California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer – Protecting Riders Across the State

If you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident anywhere in California, you need an attorney who truly understands what it means to ride. I’m Norman Gregory Fernandez, founder of The Law Office of Norman Gregory Fernandez and the creator of the nationally recognized Biker Law Blog, one of the longest-running motorcycle law blogs in the United States. As both an experienced trial attorney and a lifelong rider, I know firsthand the dangers motorcyclists face on California’s roads — and the bias we encounter from insurance companies, police reports, and even juries.
Motorcycle accident cases are not the same as car accident cases — and most lawyers simply don’t get it. I do.

WHY MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT CASES ARE DIFFERENT

Motorcycle accident cases require a completely different level of experience and understanding.
Unlike cars, motorcycles:

• Are smaller and harder for drivers to judge

• React differently under braking, countersteering, and evasive maneuvers

• Provide no structural protection

• Expose riders to severe injuries even at low speeds

As a rider myself, I understand the physics and realities of motorcycle riding — things many PI attorneys and even police officers misunderstand.
This knowledge is critical in proving liability, confronting biased police reports, and explaining riding dynamics to insurance adjusters and juries.

COMMON CAUSES OF MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENTS IN CALIFORNIA

Motorcycle accidents are rarely the rider’s fault. The most common causes include:

• Left-turn violations (the #1 cause of bike crashes)

• Drivers changing lanes without checking blind spots

• Distracted drivers using phones

• Unsafe passing by other vehicles

• Lane-splitting misjudgment by drivers (not riders)

• Rear-end collisions at lights and intersections

• Road hazards that pose extreme danger to motorcycles (gravel, potholes, uneven pavement)

California roads are dangerous enough — but negligent drivers make them lethal.

COMMON MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT INJURIES

Motorcyclists suffer some of the most severe injuries of any roadway user, including:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

• Burns and road rash

• Multiple fractures

• Spinal cord injuries

• Internal bleeding

• Severe soft tissue injuries

• Amputations

• Facial trauma

These injuries require aggressive medical care and aggressive legal representation.
Insurance companies often try to downplay motorcycle injuries — but as a rider, I know what these crashes really do to the human body.

CALIFORNIA MOTORCYCLE LAWS EVERY RIDER SHOULD KNOW

As both a biker and a lawyer, I stay on top of California’s unique motorcycle laws, including:

Lane Splitting (CVC §21658.1)

California is the only state where lane splitting is explicitly legal, but insurance companies will still try to use it against you.
I won’t let them.

Helmet Laws

CVC §27803 requires DOT-approved helmets.
Failure to wear one does not automatically reduce your case — don’t let an adjuster lie to you.

Motorcycle Equipment Laws

Lighting, signals, mirrors, handlebar height, exhaust rules — all can come up in liability arguments.

Comparative Negligence

California allows recovery even if you are partially at fault.
Most riders are blamed unfairly — I correct the record.

Police Report Bias

I know how to identify and challenge anti-biker assumptions that officers commonly make.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT

A simple mistake after a crash can destroy your case.
Here is what you should do:

• Seek medical treatment immediately

• Photograph the bike, gear, skid marks, roadway, and injuries

• Do NOT give recorded statements to insurance companies

• Preserve your helmet, jacket, and riding gear

• Contact an experienced motorcycle accident attorney

The earlier you call, the better the outcome.

WHY CHOOSE NORMAN GREGORY FERNANDEZ?

Here’s what makes my firm different from other PI lawyers in California:

• I ride — I know what really causes these crashes.

• I understand jury prejudice against bikers — and how to destroy it.

• I handle all motorcycle cases personally — not case managers or paralegals.

• I have 28 years of legal experience in catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases.

• I run the Biker Law Blog, read by riders nationwide.

• I am not a settlement mill — I am a trial lawyer who fights.

Most attorneys have never touched a motorcycle.
Many don’t know countersteering from throttle control.
But insurance companies do — and they use that ignorance aggressively.
I turn their bias into your advantage.