Motorcycle Accident Attorneys in San Francisco, California

1. Dolan Law Firm

Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputation injuries, catastrophic injuries

Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck collisions, lane splitting accidents, left-turn accidents, intersection accidents, highway motorcycle accidents, hit-and-run accidents, drunk driver accidents, distracted driver accidents, wrongful death from motorcycle accidents, defective helmet claims

Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident reconstruction, biomechanics expert analysis, witness interviews, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, punitive damage claims

Background: Attorney Chris Dolan is an avid motorcyclist who has logged more than 250,000 miles across five countries on four bikes. The Dolan Law Firm has successfully represented over 100 motorcycle crash victims and recovered over $25 million for clients injured in motorcycle crashes or for families of those who died. The firm has offices in San Francisco, Oakland, and Los Angeles and is recognized as one of the leading motorcycle accident law firms in California. The firm takes challenging cases to trial and has obtained some of the largest verdicts and settlements in California.

Location: 1438 Market Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Contact: (415) 421-2800 | https://www.dolanlawfirm.com

Consultation: Free case review, contingency fee basis

2. Choulos, Choulos & Wyle

Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, road rash injuries, catastrophic injuries

Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck collisions, lane splitting accidents, left-turn accidents, intersection accidents, highway motorcycle accidents, hit-and-run accidents, drunk driver accidents, distracted driver accidents, wrongful death from motorcycle accidents

Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident scene investigation, evidence preservation, eyewitness testimony gathering, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, loss of future earning capacity, wrongful death claims

Background: Both partners at Choulos, Choulos & Wyle are avid lifelong motorcyclists who understand the culture and risks of motorcycle riding. California has over 850,000 registered motorcycles, more than any other state. The firm provides home or hospital consultations for clients who cannot travel due to injuries. The firm has extensive experience handling complex motorcycle injury litigation throughout the Bay Area.

Location: 275 Battery Street, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94111

Contact: (415) 432-7290 | https://www.ccwlawyers.com

Consultation: Free consultation, will meet at home or hospital if needed

3. The Law Office of Scott Righthand, P.C.

Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic injuries

Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, lane splitting accidents, left-turn accidents, lane change accidents, intersection accidents, scooter accidents, electric bicycle accidents, wrongful death from motorcycle accidents

Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident reconstruction, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims, comparative negligence defense

Background: Scott Righthand has been a motorcycle rider since age 14 and brings firsthand understanding of how vehicle operators ignore motorcycles and compromise rider safety. The firm has over three decades of experience and has secured millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements for injury victims. Attorney Brittany Rogers also works with clients on motorcycle cases. The firm understands how to defend legal lane splitting and present evidence showing clients operated within California law.

Location: 150 Post Street, Suite 620, San Francisco, CA 94108

Contact: (415) 878-7806 | https://www.righthandfirm.com

Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis

4. Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger

Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, catastrophic injuries, product liability (defective helmets and highway design)

Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, motorcycle vs. truck collisions, lane splitting accidents, left-turn accidents, intersection accidents, highway motorcycle accidents, wrongful death from motorcycle accidents, defective helmet claims, dangerous highway design claims

Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident reconstruction, forensic evidence analysis, witness interviews, surveillance video retrieval, insurance claim negotiation, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, loss of consortium claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger has decades of experience representing motorcycle accident victims in San Francisco and throughout California. The firm has achieved significant results including a $4.5 million settlement in a truck vs. motorcycle case and a $1.6 million settlement for head and spinal cord injuries. The firm is skilled at identifying and recovering against all responsible parties, from negligent drivers to designers of defective helmets and highways.

Location: 650 California Street, 26th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108

Contact: (415) 981-7210 | https://www.walkuplawoffice.com

Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis

5. Callaway & Wolf

Practice Focus: Motorcycle accidents, car accidents, truck accidents, pedestrian accidents, wrongful death, traumatic brain injuries, mild traumatic brain injuries, catastrophic injuries

Case Types Handled: Motorcycle vs. car collisions, lane splitting accidents, left-turn accidents, rear-end collisions, intersection accidents, highway motorcycle accidents, wrongful death from motorcycle accidents, uninsured/underinsured motorist claims

Legal Services: Negligence investigation, accident reconstruction, insurance claim negotiation, underinsured motorist claims, litigation, trial representation, settlement negotiations, medical expense recovery, lost wage recovery, pain and suffering claims, wrongful death claims

Background: Boone Callaway is among a select group of motorcycle accident attorneys in San Francisco recognized as a Super Lawyer (awarded to less than 5% of eligible attorneys), holds an AV Preeminent rating (achieved by fewer than 10% of attorneys), and is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an exclusive organization of fewer than 8,000 trial lawyers nationwide. Mr. Callaway served as 2021 President of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association (SFTLA). The firm has won significant verdicts including $1.2 million for a motorcyclist with mild traumatic brain injury and $900,000 for a cyclist in a left-turn accident.

Location: 580 California Street, Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA 94104

Contact: (415) 541-0300 | https://www.callawayandwolf.com

Consultation: Free consultation, contingency fee basis

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Helmet Scope, Crash Reporting and Policy Limits in San Francisco Motorcycle Crashes

After a San Francisco motorcycle crash, three statutes set the first questions: whether the helmet rule reached the vehicle and rider, whether a DMV report was due, and what liability coverage the other driver had to carry.

Which Riders and Vehicles the Helmet Rule Reaches

Vehicle Code § 27803 applies to persons riding motorcycles, motor-driven cycles or motorized bicycles operated on the highways, and requires the driver and any passenger to wear a safety helmet meeting § 27802. It does not apply to a fully enclosed three-wheeled motor vehicle at least seven feet long and four feet wide with an unladen weight of 900 pounds or more that meets state and federal vehicle standards.

The DMV Report and Its One-Year Limit

Vehicle Code § 16000(a) requires the driver of a motor vehicle in a crash on a street or highway that causes more than $1,000 in property damage to any one person, or any injury or death, to report it to the DMV within 10 days. Under subdivision (c), if no party reports within one year after the crash, the DMV is not required to file a report and the license suspension requirements of §§ 16004 and 16070 do not apply.

The Other Driver’s Policy

Vehicle Code § 16056(a)(2) sets, for any policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025, at least $30,000 for injury to or death of one person, $60,000 for two or more people and $15,000 for property damage; earlier policies carried $15,000, $30,000 and $5,000.

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San Francisco Motorcycle Accident Questions

Can I recover if I was mostly at fault?

Yes. Li v. Yellow Cab Co. (1975) adopted pure comparative negligence. For example, imagine $100,000 in damages and 70 percent of the fault on the rider: the recovery would be $30,000.

Can an uninsured rider recover pain and suffering?

No, if the rider owned the uninsured motorcycle or cannot establish financial responsibility: Civil Code § 3333.4(a) bars noneconomic losses in those cases and for an injured person convicted of DUI for that crash. Under subdivision (c), an uninsured owner injured by a motorist convicted of DUI for that crash is not barred.

How long do I have to sue?

Two years under Code of Civil Procedure § 335.1 for injury or death caused by another’s wrongful act or neglect. A claim against a San Francisco city agency or another public entity must first be presented within six months after accrual under Government Code § 911.2.