Lancaster Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycle Accidents

Motorcycles are much smaller than passenger cars, making them harder for everyday motorists to spot. Many drivers won’t check for motorcyclists when turning, changing lanes, or crossing an intersection. Because of this, motorcycle accidents are disproportionately common, accounting for 14% of traffic deaths despite making up 3% of vehicles on the road.

Riders should not be expected to bear the consequences of another person’s careless driving. Yet car/motorcycle collisions are nearly always more disastrous for the motorcyclist.

When you’ve suffered due to a motorcycle accident, you deserve justice. The motorcycle accident lawyers at PARRIS Law Firm is here to fight for you.

For 40 years, our California motorcycle accident lawyers have relentlessly battled insurance companies on behalf of clients, restoring the lives of thousands of families.

Let us protect your rights. Discuss your case with a motorcycle accident attorney today.

Why Hire Our Lancaster, CA Motorcycle Accident Lawyers?

One mistake from a careless driver could leave even the safest, most experienced motorcycle rider with life-changing injuries. Hiring a lawyer is the best way to ensure you make a full recovery.

Unfortunately, injured motorcyclists can face extra, undeserved challenges in courtrooms. Even when the accident was clearly not your fault, you may be stereotyped as more reckless just for owning and operating a motorcycle. To combat this unfair treatment, you will need accident attorneys who have experience fighting for riders, not just any motorist on the road.

Fortunately, the attorneys at PARRIS have been fighting for victims of motorcycle accidents for over three decades. Since we opened our doors in 1985, we’ve developed a 99% success rate and have won over $4.1 billion for clients like you.

PARRIS’ Lancaster motorcycle accident lawyers get results for riders, and we’ll be with you at every step along the way.

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Our Track Record of Success

PARRIS has a long history of successfully fighting for motorcycle accident victims.

• PARRIS motorcycle accident lawyers recently fought for a CHP officer severely injured in an accident. Our client was riding his motorcycle while on duty when a distracted driver rear-ended him, ejecting him from his bike onto the roadway. Our client’s injuries were so severe that he couldn’t return to work or provide for his family. Despite this, the at-fault driver’s insurance company did everything they could to avoid responsibility, including paying the defendant to declare bankruptcy in an attempt to avoid trial. PARRIS attorneys struck down the defense at every step, eventually winning a $49.6 million verdict for our client.
• In 2012, PARRIS attorneys fought for a 65-year-old motorcyclist struck by a car making a left turn at a skewed intersection. This horrific motorcycle accident left our client with permanent brain damage requiring 24-hour care for the rest of his life. After a lengthy legal battle, both the negligent driver and Caltrans, who had allowed ten previous accidents to take place at that intersection, were brought to justice. With the help of PARRIS motorcycle accident lawyers, our client received a $31.5 million jury verdict.
• PARRIS motorcycle accident lawyers also fought for another on-duty motorcycle CHP officer who was struck by a garbage truck making a wide turn. PARRIS relentlessly fought the defendant, who continually denied liability. After resisting our efforts until the eve of trial, the defendant paid a $7.75 million settlement to our client.
• PARRIS also obtained a wrongful death settlement for the three children of a man killed in a motorcycle accident. The decedent lost control of his motorcycle after it slipped on gravel left on the road by a construction company. Both the construction company and the city that hired them paid our clients a $4 million settlement.
• PARRIS motorcycle accident lawyers secured a $2.35 million settlement for another motorcycle rider struck by a defendant making a turn in an intersection. This settlement will cover the costs of our client’s severe injuries.

With Us, It’s Personal

When PARRIS founding attorney R. Rex Parris was a young boy, his father lost his leg in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver’s negligence. His father’s life-changing disability prevented him from working, leading to years of emotional and financial turmoil in the family.

Since then, Rex has become a motorcycle accident lawyer, dedicating his life and practice to fighting for victims of accidents.

“From the day we started, we’ve known that injured victims desperately need great lawyers to represent them,” Rex states. “Without that, they can’t restore the balance in their family. That is why I have committed my life to helping people overcome the physical and financial burdens that result from an accident.”

Fiercely Dedicated to Clients

When you hire PARRIS to fight for you after your motorcycle accident, we don’t rest until you and your family see justice. We have the expertise and financial resources to thoroughly investigate your case, help you obtain medical care, fight the insurance company, and communicate with you every step of the way.

PARRIS attorneys prepare every case for trial, ensuring it receives the individualized care and attention it deserves.

But above all, the PARRIS team is here for you: our clients. Your family will never be left out of the loop. Every change, every discrepancy—you’ll be the first to know. We stop at nothing to make sure you see justice.

With PARRIS on your side, you can rest assured that you’re receiving the best care you could get.

Pay No Fees Until You Win

Part of caring for you is ensuring you focus on your recovery, not the cost of legal services. That’s why our lawyers work on contingency: with PARRIS, you’ll pay no fees until we win you compensation. You will never pay a cent in out-of-pocket legal fees.

When you’ve been injured in a motorcycle collision, don’t hesitate. Call PARRIS motorcycle accident attorneys today for a free case review.

PARRIS Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Fight Insurance Companies

After a motorcycle accident, the at-fault motorist’s insurance company will be responsible for compensating you for your injuries. Unfortunately, many of these insurance companies view you as nothing more than a liability. They may do anything they can to maximize their profit by minimizing your settlement.

Some common insurance tactics include:

• Trying to settle your claim too quickly
• Unreasonably delay processing your claim to encourage you to settle
• Argue that your injuries are not severe
• Cast doubt on your character to make you seem at fault for the accident
• Mislead you regarding the claims process

At PARRIS, we are deeply familiar with these deceptive practices, and we are well-equipped to ensure you get the recovery you deserve.

When you hire PARRIS, you join the family—and we’ll fight for you like family.

California Motorcycle Accident Statistics

According to Statista, the California DMV registered 808,377 motorcycles in 2019—more than any other state. This is no surprise: with a mild climate, incredible scenery, and hundreds of miles of winding roads, the Golden State is an incredible place to ride a motorcycle.

However, sharing the road with cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles can be risky, especially on California’s busy freeway network. One mistake from another motorist could have catastrophic results for motorcycle riders.

Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents tend to be deadlier and more destructive than car accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcycles make up 3% of total registered vehicles and account for only 0.6% of all vehicle miles traveled. Despite this, motorcycle accidents account for 14% of all traffic deaths— 5,014 deaths in 2019.

Per vehicle miles traveled in 2019, motorcyclist fatalities occurred nearly 29 times more frequently than passenger car occupant fatalities in traffic crashes.

There were 58.33 accident deaths per 100,000 registered motorcycles, which was more than six times the fatality rate for passenger car occupants (9.42).

Why Are Motorcycle Accidents So Dangerous?

These disheartening motorcycle accident statistics are attributable to several factors:

• Motorcyclists are less visible than cars to other motorists on the road. Many drivers forget to check for motorcyclists when yielding to traffic, changing lanes, or completing turns. Even if the motorist does see the motorcyclist, they may misjudge the speed and closeness of the biker due to the motorcycle’s smaller size. Unfortunately, the error of other drivers is the leading cause of motorcycle accidents.
• Motorcycle riders are less protected in the event of a crash. Car occupants are shielded from accidents by seatbelts, airbags, and the large, metal frame of the car. Motorcyclists have no such luxuries, and a victim’s injuries are often severe.
• By nature, motorcycles are more difficult to control than cars. Motorcycle steering systems are much more sensitive to the rider than that of a car, and even a speeding car in an adjacent lane can knock some riders off balance.
• Other drivers may assume that motorcycles have increased braking power due to their lighter weight, when in fact, motorcycles require just as much (if not more!) stopping time as regular cars. This misconception can have terrible consequences when other drivers cut in front of motorcyclists in traffic.
• The two- or three-wheel design of motorcycles makes them more susceptible to faulty road conditions, including:
  • Slick or wet pavement due to weather conditions
  • Loose gravel
  • Uneven pavement or potholes
  • Debris or animals in the road
  • Dangerous bridge joints or expansion joints

Put simply, many motorcycle accidents occur at no fault of the rider. If this happens to you, you deserve a motorcycle accident lawyer on your side that understands what you’re going through and knows how to help you recover.

California Motorcycle Laws: Lane Splitting

Under California law, motorcyclists are protected and governed by the same laws as any other motorist. However, motorcyclists in California have a right not found in any other state: the right to split lanes.

“Lane splitting” refers to when a motorcyclist rides between lanes of stopped or slowed traffic. Though lane splitting has been common practice in California for years, it was only officially legalized in 2016. Currently, California is the only state where this practice is legal, likely because the Golden State is home to some of the worst traffic jams in the country.

There are obvious visibility risks for motorcyclists who ride between lanes. Open doors, sudden projectiles, or even a hand out a window can pose a threat to a lane-splitting motorcyclist.

To minimize accidents, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) has put forth recommendations for best lane splitting practices. These include:

• Never ride between lanes at a speed 10 mph greater than the surrounding traffic.
• Avoid lane splitting when traffic is moving faster than 30 mph.
• It is best to split between the far left lane and the second lane from the left.
• Avoid lane splitting around commercial trucks and large vehicles.
• Avoid riding on the shoulder of any highway (this is prohibited by law).

Despite these laws, many drivers in California (including those from other states) are unaware that lane splitting is legal here. They may switch lanes or place a hand out of their window without realizing a motorcyclist is attempting to safely and legally pass.

As a motorcyclist, you have rights. If you’re injured in an accident, the attorneys at PARRIS can help you seek justice.

What Can Our Lancaster Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Recover?

When you file a personal injury claim with PARRIS after your motorcycle accident, you may be entitled to damages for the following:

• Past, current, and future medical costs (including emergency treatment and ongoing care)
• Damage to your motorcycle
• Wages lost due to missed work, including future lost wages due to treatment or loss of working capacity
• Damages for pain and suffering
• Any incidental expenses incurred by your injury, including childcare costs, disability accommodations, etc.
• Loss of companionship damages for the victim’s immediate family members
• Punitive damages, meant to punish the defendant

Get the recovery you need to restore your life. Call our Lancaster, CA motorcycle accident lawyers at PARRIS Law Firm today.