Hurt in a motorcycle crash?

Bakersfield Motorcycle Accident Law Firm | Colvin

Colvin Accident Lawyers is a motorcycle accident law firm that represents injured riders, passengers, and families of riders killed in crashes, including clients from Fresno. The firm is based in Bakersfield, California. This page offers general information about accident claims.

Who This Motorcycle Accident Service Is For

This service is for injured motorcyclists, passengers, and families who lost a rider in a crash in Fresno or nearby Central Valley communities. You may be a good fit if you:

• Were struck by a car, truck, or bus while riding
• Were hurt in a crash caused by a road hazard
• Were a passenger on a motorcycle involved in a crash
• Lost a family member in a fatal motorcycle crash

The firm also handles car, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, dog bite, and premises liability cases. For the full overview of the firm’s motorcycle work, see the motorcycle accident lawyer page.

Common Crash Causes and Injuries in Motorcycle Cases

Many motorcycle claims begin with a driver error. Common driver errors include:

• Turning left across a rider’s path
• Failing to yield at intersections
• Changing lanes without checking blind spots
• Following too closely

California law says a driver “shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent” (Vehicle Code § 21703).

Road conditions can also cause crashes, including potholes, gravel, debris, and unmarked construction zones. If a public entity like a city or county controls the road, different rules can apply. Government Code § 835 sets out when a public entity is liable for a dangerous condition of its property.

Riders often suffer road rash, broken bones, head injuries, and spinal injuries. Some injuries show symptoms days later. Get medical care right away and keep every record. Severe injuries may also lead to catastrophic injury claims.

What Colvin Accident Lawyers Covers in a Motorcycle Claim

The firm handles investigation, insurance communication, and paperwork for motorcycle injury and wrongful death claims. Its work typically includes:

• Crash investigation: gathering the police report, identifying witnesses, and preserving photos and vehicle information.
• Insurance communication: working with the at-fault driver’s insurer and, when needed, the rider’s own insurer.
• Uninsured motorist claims: when the at-fault driver has no insurance, the rider’s own policy may apply. California law says these disputes can go to arbitration before a single neutral arbitrator (Insurance Code § 11580.2).
• Medical and wage records: organizing bills, treatment notes, and lost income.
• Negotiation and lawsuits: negotiating with insurers, and filing suit when a fair resolution cannot be reached without one.
• Wrongful death claims: pursuing claims for eligible family members after a fatal crash.
• Public-entity claims: handling claims where a road or property condition contributed to the crash.

Support staff help with records and calls, so riders and families can focus on recovery.

What to Expect: Steps, Deadlines, and Timeline

A motorcycle claim usually moves through five steps, and the first one starts at the scene.

1. Get medical care. Call 911 from the scene if anyone is hurt.
2. Contact the firm. Request a free first consultation to review the crash facts.
3. Review evidence. Gather records, the police report, and scene information.
4. Present the claim. Send the claim to insurers, based on documented injuries and losses.
5. File suit if needed. A lawsuit is followed by discovery, mediation, or trial preparation.

Avoid a few common mistakes that can hurt a claim. These include delaying medical care, giving a recorded statement to an insurer without advice, and posting about the crash online.

Deadlines: California generally gives two years from the injury to file a lawsuit for injury or wrongful death (Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). The California Courts Self-Help Guide says this general rule applies to motorcycle injury suits, subject to exceptions and tolling.

When a public entity may be responsible, a written claim generally must be presented within six months for injury or death (Government Code § 911.2). Under Government Code § 945.4, a lawsuit against a public entity generally cannot start until that claim is acted upon or deemed rejected.

Timing varies by case, and each step depends on the facts of that case.

Fault, Insurance, and Damages in California Motorcycle Claims

California requires drivers and passengers to wear helmets on motorcycles (Vehicle Code § 27803). California law requires a driver and any passenger to wear a safety helmet meeting the requirements established under Section 27802 when riding on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle operated on the highways, and this requirement does not apply to a person operating, or riding as a passenger in, a fully enclosed three-wheeled motor vehicle that meets the conditions in subdivision (f) (Cal. Veh. Code § 27803).

Insurers may point to helmet use, speed, or lane position to shift blame. The firm reviews those points against the actual crash facts.

Damages in these cases often include medical bills, lost earnings, property damage, and pain and suffering. Civil Code § 1431.2 generally limits each defendant’s liability for non-economic damages, such as pain and emotional distress, to its own percentage of fault.

Why Work With Colvin Accident Lawyers

Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield and handles a wide range of injury cases for clients from Fresno and nearby areas. Key points include:

• Location: a Bakersfield base, with clients from Fresno, Kern County, Visalia, Lancaster, Palmdale, Delano, and Tehachapi.
• Case range: car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, dog bite, premises liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death claims.
• Support: staff who help with records and communication, so you can focus on recovery.
• Plain answers: clear explanations of deadlines, fault rules, and the claim process.

Fresno Motorcycle Accident Questions Answered

Talk to Colvin About Your Fresno Motorcycle Crash

If you were hurt or lost a loved one in a Fresno-area motorcycle crash, contact Colvin Accident Lawyers now. Insurers may already be calling, and the deadlines in this guide keep running. Reach out through the contact page to talk through your situation with Colvin Accident Lawyers and have your crash reviewed.