Category: Motorcycle Accidents

States with moderate to strong distracted driving laws curbing drivers’ use of cell phones and other handheld devices have greatly reduced rates of motorcycle deaths. This is according to a study by faculty at Florida Atlantic University and the University of Miami. The study’s findings were recently published in the journal Social Science & Medicine. The study’s author says these distracted driving laws seem to be effective when it comes to preventing motorcycle accidents. …Read the rest »

Motorcycle accident deaths have been on the rise for the last two decades, especially in Southern California. According to a news report in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, motorcycle crash fatalities have more than doubled since 1997 and summer time is especially deadly for motorcyclists. In fact, the number of motorcycle accident deaths is usually at its highest in July, statistics show. Officials who fear the worst this summer are reaching out for new tools from public safety campaigns to riding classes and free fluorescent vests that could make riders more visible. …Read the rest »

Fabian Zepeda, 27, was killed after he was decapitated by low-hanging cable after a car crashed into a power pole leaving the cable hanging across the street. According to a news report in The Press-Enterprise, the fatal accident occurred the morning of April 11, 2017 on Adams Street in San Bernardino. Police said the incident began when a man driving a Ford Taurus south on Adams just north of Macy Street, lost control of his vehicle, struck a mailbox and drove across a home’s yard. …Read the rest »

Scott Gonzalez, a 21-year-old U.S. Marine, has been killed in a Lake Forest motorcycle accident. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal accident occurred the morning of November 14, 2016 at the intersection of Toledo Way and Lake Forest Drive when Gonzalez was riding with his brother who was on another bike. Bystanders helped Gonzalez’s brother pull him out of the wreckage, which had caught fire. He was pronounced dead at the scene. No citations or arrests have been reported. The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

We offer our deepest condolences to the family members and friends of Scott Gonzalez for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. Please keep them as well as his brothers in the U.S. Marines in your thoughts and prayers. …Read the rest »

California is expected to become the first state in the country to formalize the practice of lane splitting for motorcyclists. Last week, state assembly members passed a bill authorizing the California Highway Patrol to establish guidelines for motorcyclists on how to do it safely. The bill, sponsored by Assembly member Bill Quirk, passed on August 4, 2016 with a 69-0 vote. Only one step remains. The bill goes to Governor Jerry Brown for his signatures. Quirk said the proposed law has had many positives including reducing traffic congestion and promoting safety. …Read the rest »

U.S. government regulators have launched an investigation into complaints from Harley-Davidson riders who say they motorcycle brakes failed without warning. According to a news report by The Associated Press, the probe covers about 43,000 Harley-Davidson motorcycles with model years between 2008 and 2011. These vehicles have an anti-lock braking system, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said. …Read the rest »

More than 5,000 people were killed in motorcycle accidents nationwide in 2015, which is a 10 percent increase compared to 2014. According to a report released by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) based on preliminary data provided by state highway safety offices, the final tally for motorcycle deaths in the U.S. is expected to hit 5,010.

This is only the third year in U.S. history and the first time since 2008 in which the number of motorcycle deaths has topped 5,000. When compared with 2014, motorcyclist fatalities increased in 31 states, decreased in 16 states and remained the same in three states and the District of Columbia. In California, there was a 7 percent drop, but the number of fatalities still remains high. …Read the rest »

Our Newport Beach motorcycle accident attorneys often find that a number of collisions between vehicles and motorcycles tend to occur when the vehicle makes a left turn in front of the motorcycle. This week, we saw yet another collision fitting this description. The Orange County Register reports that a man and a woman were hospitalized with major injuries when their motorcycle collided with another vehicle, which was turning left. The collision was reported the afternoon of March 29, 2016 at the intersection of MacArthur Boulevard and Harbor View Drive.

Police say the man and woman were on the motorcycle traveling north on MacArthur when they collided with a vehicle making a left onto the road from the south lanes of Harbor View Drive. They were thrown from the bike and transported to a hospital with serious injuries. The female driver of the vehicle was not injured. Alcohol and drugs were not factors in the collision, police said. Officials say it appears that the driver of the vehicle saw the motorcyclist, but “misjudged the timing.” …Read the rest »

Jonathan Sepetijan, 23, was killed in a Santa Ana motorcycle accident after his Harley- Davidson collided with a pickup truck at a street intersection. According to a news report in The Orange County Register, the fatal motorcycle accident occurred at the intersection of 17th Street and Linwood Avenue the night of March 8, 2016. Police said the motorcyclist was riding a 2006 Harley-Davidson motorcycle east on 17th Street when a 2002 Toyota Tundra pickup truck that was turning left onto southbound Linwood struck him. …Read the rest »

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) has introduced a “Contract for Safety” tool to help prevent motorcycle accidents and encourage all motorcyclists to ride safely and responsibly.

According to the MSF, this contract can serve as a tool, which they hope will foster “communication between prospective motorcyclists and their friends and family members about a safe way forward to motorcycling. …Read the rest »