26+ Years of Experience as a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Serving Fullerton

If you’re motorcycling in the Fullerton area and a negligent car or driver injures you, or you’re not sure who was at fault, seek advice immediately from an attorney who can fight aggressively for your rights, a Fullerton motorcycle accident attorney at The Paris Firm.

If you’re injured in Orange County in a motorcycle collision that was not your fault, your first legal consultation at The Paris Firm is free.

Fullerton motorcycle accident lawyer Eric Paris has more than 26 years of experience providing legal representation to Southern California motorcyclists injured by car and truck drivers.

What Causes Motorcycle Accidents?

Motorcycles provide economical transportation to thousands of Californians who do not own cars or trucks, and the state offers motorcyclists some of the world’s most beautiful scenery. But motorcycles can also be dangerous. Motorcycle riders face a variety of safety challenges:

The most common causes of motorcycle accidents are:

Vehicles making left turns: More than 40% of car-versus-motorcycle crashes involve either a motorcyclist or the driver of an automobile making a left turn.

Impaired visibility: If a motorist’s view is impaired by buildings, parked cars, or other hindrances, and that motorist rolls blindly into traffic, it can be catastrophic for an oncoming motorcycle rider.

Debris and obstacles on the road: Oil, potholes, and debris pose significant dangers to motorcycle riders.

Inexperience: It takes countless hours to become a skilled motorcycle rider. Until you gain that experience, avoid riding on highways and busy streets. A motorcycle safety class can add important insights to your hands-on experience.

Negligence: Excessive speeding, distracted driving, and intoxicated driving constitute negligence under California law. In one form or another, driver negligence is the root cause of almost every traffic accident.

What Safety Precautions Can Motorcycle Riders Take?

Motorcycle accidents probably can’t ever be entirely eliminated, but whether you are experienced or new to motorcycling, you may find these recommendations helpful for avoiding accidents and injuries:

Too many accidents occur when a motorcycle enters a car’s or truck’s blind spot. Presume that others on the road can’t see you until and unless they indicate that they do.

Don’t presume others will stop for stop signs and traffic signals. California drivers run red lights and stop signs every day, causing accidents and serious injuries.

Be alert and sober. Never get on a motorcycle if you are impaired by drugs or alcohol. Even prescription and over-the-counter medications can make motorcycling dangerous.

Wear a helmet. Helmets have been required for all motorcyclists in California since 1992. Boots, gloves, and a durable motorcycle jacket are also indispensable safety gear.

Adhere to the traffic laws at all times. Knowledge of the local traffic rules is imperative for safe motorcycling.

You can be fined up to $250 for riding a motorcycle without a helmet. It’s a violation of the California Vehicle Code. Riding without a helmet may also undercut your ability to persuade an insurance company or a jury that another party is responsible for your motorcycle crash injuries.

Maintain Your Motorcycle for Safety

Avoiding motorcycle accidents not only requires riding safely but also maintaining your motorcycle for safety. If anything on the motorcycle is worn out or about to fail, find and repair the problem. Routine maintenance should include checking:

tires for bald spots, bulges, and cracks, and keeping them inflated
headlights, turn signals, taillights, and high beams
for gas or oil leaks
coolant and hydraulic fluid levels
the horn, mirrors, and brakes

What Injuries Can Motorcycle Riders Sustain?

Motorcyclists do not have the protection or safety features that enclosed vehicles provide to car, truck, and bus drivers and passengers. In accidents, motorcyclists frequently suffer catastrophic injuries. The physical injuries typically sustained in motorcycle accidents include:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs): Any motorcycle rider can sustain a TBI, but those who ride without a helmet are substantially more likely to become TBI victims.
Spinal injuries: If a motorcycle accident injures your spinal cord, the result could be partial or total paralysis and permanent disability.
Internal injuries: Penetration (when broken glass or like metal breaks the skin) or blunt-force trauma could cause severe internal injuries and internal bleeding.
Limb injuries: Injuries to the legs are common in motorcycle accidents. When a motorcycle falls over in an accident, one or both of a rider’s legs can be trapped underneath.

When a Motorcycle Crash Happens

After a motorcycle accident, seek medical treatment immediately. If you are not rushed to an emergency room or examined by a medical provider at the accident scene, undergo a medical exam as quickly as possible, ideally within 24 hours.

A comprehensive medical examination can uncover any latent or hard-to-detect injury, and it provides the records you will need if you bring an injury claim. Without a medical exam, the other party can claim you were injured in some other way or not actually injured at all.

Make copies of pertinent police, medical, and insurance documents and store them. Trade car insurance and personal contact details with the car or truck driver. Take photos of the scene, the vehicles, and your injuries. If witnesses saw the crash, ask for their names and contact details.

Don’t admit any fault, and do not accept a settlement offer before you’ve consulted a Fullerton motorcycle accident attorney at The Paris Firm. Don’t even speak with a car insurance company; your attorney can do the talking and negotiating on your behalf.

How is Fault Determined?

Proving that the car or truck driver was at fault is the key to recovering fair compensation after a motorcycle accident. An attorney at The Paris Firm can conduct a thorough investigation of a motorcycle accident to determine fault and prepare a strategy to recover your compensation.

A motorcycle accident can be extraordinarily difficult to investigate. In many cases, there is little physical evidence, no witnesses, and no video.

What questions must be answered when determining fault for a motorcycle crash? After a motorcycle accident, if you take legal action with a personal injury claim, these questions must be answered:

Is there evidence to prove the car or truck driver was negligent?
Did you have a pre-existing medical condition or injury?
Did you have any share of responsibility for the accident?
Is your motorcycle injury preventing you from working? If it is, for how long?
Were you wearing a motorcycle helmet?

How Does The Paris Firm Handle Injury Claims?

Your lawyer can compile and examine the evidence (medical and police reports, photos, video, and witness statements) and may ask an accident reconstruction specialist, medical authority, or insurance expert to testify or offer a statement in support of your motorcycle injury claim.

In California, personal injury claims are typically resolved when attorneys meet privately to negotiate an agreement. But if an acceptable settlement offer is not forthcoming or if fault for the crash is in dispute, The Paris Firm can take your claim before a jury.

What Will You Have to Prove?

If you are injured motorcycling in the Fullerton area because a car or truck driver was negligent and caused an accident, you qualify to seek compensation for pending and future medical expenses, lost earnings and lost earning capacity, personal pain and suffering, and related damages.

To prevail with a motorcycle accident claim in California, you (the “plaintiff”), with the assistance of your personal injury attorney, may have to prove that:

The defendant (the presumably at-fault driver) owed you a legal “duty of care.”
The defendant breached the duty by driving negligently.
The breach and subsequent negligence caused your injury.

How Does California Law Define a Duty of Care?

The first step in any personal injury case is determining if a defendant owed a plaintiff a duty of care. This duty is a legal obligation that depends on the circumstances.

Business owners must take steps to keep their premises safe for customers and employees. Physicians owe patients a duty to provide adequate, professional medical care. Car, truck, bus, and motorcycle operators owe others on the road a duty to drive responsibly.

How Does California Law Define a Breach of the Duty of Care?

After establishing that a defendant in a motorcycle accident case owed you a duty of care, your attorney must prove the defendant breached the duty of care by driving negligently, resulting in your injury.

If the defendant is deemed liable, the last step in motorcycle accident cases is determining how much compensation the defendant should pay to the plaintiff.

How Are Compensation Amounts Determined?

California law entitles the injured victims of negligent drivers to recover “economic” damages for their current and future medical bills and lost wages. Keep all of the bills, receipts, and other records related to your motorcycle accident.

Injured victims of negligence are also entitled by law to financial compensation for the personal pain and suffering related to their injuries. These are “non-economic” damages. Lawyers and juries use standard, widely accepted formulas to determine non-economic damage amounts.

Punitive damages are rare in motorcycle accident cases and are ordered by a court only when a defendant went beyond negligence and acted dangerously, recklessly, and/or intentionally.

When Should You Contact The Paris Firm?

If a negligent driver injures you in a motorcycle accident, how do you know if you can recover compensation? Find out by contacting The Paris Firm and scheduling a free case evaluation. Attorney Eric Paris can review your claim and explain how the laws governing injuries and liability apply.

You will receive sound, reliable legal advice and be able to make an informed decision about proceeding with a personal injury claim. Contact The Paris Firm promptly after a medical provider treats you.

You have two years after a motorcycle accident to initiate a personal injury lawsuit, but if you fail to contact a lawyer at once, the evidence in your case may deteriorate or disappear over time, and the witnesses’ memories may fade. And if you’re injured, unable to work, and bills are piling up, you need to initiate the legal process immediately.

How Can You Pay for a Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

How can you pay for an accident attorney if you can’t work and your debts are mounting? The Paris Firm represents its injured clients on a contingency fee basis. You pay no lawyer’s fee upfront and no fee until and unless The Paris Firm recovers your compensation.

If, for any reason, you are not compensated at the conclusion of the legal process, your lawyer does not get paid.

With 26+ years of personal injury experience in Southern California, The Paris Firm can provide an in-depth initial evaluation of your motorcycle accident case with no cost or obligation. You can schedule that evaluation by calling our offices at 909-325-6185.

Bring Your Motorcycle Accident Case to The Paris Firm

If a negligent driver has injured you in a motorcycle accident in the Fullerton area, you should be represented by a Fullerton motorcycle accident lawyer with:

substantial experience demonstrating how drivers can be negligent
negotiating skills and experience with automobile insurance companies
a personal commitment to fighting effectively for motorcyclists injured by negligence

Having access to trustworthy legal advice is your right. If you’ve been injured by a negligent driver in a motorcycle accident in or near the Fullerton area, and if you and your attorney can prove it, you’ll recover compensation, and the law will be on your side.

Call The Paris Firm to Learn More

The Paris Firm represents injured motorcycle riders in Fullerton and throughout Southern California. We know how to recover compensation for motorcyclists injured by reckless and distracted drivers. Our record speaks for itself. Let us put the law to work for you.

Find out more about your right to compensation and the personal injury process. After a motorcycle accident, call The Paris Firm at 909-325-6185 to schedule a free legal consultation and obtain the legal guidance and representation you need.