While automobile accidents occur on the same highways and roads as motorcycle accidents, the results can often be drastically different because motorcyclists lack almost all of the protective coverings and safety features that come standard with an automobile.  Motorcyclists are openly exposed to the hard concrete road and the other fast moving vehicles traveling on that road.  Even when motorcyclists in an accident are wearing proper protective pads and a helmet, they still often suffer extremely severe injuries resulting in serious spinal cord trauma, painful burn injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or even the wrongful death of the motorcyclist.

In addition, because of the motorcyclist’s increased exposure to the road, defects in the road that would not affect an automobile can have devastating consequences for a motorcycle rider.  In such cases, the city or government entity responsible for maintaining the roads may be held liable for causing the accident.  However, proving liability in such cases can be difficult and will usually require the skill of experienced experts, like those that work with the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton.

Despite the increased potential for injury and the additional hazards for motorcycle riding, these cases can also be very difficult to win because of the stigmas that have been attached to motorcyclists and motorcycle riding.  Because we have all seen some motorcyclists zoom past us on the freeway, weaving in and out of traffic, all motorcyclists have been stigmatized and this stigma can even reach their meritorious lawsuits.  Even some Highway Patrol officers will approach accidents involving motorcyclists with preconceived suspicions that the motorcyclist may be at fault.  For this reason, it is imperative that you have attorneys who are experienced in these types of cases and who are able to overcome these stigmas to prove the merits of your claim.

A Recent Client

For example, as the video above explains, attorneys at the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton achieved a $1,000,000 settlement in 2009 for a motorcyclist who was found at fault for the accident by the CHP.

In that case, our client was in a head-on collision with another motorcyclist on a canyon road.  The collision resulted in the death of the other motorcyclist.  Our client suffered numerous injuries, including head trauma that resulted in amnesia surrounding the accident.  Based on a set of skid marks going across the double yellow lines, our client was found at fault for the accident by the CHP.  Because of this CHP finding, our client’s insurance carrier settled a claim by the heirs of the other motorcyclist who died for approximately $300,000.

About 1 year after the accident, the client came to us for help.  Within a short period of time, through a proper accident reconstruction, we were able to determine that the skid marks the CHP relied upon were not even motorcycle skid marks at all, but had in fact been created by a braking semi-truck long before this accident.  With this analysis, we were able to debunk the CHP’s accident report and prove instead that the other motorcyclist had actually caused the accident.

With this information, we settled our claim against the other motorcyclist’s insurance for the full policy limit of $30,000.   Thereafter, we were able to settle an underinsured motorist claim with our client’s own insurance carrier for the full remainder of the policy— $970,000.  This client came to our office with significant medical bills and a CHP report blaming him for the accident, and he left our office just a few short months later with a $1,000,000 settlement and the comfort of knowing that he was not at fault for the accident.

Attorneys at the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton have many years of experience in handling motorcycle accident cases.  We know how to use the tools of the law and reputable experts to our clients favor in proving the true cause of a motorcycle accident.  Our years of experience also allow us to seamlessly assess and coordinate medical care to make certain the full extent of our clients’ injuries are identified, treated, and provable.  

We understand the tricks, stratagems, and defenses the insurance companies and their attorneys use to defeat or minimize a claim, and at the Law Offices of W. Douglas Easton we utilize our experience, skill, and dedication to make certain our clients do not fall victim to the insurance companies’ tricks and stratagems. 


Please call us at (714) 850-4590 for a free initial consultation. If we do not take your case, there is no charge.