If you or a loved one has been in a motorcycle crash, a San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyer at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle can help you pursue a claim and, if needed, file a lawsuit against the negligent driver who caused your injuries. If you are asking “How can I find the best motorcycle accident lawyer near me?”, it is important to hire an experienced, creative, and well-respected motorcycle accident attorney in San Francisco from the start of the claims process. Every day, distracted and careless car, bus, and truck drivers cause motorcycle collisions that leave San Francisco riders with serious personal injuries, long recoveries, and wrongful death losses.
At the law office of Choulos, Choulos & Wyle, our law firm and personal injury law firm is dedicated to representing injured motorcyclists and their families and holding negligent motorists accountable for the harm they cause. Because both partners are avid lifelong motorcyclists, we attract clients who share that same love of riding and want counsel from lawyers who understand motorcycles firsthand. In the sections below, you will learn what to look for in the best motorcycle accident lawyer, the common causes of motorcycle crashes, the injuries riders often suffer, how California deadlines and the legal process affect your case, what compensation may be available, and how our firm helps injured bikers protect their rights and seek full financial recovery.
After experiencing something as serious as a motorcycle accident injury, you need a firm with vast experience handling these cases. As a personal injury law firm, Choulos, Choulos & Wyle is ready to help with exceptional legal representation.
Because both partners are avid cyclists and motorcyclists, we attract clients who have the same hobbies and interests. We find people are much more comfortable consulting with someone who understands where they’re coming from and who has a passion for it. Our interest in these areas offers an advantage in going up against the other side due to our knowledge and personal experience.
Partner George Choulos on the famous corkscrew at Laguna Seca raceway
Our attorneys often hear the same story —”I didn’t see him” — or some other excuse that puts the blame squarely on the biker, not on the motorist’s dangerous driving.
Frequent causes of serious motorcycle accidents include:
Dangerous road conditions or a defective car or motorcycle part could have played a significant role in your accident. Perhaps a manufacturing defect in your bike helmet made the injuries worse. We won’t know unless we carefully investigate the dynamics of your motorcycle accident.
Our firm has extensive experience handling all kinds of motorcycle accident investigations and knows how to preserve valuable evidence. In fact, we frequently retain the services of accident reconstructionists to aid in our investigations.
Saying the wrong thing after a motorcycle accident can limit the amount of money you can receive for your losses. Before you provide a statement to an insurance claims adjuster or accept a settlement offer, we strongly urge you to speak with a lawyer. Your consultation with us is always free.
According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, there are more than 850,000 total registered motorcycles in the state of California, more than any other state in the country. During the latest reporting year, crashes involving motorcycles resulted in nearly 14,000 motorcyclist injuries and 488 motorcycle rider fatalities.
Unfortunately, injured motorcyclists are more vulnerable to sustaining severe injuries in a crash than those inside a passenger vehicle involved in accidents. Even when motorcyclists are wearing helmets, they are still vulnerable. There is simply not much protection for a motorcycle rider if they are struck by a vehicle. At Choulos, Choulos & Wyle, it is not uncommon for our motorcycle accident attorneys in San Francisco to help clients who have sustained the following catastrophic injuries:
Each of these injuries requires immediate medical attention, and motorcycle crash victims often face long recovery times and substantial medical bills. In many cases, injured victims may suffer temporary or permanent disabilities due to the incident, making fair compensation especially important. In 2017, over 5,000 motorcyclists died in accidents in the U.S. Motorcycle deaths occur 27 times more often than deaths in other vehicles.
We’ve run the roadway gauntlet of drivers on cell phones, trucks accelerating through intersections, and vehicles swerving into our lane. Unlike someone in a passenger vehicle, a rider has far less protection when a crash happens. California highway driving requires constant vigilance, but not even experienced bikers can always avoid injury. Motorcycles are also more susceptible to roadway hazards than cars, and these crashes commonly cause severe, life-altering injuries.
If your loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident involving a car or truck, contact our San Francisco law office to speak with an attorney who really understands. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, we’ll meet you at home or in the hospital to discuss your case. Each of these injuries requires immediate medical attention, and injured motorcyclists facing catastrophic injuries often need help handling legal matters while pursuing fair compensation for medical bills and other losses.
Each state has time limits in place regarding how long an injury victim has to file a lawsuit to recover compensation from an at-fault party following a traffic accident. This time limit is called the statute of limitations. Under California personal injury law, the statute of limitations for most motorcycle accident cases is two years from the date the accident occurs. This means that victims will have two years to file a lawsuit against an alleged negligent party to recover damages. In fatal crashes, surviving family members may also have grounds to bring a wrongful death claim. Failure to file a claim within this time limit will result in the victim being unable to recover compensation for their losses.
If a motorcycle accident was caused by the negligence of a California government employee (state, county, municipal), victims must file a notice of their intention to sue within six months of the incident occurring.
If a motorcyclist is injured in a traffic collision that was caused by the negligent actions of another person, including a negligent driver, they may be entitled to fair compensation through a claim or lawsuit. While the total amount of compensation available in these cases will vary depending on the specific factors of each case, the San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyers at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle regularly help clients pursue maximum compensation, and these motorcycle accident cases often require specialized handling and expertise in navigating California liability rules to recover damages even when fault is disputed. This can include:
Under California personal injury law, the state follows pure comparative fault rules, so an injured rider may still recover damages even if partially at fault, including in situations where the rider is 50% or less at fault. If a loved one is killed in a motorcycle crash, wrongful death claims may also be filed by next of kin in California.
At Choulos Choulos & Wyle, our motorcycle accident lawyers will:
The value of damages can include medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, and California allows recovery even if the motorcyclist is partially at fault.
Motorcyclist suffered multiple fractures when struck by van driver making a U-turn across both lanes of travel. Motorcycle accident occurred when in Marin County a van driver turned right onto a shoulder and then pulled a U-turn across the entire road without making sure the roadway was clear. As a result, Doug L., who was riding his motorcycle at the posted speed limit, was caused to hit the van, and he sustained multiple fractures and underwent several surgeries to repair the fractures. We filed Doug’s case in Marin County Superior Court and were able to hold the negligent driver and the company for whom he was driving accountable.
Our firm handled the legal matters with the insurance company while pursuing maximum compensation, and ongoing communication with the attorney remained vital for case management. In motorcycle accident cases like this one, we build strong evidence to obtain justice and reflect the track record we have developed for injured riders. Our trial experience also strengthened settlement negotiations.
Settlement: $2,300,000.00
Our job isn’t to simply win your case; our job is to help reestablish your financial security and health. Contact the San Francisco law office of Choulos Choulos & Wyle to talk with one of our experienced motorcycle accident lawyers. Call (415) 432-7290 or (877) 702-7800 toll-free to schedule your free case evaluation with our legal team.
