GET A FREE CONSULTATION
A motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach can upend your routine fast. One moment you are riding down Pacific Coast Highway or through surface-street traffic near Main Street, and the next you are dealing with injuries, a damaged bike, and an insurance adjuster asking for a statement. Riders often get blamed early, even when a driver made an unsafe turn or lane change. At the Law Offices of Brent W. Caldwell, we help injured motorcyclists in Huntington Beach and throughout Orange County pursue compensation after serious crashes. We offer free consultations, and we handle cases on a contingency fee basis, which means no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Huntington Beach has its own riding challenges. Traffic patterns change quickly around the beach, parking lots fill and empty in waves, and visitors make sudden turns while looking for beach access. On top of that, PCH congestion can lead to tight spacing and abrupt lane changes.
We commonly see collisions tied to:
Motorcycle claims often become a fight over fault. Adjusters may suggest the rider was speeding, lane splitting “too aggressively,” or should have avoided the crash. We build the case around evidence that answers the questions insurers care about:
What did the intersection controls show? Where was each vehicle positioned? What does the damage pattern show? Were there witnesses or video? Do your medical records match the mechanism of injury? That is how we counter assumptions with facts.
Motorcycle injuries can be serious even at city speeds. We often see head injuries, neck and back injuries, broken bones, ligament injuries, road rash, and scarring. Symptoms also tend to evolve over the first few days. Getting medical care quickly protects your health and creates documentation that connects your injuries to the crash, which matters when the insurer starts questioning treatment.
You do not need to gather every detail at the scene, but a few practical steps help preserve the story while it is still fresh.
If you can do so safely, get the police report number, take a handful of photos that show the vehicles, the point of impact, lane markings, signals or signs, and any debris or skid marks. If someone saw the collision, ask for their name and contact information. Save dashcam footage right away, since files can overwrite quickly.
Keep your helmet and riding gear. Damage to a helmet or jacket can help show the force and direction of impact.
Two issues come up repeatedly in Huntington Beach motorcycle cases: helmets and lane splitting.
California requires motorcycle riders and passengers to wear a safety helmet. California law also defines lane splitting and authorizes CHP educational guidance. Lane splitting does not automatically decide fault, but insurers often try to use it to shift blame.
Even when the driver clearly caused the crash, the insurance company may argue you share responsibility. California uses pure comparative negligence, which means fault can be divided and compensation is typically reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you, rather than blocked entirely.
This matters in common Huntington Beach scenarios, like a left-turn crash where the driver claims you were “coming too fast,” or a lane change collision where the driver claims they “did not see you.”
Every case is different and outcomes are never guaranteed. A successful motorcycle accident claim may include payment for medical bills, future treatment, lost income, reduced earning capacity, property damage to your motorcycle, and pain and suffering. In cases with serious road rash or fractures, scarring and long-term limitations can be part of the evaluation as well.
Serious motorcycle injuries can exceed insurance limits quickly. California’s minimum liability coverage requirements are $30,000 per person, $60,000 per accident, and $15,000 for property damage.
We also look at your own policy. Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage can be a major source of recovery when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough coverage. Many riders are surprised to learn that their best path forward can involve a claim under their own UM/UIM coverage.
Deadlines can affect your options, and evidence tends to disappear quickly in beach-area crashes.
California’s DMV explains that you must file an SR-1 accident report within 10 days if anyone is injured (even minor injury) or if property damage is over $1,000.
California Courts lists a 2-year deadline for most personal injury lawsuits and a 3-year deadline for most property damage claims. Some cases have different timing rules depending on the facts, so it is smart to get legal advice early.
When we represent you, we take the pressure off you and deal with the insurance process while you focus on treatment. We gather and organize the evidence insurers use to evaluate claims, which often includes crash reports, photos and video, witness statements, medical records, and wage documentation. We also handle communications with adjusters, present your claim in a clear demand package when appropriate, and file a lawsuit when litigation becomes the best path to move the case forward.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Huntington Beach or nearby Orange County, we are ready to listen and explain your options. Contact the Law Offices of Brent W. Caldwell for a free consultation. We take motorcycle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
If you or a loved one has been injured in Huntington Beach, contact the Law Offices of Brent W. Caldwell today. We offer free consultations and do not charge any fees unless we win your case.