Surviving a motorcycle crash can be harrowing. Your body is broken and battered, your bike is damaged, and your sense of freedom and adventure is suddenly gone. The last thing you want to do is deal with insurance companies and the legal system.
However, pursuing legal action after a serious accident caused by another's negligence is often necessary to pay for mounting medical bills and other losses. While the legal process can complicate an already difficult time, with the right guidance it can make all the difference in your ability to heal without the added stress of financial hardship.
1. Does California have motorcycle helmet laws?
Yes, California has laws that apply to riders and passengers of motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, and motorized bicycles.
California’s motorcycle helmet laws are some of the most stringent in the nation, applying to all motorcycle riders and passengers regardless of age. Such helmet laws are known as “universal” helmet laws.
Other states, like Michigan and Florida, require helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers under 21 years old. Still others, like Arizona and Hawaii, require helmets for motorcycle riders and ...
1. What is lane splitting?
California drivers often see motorcyclists whiz by on the freeway, squeaking by, either in the same lane or between the two far left lanes. This practice is called “lane splitting.” And it is generally legal in California.
The California Vehicle Code defines lane splitting as “driving a motorcycle . . . between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane . . . .”[1]
This lane-splitting law, which went into effect in 2017, also tasked the California Highway Patrol with developing “educational guidelines relating to lane splitting in a manner ...