Motorcycle Accidents matters in Redding
Riding the Highways Around Redding
The roads radiating out of Redding are some of the most popular riding routes in Northern California. State Route 299 climbs and twists west toward Whiskeytown and the coast and east toward Lassen, while State Route 44 and the country roads near Palo Cedro and Churn Creek Road offer open scenery. That same terrain — blind curves, changing elevation, gravel and debris washed onto the pavement, and sudden weather — leaves little margin for error when a driver fails to see a motorcycle.
Most serious motorcycle crashes in the area are not the rider's fault. Left-turn collisions, where a driver turns across an oncoming motorcyclist at intersections along Hilltop Drive or Cypress Avenue, are among the most common and most dangerous. Because a rider has no surrounding cabin, even a moderate-speed impact can mean a trip by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center Redding for fractures, road rash, or head trauma.
Overcoming Bias Against Riders
Insurers often assume a motorcyclist was speeding or riding recklessly, and they use that bias to discount valid claims. We counter it with evidence: the collision report, scene photographs, witness statements, and reconstruction when needed. California's pure comparative negligence rule means that even if a rider bears some fault, compensation is reduced by that percentage rather than eliminated — and we work to keep any assigned share accurate and fair.
Wearing a helmet is required in California and protects your health, but failing to wear one does not erase a driver's responsibility for causing the crash. We make sure the focus stays on who actually caused your injuries.
Pursuing Your Recovery From Anywhere
Cases that do not settle are filed at the Shasta County Superior Court on Court Street in downtown Redding. Attorney Mihran M. Ghazaryan is based in Glendale and represents injured riders throughout California, including Shasta County, working remotely and communicating in English, Armenian, or Russian. The consultation is free, and there is no fee unless we recover.
The Injuries Riders Face and How We Document Them
Because a motorcyclist is exposed, even a single crash can cause fractures, severe road rash, joint damage, and traumatic brain injury despite a helmet. These injuries often require surgery and months of rehabilitation, and some leave permanent limitations. We help riders document everything — the emergency treatment at Mercy Medical Center Redding, the follow-up care, the time missed from work, and the gear destroyed in the crash. Consistent, honest medical records are what allow us to present the true scope of a rider's losses to an insurer or a Shasta County jury, and we never inflate a claim beyond what the evidence supports.
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.