Bianca Babaians
Riverside County covers a lot of fast-moving roads. The SR-91, the I-215, the I-15, and long stretches of surface highway carry heavy commuter and commercial traffic, and motorcycle crashes on them tend to be severe. In the days right after a crash, the evidence that determines fault is at its most fragile. Traffic and business surveillance cameras frequently overwrite footage on short cycles. Skid marks and debris fields get cleared. Witnesses who saw exactly what happened move on and forget the details that matter.
Acting within that narrow window is often what separates a well-supported claim from a disputed one. Preservation requests to nearby businesses and public agencies, sent before footage is gone, can capture the few seconds that show the other driver turning left across a rider’s path or changing lanes without looking. That is why speed matters more in motorcycle cases than almost any other type of crash.
At Babaians Law Firm, our motorcycle accident attorneys know how quickly the evidence in a rider’s case can disappear, which is why the days right after a crash matter so much.
California’s personal injury statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1 generally gives an injured rider two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit. That sounds like plenty of time, but two things catch people off guard. If a dangerous road condition or a government vehicle contributed to the crash, a claim against that public entity must usually be filed within six months. And waiting until close to a deadline gives evidence more time to disappear and insurers more room to argue the injuries came from something else.
The practical lesson is not to measure your options by the outer deadline. The strongest version of a claim is built early, while evidence is fresh and every potentially responsible party can still be pursued.
Lane splitting is legal in California and is addressed in Vehicle Code 21658.1. The statute does not set a numeric speed limit, and the California Highway Patrol has published safety guidance rather than a hard rule. Insurers often treat the mere fact that a rider was splitting lanes as proof of fault, but that is not what the law says. California follows pure comparative negligence, so fault is divided by the actual facts of the crash. A driver who changed lanes without signaling or checking a mirror can carry most of the fault even when a rider was splitting lanes at the time.
Under pure comparative negligence, a rider found partly at fault still recovers the remaining share of their damages rather than being barred entirely. Pushing back on the automatic-fault assumption is frequently where real value is protected in these cases.
Riders can also review the CHP motorcycle safety program and the federal crash research summarized in NHTSA motorcycle safety data, both of which shed light on how these collisions are evaluated.
Hurt in a Riverside motorcycle crash? Camera footage and physical evidence can be gone within days. Call (818) 334-2981 for a free consultation with Babaians Law Firm. The sooner preservation requests go out, the more of your case survives.
Get medical care the same day, since adrenaline commonly masks head, spinal, and internal injuries after a violent crash. Photograph the full scene, including lane position, skid marks, and both vehicles, before anything is cleared. Identify witnesses beyond the other driver, because a rider’s own account is more likely to be challenged. Decline to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurer, and do not accept a quick settlement offer before the extent of your injuries is clear.
If you were hurt on a Riverside County road, our Riverside injury lawyers can begin sending preservation requests right away, and you can see how riders’ cases are handled on our motorcycle accident lawyers hub.
Founder Bianca Babaians, Esq. built this firm after watching her own mother get hurt and then treated as an afterthought by attorneys who would not fight for her, and that experience still shapes how every case is handled here.
We move in the first 72 hours. Preservation requests go out fast, before camera footage and physical evidence are gone.
We push back on assumed fault. Being between lanes is not an admission. We hold insurers to what the law actually says about lane splitting.
We watch the real deadlines. Including the six-month window for claims involving a road defect or government vehicle.
No cost unless we win. Consultations are free, and you owe nothing in attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.
If a crash left you injured on a Riverside road, do not wait for evidence to disappear or a deadline to close in. Speak with a Riverside motorcycle accident lawyer at Babaians Law Firm. Call (818) 334-2981 or contact us online for a free, no-obligation consultation.
Generally two years from the date of the crash under Code of Civil Procedure 335.1, but claims involving a government entity or road defect can require action within six months.
No. California permits lane splitting under Vehicle Code 21658.1, and pure comparative negligence divides fault by the actual facts of the crash, not by the fact that a rider was between lanes.
Because traffic and business camera footage, skid marks, and witness memory fade fast. Preservation requests sent early capture evidence that often decides fault.
You may have a claim against the responsible public entity, but those claims usually carry a strict six-month deadline, so it is important to act quickly.
It is best not to before speaking with an attorney, since recorded statements are frequently used to shift blame onto the rider.
We take on fewer cases to give every client the focus they deserve. Unlike high-volume firms where cases get lost in the shuffle, we prioritize quality over quantity, delivering the attention and results your case deserves. Experience the difference with our dedicated team.
Great female led personal injury firm with good results and settlements. I highly recommend this law firm for personal injury related matters in Los Angeles and California in general.
