Motorcycle Accidents matters in San Mateo
Why San Mateo Riders Get Hurt
The Peninsula is popular riding country, but the same roads that make San Mateo enjoyable on two wheels also concentrate danger. Interstate 280 (the Junipero Serra Freeway) runs along the western hills with sweeping curves near Crystal Springs and the CA-35 Skyline turnoff, where a driver drifting across a lane line can send a rider down in an instant. State Route 92 climbs toward Half Moon Bay and the reservoir, mixing fast traffic with sudden fog and gravel. Around town, El Camino Real (SR-82) and Hillsdale Boulevard are full of left-turning cars whose drivers say the classic line: "I never saw the motorcycle." That failure to see, especially at intersections, is one of the most common causes of serious rider injuries.
When a rider goes down, the injuries are rarely minor. Road rash, fractures, spinal damage, and traumatic brain injuries are common, and the medical bills mount quickly while the rider is unable to work.
Lane-Splitting Rights and Helmet Bias
California is the only state that expressly authorizes lane-splitting. Vehicle Code section 21658.1 directs the CHP to develop guidelines for riding between lanes, and the practice is legal when done safely. That matters because insurers routinely try to blame the rider for lane-splitting, even when the driver caused the crash by drifting, opening a door, or changing lanes without looking. The law is on the rider's side, and we make sure the adjuster cannot rewrite it.
Insurers also play on helmet bias, the unfair assumption that a rider was reckless. California's universal helmet law requires a DOT-compliant helmet, but a helmet does not prevent every injury, and a driver's negligence is still a driver's negligence. Under California's pure comparative negligence rule, your recovery is reduced only by your share of fault and never eliminated, so even if the insurer assigns you some blame, you can still recover. We secure the police report, intersection footage, and witness accounts to establish what really happened.
Deadlines and the San Mateo County Court
Under California Code of Civil Procedure section 335.1, you generally have two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a dangerous road condition or a public entity such as the county or Caltrans contributed, Government Code section 911.2 requires a written claim within six months. Motorcycle crash lawsuits in San Mateo are filed in the San Mateo County Superior Court, with civil matters heard at the Hall of Justice in Redwood City. Seriously injured riders are often taken to Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame, with major trauma transferred to Stanford. We work on contingency, so there is no upfront cost and no fee unless we recover for you.
Our attorney
How Mihran M. Ghazaryan helps with motorcycle accidents
Riders walk in facing a built-in bias, and Mihran M. Ghazaryan's job is to dismantle it. He documents the mechanics of the crash — often with reconstruction — to show what actually happened, presents your injuries in full, and pushes back hard when an insurer tries to blame the rider. You deal directly with the attorney building that narrative, not a rotating intake team.
Types of motorcycle accidents we handle
Left-turn and right-of-way collisions
The classic cause: a car turning across the rider's path. Witness statements and timing analysis are key.
Lane-change and unsafe-merging crashes
California lane-splitting is legal — but reasonable. We document compliance with CHP guidelines to defeat shared-fault claims.
Road-defect and dooring claims
Government-entity claims have a six-month presentation deadline. Dooring claims involve California Vehicle Code §22517.
Damages
What compensation can cover
Every motorcycle accident claim is different, but California law allows injured plaintiffs to seek several categories of damages. We build each one with documentation — medical records, wage statements, expert opinions — so nothing is left on the table.
Medical expenses
Emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and the future treatment your providers say you'll need.
Lost wages
Income you lost while recovering — and, where the injury affects your ability to work, diminished future earning capacity.
Pain and suffering
Compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the ways the injury has changed how you live day to day.
Property damage
Repair or replacement of your vehicle and other property damaged in the incident.
Out-of-pocket costs
Transportation to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and the other expenses an injury forces on you.
How we work
- 1
Free, no-pressure consultation
We listen first. We answer your questions. There is no fee for the initial conversation — and you decide whether to engage us at the end of it.
- 2
Investigation and evidence preservation
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, vehicle data, surveillance video, medical records. The earlier we collect, the harder it is for the other side to reshape the story later.
- 3
Treatment, demand, and negotiation
We coordinate with your providers, document the full extent of damages — medical, lost income, pain — and present a demand backed by evidence. We push back firmly when an insurer lowballs.
- 4
Litigation when necessary
Most matters settle. When an insurer refuses to be reasonable, we file. Preparing every case as if it will be tried is what makes the settlement number move.
What to do right away
- Get medical care immediately — adrenaline and gear can hide serious injury.
- Photograph the bike, your gear, and the scene before anything moves.
- Preserve your gear — helmet, jacket, gloves — without cleaning it.
- Identify any witnesses; bystanders often vanish quickly after motorcycle crashes.
- Call us before talking to either insurer.
The information on this website is for general information purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship.
Deadlines that matter
Most California personal-injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury (Code of Civil Procedure §335.1). Miss the window and the court will almost always dismiss the case, no matter how strong it is.
Claims against government entities are much shorter — generally a written claim within six months (Government Code §911.2). Crashes involving city vehicles, public buses, or dangerous public-road conditions can fall under this rule.
Exceptions exist in both directions — discovery rules, minors, continuing violations, out-of-state defendants — so don't assume your deadline has passed or that you have time to spare. Call (818) 539-7969 and we'll tell you exactly where you stand.