Lawyer

Most riders ask about value, deadlines, helmets, and insurance first. Here are direct answers.

Talk to Colvin Accident Lawyers About Your Palmdale Motorcycle Crash

If a motorcycle crash has left you facing medical bills, lost pay, or insurer calls, the steps you take now can shape your claim. Your first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation to continue. Contact Colvin Accident Lawyers today through our contact form to talk about your crash and your next steps.

Colvin Accident Lawyers, Bakersfield, California — responsible for this site.