Hurt in a Motorcycle Crash? Start With a Free Consultation

A free motorcycle accident consultation Bakersfield riders and families can use is a confidential first meeting with Colvin Accident Lawyers, with no obligation to continue. You can explain what happened, ask questions, and learn what the attorney reviews. This page covers that process for riders, passengers, and families in Bakersfield and Kern County.

What a Free Motorcycle Accident Consultation Is and Who It Is For

A free motorcycle accident consultation is a first meeting where you describe your crash and ask questions. The firm offers a free, confidential first consultation with no obligation to continue.

It is built for people hurt in motorcycle crashes in Bakersfield and across Kern County. That includes injured riders, passengers on the bike, and family members of a rider who died.

You don’t need a lawsuit or a chosen lawyer before you call. You can ask questions first and decide later. If you are still in treatment or waiting on test results, you can still call.

What the Consultation Covers in a Motorcycle Case

The attorney starts with how the crash happened and who was involved. Early facts shape the rest of the claim, so the details matter.

The review usually includes:

• The crash sequence: where you were, where the other vehicle was, and who had the right of way.
• The vehicles involved: including whether a commercial truck or bus was part of the crash.
• Road and weather conditions: plus the exact location of the crash.
• The at-fault party: a driver, the employer of a commercial driver, or a property owner if a hazard caused the crash.

Bring what you have. Useful items include:

• The crash report number
• Medical records and bills
• Photos of the scene, your bike, and your injuries
• Letters from insurers
• Repair or total-loss paperwork for the motorcycle

The attorney also talks through your injuries. A motorcycle crash can cause a traumatic brain injury, including severe brain damage. The review covers treatment, time away from work, and how the injury affects daily life.

Common Motorcycle Crash Situations We Review in Bakersfield

A common crash pattern is a driver who turns or changes lanes and says they never saw the rider. These cases turn on what each driver could see and when.

Lane splitting raises a different set of questions. The attorney reviews where each vehicle was positioned and how the rider moved through traffic.

Helmet use is another issue to raise at your consultation. Under Veh. Code § 27803, a driver and any passenger must wear a safety helmet meeting statutory requirements when riding a motorcycle.

Potholes, debris, and unmarked hazards can also cause crashes. If a public agency owns the road, Gov. Code § 911.2 requires a claim to be presented within six months after the accrual of the cause of action for death or injury to a person. Under Gov. Code § 835, a public entity is liable for a dangerous condition of its property only if the condition caused the injury, created a reasonably foreseeable risk of that kind of injury, and either an employee’s negligent or wrongful act created the condition or the entity had actual or constructive notice of it a sufficient time before the injury.

How the Process Works, Step by Step

Most motorcycle claims move through the same basic steps. Timing differs from case to case.

1. First contact. You call, and the team schedules your free, confidential consultation.
2. Review. The attorney reviews the crash facts, your records, and any insurer letters.
3. Investigation. The firm requests evidence such as the crash report, photos, and medical records.
4. Insurer communication. The firm communicates with insurers and other parties about the claim.
5. Negotiation or filing. The firm negotiates and, if needed, files a lawsuit.

Timing depends on the facts of each case. Ask about your own timeline at the consultation. Injuries that need time to heal can make the full harm clear only later.

What Compensation Can Cover and the Deadlines That Apply

For breach of an obligation not arising from contract, California law measures damages, except where the Civil Code expressly provides otherwise, as the amount that compensates for all the detriment proximately caused by it. See Civ. Code § 3333. For breach of an obligation not arising from contract, California law measures damages as the amount that compensates for all the detriment proximately caused by the wrongful act. See Civ. Code § 3333.

Civ. Code § 1431.2 addresses how liability for non-economic damages is allocated among defendants in actions for personal injury, property damage, or wrongful death based on comparative fault.

• Economic damages: objectively verifiable losses, such as medical expenses, lost earnings, burial costs, and repair or replacement costs.
• Non-economic damages: subjective losses, such as pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1, most lawsuits for injury or death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect must be filed within two years, but exceptions apply. Claims against a public entity, such as a city, county or state agency, must be presented as provided in Article 2 (commencing with Section 915) of the Government Code: within six months after accrual for a claim relating to death or injury to person or to personal property or growing crops, and within one year after accrual for any other claim (Gov. Code § 911.2). See Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1. The California Courts Self-Help Guide describes the same general rule, subject to exceptions and tolling. Call promptly, because deadlines depend on the facts.

Why Colvin Accident Lawyers for a Motorcycle Accident Claim

Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, California. The firm represents people hurt in motorcycle, car, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, and dog bite accidents. It also handles premises liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death cases.

Donald Norman Colvin is the responsible lawyer for this page. Our attorneys handle the claims described here.

Our team includes assistants and office staff. They help schedule consultations and organize records for the attorneys.

The firm represents clients in Kern County and in Fresno, Visalia, Lancaster, Palmdale, Delano, and Tehachapi. Each matter depends on its own facts, so the first call is where your details get reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Motorcycle Accident Consultations

These answers cover common questions before you call.

Decide Your Next Step After a Bakersfield Motorcycle Crash

If a motorcycle crash left you or a family member hurt in Bakersfield or Kern County, the next decisions are time-sensitive. You need to decide whether to speak with the insurer, when to gather records, and how to track the applicable deadlines, including the two-year filing period (Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1) and the deadlines for claims against a public agency, which are six months after accrual for claims involving death or injury to person or personal property or growing crops, and one year after accrual for any other claim (Gov. Code § 911.2).

Reach out to Colvin Accident Lawyers now to talk through your situation. You can contact our team to set up your free, confidential consultation.

Colvin Accident Lawyers, Bakersfield, California — responsible for this site. Responsible lawyer: Donald Norman Colvin.