Injured on a Motorcycle in Lancaster or Palmdale? Talk to Colvin.

If you need a motorcycle accident lawyer Lancaster Palmdale riders can call, this page explains what that help includes and how a claim works. Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, California. The firm represents injured riders, passengers, and families in Bakersfield and Kern County. California law sets a limited time to file a lawsuit, so it helps to learn the basics early.

Who Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Serves in Lancaster and Palmdale

Colvin Accident Lawyers represents riders and passengers hurt in motorcycle crashes. It also represents families of riders killed in them. The firm’s office is in Bakersfield, and it serves riders in Lancaster, Palmdale, and nearby Kern County and Central Valley communities.

This work fits several kinds of crashes:

• A rider hit by a car, truck, or bus.
• A rider hurt by a road hazard, such as a pothole or debris.
• A passenger hurt while riding on the back of a motorcycle.
• A family whose loved one died in a crash.

If a crash has already happened to you or someone you love, the contact form is a direct way to reach the office.

What a Motorcycle Injury Claim Can Cover

A motorcycle injury claim can seek two kinds of losses. Each claim’s value depends on its own facts.

California law describes economic damages as objectively verifiable monetary losses, such as medical bills and lost pay. Non-economic damages cover subjective losses, such as pain and emotional distress (California Civil Code § 1431.2).

• Economic: emergency care, surgery, therapy, medication, future medical needs, lost wages, and lost earning ability.
• Non-economic: pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and scarring.
• Property: the motorcycle and riding gear, including helmets and leathers.
• Wrongful death: burial costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship.

Value depends on injury severity, medical records, income history, each party’s share of fault, and available insurance.

For non-economic damages, each defendant pays only its own percentage of fault (California Civil Code § 1431.2).

Motorcycle-Specific Issues That Shape Your Claim

Helmet use, lane splitting, uninsured parties, and road conditions can each change how a motorcycle claim is built.

Helmets. California requires a driver and any passenger to wear a helmet that meets the required standard when riding on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle operated on the highways (California Vehicle Code § 27803). Helmet use can come up in a claim, so medical records that link each injury to the crash matter.

Lane splitting. The statute defines lane splitting as driving a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane (California Vehicle Code § 21658.1). The California Highway Patrol may develop educational guidelines on it. How a lane-splitting crash happened is central to the claim.

Uninsured parties. Civil Code § 3333.4 can bar non-economic damages in some uninsured situations, such as when the injured person owned an uninsured vehicle involved in the crash (California Civil Code § 3333.4). One exception applies when an uninsured owner is hurt by a motorist convicted of driving under the influence.

Road hazards. If a pothole or debris on a public road caused the crash, a government agency may be involved. A public entity can be liable for a dangerous condition under set conditions (California Government Code § 835). A claim for death or injury must be presented no later than six months after the cause of action accrues (California Government Code § 911.2). Private property owners face the general rule that anyone who fails to use ordinary care can be responsible for injuries (California Civil Code § 1714).

Trucks and buses. These crashes can add employers and extra insurance layers to a claim.

Call 911 and Get Medical Care Right Away

After a crash, call 911 and get medical care, even if your injuries seem minor. Some serious injuries are not obvious at the scene. The Administration for Community Living states that a motorcycle crash can cause a traumatic brain injury. The NINDS notes that a spinal cord injury between C1 and C4 can stop breathing.

• Photograph the vehicles, roadway, skid marks, traffic signals, and your injuries.
• Get the other driver’s license and insurance details, plus witnesses’ contact information.
• Report the crash to the DMV within 10 days when it caused bodily injury, death, or damage to the property of any one person in excess of $1,000. The report can be filed personally or through an insurance agent, broker, or legal representative (California Vehicle Code § 16000).
• Keep every medical record, bill, and receipt. Follow your doctor’s treatment plan.
• Talk with a lawyer before giving a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster.

How a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Lancaster Palmdale Claim Works, Step by Step

A claim moves from a first consultation to investigation, claim presentation, and, if needed, a lawsuit.

1. Free first consultation. You describe the crash and your injuries. The firm offers a free first consultation that is confidential and carries no obligation to continue.
2. Investigation. The firm gathers police reports, medical records, photos, and witness statements. It identifies the insurers involved.
3. Damages documentation. Bills, wage records, and treatment notes are organized to show the full harm.
4. Claim presentation. The firm presents the claim to the insurer and negotiates based on the facts and documents.
5. Lawsuit if needed. If a fair resolution is not reached, a lawsuit can be filed in court.

California generally allows two years from the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. That two-year period also covers claims for death caused by another’s wrongful act (California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1). The California Courts Self Help Guide notes that exceptions and tolling can apply. Earlier action keeps more options open.

Why Riders Choose Colvin Accident Lawyers

Colvin Accident Lawyers is based in Bakersfield, California. Donald Norman Colvin is the lawyer at the firm.

• Lawyer: Donald Norman Colvin.
• Office: Bakersfield, California.
• Team: our team of assistants and office staff helps with scheduling, paperwork, and communication.
• Practice areas: car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, bus, and dog bite cases, premises liability, catastrophic injury, and wrongful death.
• Next step: a first conversation about the facts of your crash.

Questions Riders Ask Before Calling a Lawyer

These short answers cover common questions about motorcycle injury claims.

The two-year filing period for an action for the death of an individual caused by the wrongful act or neglect of another is set by California Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1.

If a crash on a Lancaster or Palmdale road left you or someone you love hurt, you do not have to sort out the claim alone. Contact Colvin Accident Lawyers to talk through what happened.

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