Articles Posted in Motorcycle Accidents

January 24, 2020

Should I File a Claim if I Was Partially at Fault for My Rancho Bernardo Motorcycle Accident?

Getting hurt in a motorcycle crash in Rancho Bernardo can be devastating. When motorcyclists are involved in collisions with cars or trucks, the motorcyclist often is the one who sustains particularly severe injuries. As the Insurance Information Institute (III) explains, “motorcycles are by their nature far less crashworthy than closed vehicles,” making motorcyclists more vulnerable in the event of an accident. While motor vehicle drivers often are at fault for motorcycle crashes in Southern California, motorcyclists can also bear some responsibility for the collision. If you were involved in a motorcycle accident and you think you may have been partially to blame, you may be wondering: Should I still file a claim even if I am partially at fault?

Generally speaking, it is extremely important to file a claim even if you think you may bear some responsibility for the crash. Yet perhaps even more importantly, you should know the proper steps for moving forward with your claim to give yourself the best chance at obtaining full compensation for your losses.

Do Not Admit Fault—Even if You Think You Might be Partially to Blame

April 18, 2019

Motorcycle Crash Rates Increase in Southern California (and North County)

by Walton Law Firm

Whether you are in North County or another part of San Diego County, it is important to know that motorcycle crashes, and auto accidents more generally, are on the rise. While California does not have the deadliest roads in the U.S., it certainly does not have the safest ones, either.

According to a recent report in the Patch, traffic collisions are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 55. Motorists in California should know that there were 3,623 deaths in motor vehicle crashes in 2016—one of the highest rates in the country—and that the road death rate is 9.2 per 100,000. Those figures place California at a rank of 38th in terms of the deadliest state roads in the country. Many of those collisions could be prevented, and the numbers are even worse when we look at motorcycle accident fatalities.

Motorcycle Accidents are Common in California

July 14, 2017

Vista Road Rage Accidents and Aggressive Driving

by Walton Law Firm

Could a multi-vehicle accident caused by road rage and aggressive driving happen in Vista, California? According to a recent report from ABC News, a motorcyclist’s road rage and aggressive driving caused a serious crash around Santa Clarita. The collision involved a sedan and a pickup truck, and that pickup truck overturned as a result of the crash. The motorcyclist—who was caught on film by other drivers, fled the scene of the car accident. The incident should alerts drivers throughout Southern California to the serious risks associated with road rage and other forms of aggressive driving.

Details of the Road Rage Accident

According to report, the accident happened at approximately 5:45 a.m. on a recent weekday morning. While witnesses could not say precisely what started the altercation, those heading southbound on State Road 14 managed to film a motorcyclist who “appears to try to kick the sedan” the approaches on his right. As a result of the motorcyclist’s behavior, the “sedan veers to the left and briefly collides with the motorcyclist before losing control and crashing into the highway divider wall.”

May 23, 2017

Motorcycle Awareness Month in Valley Center

by Walton Law Firm

If you live in Valley Center or elsewhere in Southern California, now is a great time to learn more about motorcycle safety. According to a recent article in the Patch, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in California, and the California Highway Patrol (CHP) is taking steps to prevent serious and deadly motorcycle accidents throughout the state. Although the weather is warm enough year-round for motorcyclists to enjoy the streets and highways of Southern California, it is a fact that more bikers are on the road in the spring and summer months. As such, it is an important time to assess previous motorcycle safety problems and to institute better practices going forward.

High Rate of Motorcycle Accidents Last Year in California

As the article explains, we are not seeing a noticeable reduction in the rates of motorcycle accidents in California. In 2015, there were 494 motorcycle accident fatalities and more than 13,500 accident-related injuries. By 2016, the number of nonfatal accidents had increased to more than 14,000, while the fatality rate dropped, although not considerably, to 476.

February 23, 2017

Harley Riding Law Professor Wins With Former Student

by Walton Law Firm

Law professor Jane Siegel has spent more than two decades doing the things she loves: teaching law students and lawyers, and riding her Harley Davidson motorcycle. Last June, however, when the retired Marine Corp Colonel was riding to work on the southbound I-15 in Escondido, California, she was clipped by a Volkswagen Beetle car who merged into her lane without looking. Jane and her bike went down hard, and at 60 miles per hour she somersaulted across the concrete freeway before coming to a rest. As one would imagine, the injuries were severe. Jane was alive, but she had numerous broken bones requiring surgery, and spent the next several months in hospitals, rehab facilities, and at home in bed.

When well enough, she knew she needed legal representation, and many lawyers to choose from considering she had over the years trained several hundred San Diego lawyers. When it came time to pick up the phone she called Randy Walton at Walton Law Firm, a lawyer she taught over 20 years ago, and one she had always respected. The feeling was mutual. Randy was honored to take the case of his former professor, someone he always admired.

Here at Walton Law Firm we love happy endings. Jane is healing well and back on her motorcycle, and Randy was able to get Jane a very sizable monetary recovery for the damages she suffered in her motorcycle accident. In her appreciation for the work of Walton Law Firm, Jane sent Randy the following letter:

October 14, 2016

Motorcycle Accidents on the Rise in San Diego

by Walton Law Firm

Generally speaking, the rate of deadly motorcycle accidents has been declining in the United States over the last decade. However, the rate of fatal motorcycle accidents actually has been rising in California, according to a recent article in Health Canal. While the cumulative rate of motorcycle accidents declined by about 7% in 2013, the rate of motorcycle deaths actually rose by 13% in California. Concerned about the spike in crashes and deaths, Southern California Public Radio (SCPR) looked at motorcycle accident rates between 2003-2012 and determined that fatal crashes increased by 23% across the state.

Why do the numbers make it seem as though motorcycling is more dangerous in California? Are motorcyclists at greater risk of suffering a serious or fatal injury in an accident in our state?

Highest Increases in Motorcycle Accident Fatalities in Southern California

January 1, 2016

Motorcycle Safety Enforcement in California

by Walton Law Firm

If you are riding on a motorcycle in San Diego, are you at higher risk of suffering injuries in an auto accident than other motorists? According to a recent article in the Ventura County Star, law enforcement officials in our state are concerned about motorcyclist safety and are conducting motorcycle safety enforcement operations in Southern California. It is important to know the risks associated with motorcycle accidents, and it is essential for bikers to understand the ways in which we can all work together to prevent deadly crashes.

Safety Enforcement Operation Targets Common Motorcycle Accident Areas

According to the article, earlier this month the Ventura County sheriff’s office planned an operation to “patrol areas frequented by motorcyclists and where motorcycle crashes have occurred.” The law enforcement officers planned to keep a close eye on traffic violations committed by automobile drivers, but also by motorcyclists who share the roadways. While not all motorcycle collisions occur during daylight hours, more auto accidents happen during the daytime work week than you might think. As such, the enforcement period focused on the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.

September 25, 2015

Avoiding Common Motorcycle Accident Scenarios

by Walton Law Firm

Most of us know that riding a motorcycle comes with the serious risk of being involved in a life-altering motorcycle accident. Indeed, a recent article from the San Diego Union-Tribune reminded readers about a San Diego City College student who recently lost a limb in a motorcycle collision after being struck by an automobile. Even the most careful riders can become victims of a debilitating crash. What can motorcyclists do to stay safe on the roads? According to a fact sheet from RideApart.com, an online portal that provides research tools to help consumers as they consider a motorcycle purchase, many of the most common motorcycle accidents are avoidable. All riders in the San Diego area should pay attention to these tips for motorcycle accident prevention.

What to Do When a Car Turns Left in Front of You

Cars turning left abruptly in front of motorcyclists are among the most common causes of a severe or fatal motorcycle accident. Automobile drivers often have difficulty determining the speed of a motorcyclist, and in some cases, those drivers simply do not see bikers at all. How can you avoid being involved in such a collision?

August 25, 2015

Preventing Motorcycle Accidents with Better Technology

by Walton Law Firm

California is known for having a booming tech industry, and new ideas often extend to automobiles and motorcycles. To be sure, connected cars and motorcycles used to be fictions of the future, but they’re slowly becoming a reality on streets throughout the state. When it comes to motorcycles, the California-based company Zero Motorcycles, according to a recent report from Information Week, was the first to create a prototype for a connected motorcycle (back in 2006). Now, the company is thinking more carefully about motorcycle safety and the ways in which the Internet of Things (IoT) might be able to help prevent deadly motorcycle accidents.

Connecting Riders to Improve Safety

As the article emphasizes, “connected motorcycles may sound cool, but researchers are delving into more serious aspects of them.” For instance, dedicated short-range communications (DSRC) applications might be able to reduce the number of injuries and fatalities that occur in motorcycle accidents. If connected motorcycles become the norm, riders who have been involved in an accident can quickly reach out for assistance. And some applications might even be able to connect riders involved in collisions immediately with emergency medical responders.

April 30, 2015

Deadly Motorcycle Accidents and Safety Measures

by Walton Law Firm

Fallbrook Man Dies in Fatal Crash

Motorcycle accidents can be extremely serious, and in many cases they result in fatal injuries. According to a recent article in U-T San Diego, a 46-year-old man from Fallbrook died in a motorcycle crash late last month. What happened? Based on testimony from the group members with whom he had been out riding and the California Highway Patrol officer who responded to the accident, the motorcyclist rode ahead of the others and “entered a curve at high speed, braked, and lost control of his motorcycle.” The rider “was thrown from the bike and hit his head [on] the metal guard rail.”

The force from the collision was so extreme that the motorcyclist’s helmet was knocked off, and the other riders found him “lying in the road, unconscious.” The accident occurred around 11:20 p.m. The motorcyclist was rushed to a hospital in Escondido by emergency responders, but he later died from the traumatic head injury he sustained in the crash.

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