Hit and Run Motorcycle Accidents

Hit and runs are a serious problem around the country, and particularly in California. A hit and run occurs when someone collides with another person, but instead of stopping to make sure that the other person is fine, the driver leaves the scene. A hit and run motorcycle accident can result in catastrophic injuries or death to a motorcyclist and a passenger, without a clear way of recovering damages. If you were injured in a hit and run as a motorcyclist, you should retain experienced and knowledgeable counsel. The Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorneys at Sharifi Firm, APC may be able to help you.

Motorcycle accidents often involve more catastrophic injuries than other types of collisions because there is no buffer between the people on the motorcycle and the force of a larger vehicle. Motorcycle collisions can result in death, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, paralysis, dismemberment, and organ damage.

It can be difficult to track down a hit and run driver. Even when a driver is located, they might not have any insurance coverage or may have insufficient coverage. It is possible to recover damages from an uninsured driver, but more often, people who do not have insurance also have no personal assets valuable enough to leverage for payment of medical expenses or lost wages.

If you never locate the responsible party, you can still recover damages if you have uninsured motorist coverage. You will need to turn to your own insurance company. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for medical expenses and other expenses if you are struck by a hit and run driver. However, it can be slightly more difficult to recover through an uninsured motorist claim as a motorcyclist, even though you are requesting damages from your own insurer. It can be helpful to have an experienced motorcycle accident attorney advocating for you.

If we represent you, we can explore all of your options. Among other things, we can determine reasonable payment for medical expenses, lost wages, and any other economic losses and noneconomic losses that you suffered. It may be possible to be more aggressive about tracking down a hit and run driver so that you can pursue an action for damages against them. Although criminal penalties can apply to a hit and run driver who flees a scene where somebody was seriously injured or killed, a criminal prosecution is unlikely to hold the hit and run driver fully responsible for the monetary damages that you may have suffered. You can bring a personal injury lawsuit against a hit and run driver who was apprehended and sue under a theory of negligence.

We can also analyze whether there are other potential defendants from which you can recover compensation. For example, in some cases, a collision is partially caused by a defective motorcycle component, a dangerous road condition, or an improperly secured construction site. In those cases, it may be possible to recover damages through a premises liability or product liability lawsuit. In a premises liability lawsuit, you will need to show that the road owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that caused the accident. In a product liability lawsuit, meanwhile, you may be able to hold a manufacturer strictly liable for a motorcycle component that has a design or manufacturing defect. In a lawsuit based on strict liability, you do not need to show that the defendant's conduct fell below the standard of care, as you would in a case based on negligence. Instead, you will need to show an actionable defect that caused your injuries and damages.

If you are injured in a hit and run motorcycle accident, it is important to determine what the causes of the accident were. At Sharifi Firm, APC, our Los Angeles attorneys can evaluate the circumstances surrounding a hit and run to determine whom to hold accountable for your injuries. Contact us at (866) 422-7222 or via our online form. We also represent people in cities such as Temecula, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Glendale, Covina, and San Bernardino.