Every motorcycle accident lawyer in Los Angeles starts a case fighting the same assumption: that the rider must have been speeding, lane splitting recklessly, or showing off. Insurance adjusters lean on that bias, and jurors sometimes bring it into the courtroom. The best motorcycle lawyers know how to take it apart, often with helmet-camera footage, crash reconstruction, and a clear explanation of how drivers fail to see riders.
When they succeed, the results can be large. In August 2026, a Los Angeles jury awarded $28 million to a Harley rider who lost his leg after a city fire truck hit him at Sunset and Vermont. A month earlier, a California appeals court upheld an $11 million verdict for another rider hit by a Department of Water and Power van. The five firms below have won those kinds of cases, or built their practices around riders.
Riding and the Law in California
These rules come up again and again in Los Angeles motorcycle cases:
- Lane splitting is legal: California formally recognized lane splitting in 2016. Riding between lanes isn’t automatically negligent, but speed and traffic conditions still matter.
- Universal helmet law: Every rider and passenger must wear a DOT-compliant helmet. Not wearing one can reduce damages if the defense proves it made injuries worse.
- Shared fault: Under California’s pure comparative negligence rule, a rider found partly at fault can still recover, minus his or her share of blame.
- Government vehicles: If a city truck, bus, or utility van caused the crash, a written government claim is usually due within six months.
- Filing deadline: Two years for most injury lawsuits.
Five Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Los Angeles
1. The X-Law Group: Filippo Marchino
Robert Danbom was riding his Harley-Davidson north on Vermont Avenue on a green light in 2021 when a Los Angeles Fire Department truck struck him at Sunset Boulevard. He later had a below-the-knee amputation. The city argued his lawsuit was filed too late. Filippo Marchino got past that defense, and on August 13, 2026, the jury awarded the full $28 million he requested.
Marchino says it is the largest reported California jury verdict for a below-the-knee amputation. He has a master’s degree in aerospace engineering, which helps with technical crash and aviation cases. Public Justice named him its Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2018.
- Rider takeaway: strong choice when a city or government vehicle is involved
- Office: 625 Fair Oaks Avenue, Suite 390, South Pasadena, CA 91030
2. Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim
A GoPro helmet camera won this case. In February 2018, a Kia left the 405 Freeway’s carpool lane without signaling and hit motorcyclist Matthew Rada. He was thrown across three lanes and into a flatbed trailer. The footage showed jurors exactly what happened, and a Los Angeles County jury awarded about $21.5 million in December 2019, according to news reports and the firm.
The case shows how video can overcome the usual “the rider came out of nowhere” defense. This Beverly Hills firm handles motorcycle and serious injury cases across Los Angeles County.
- Rider takeaway: a model for using helmet-cam evidence at trial
- Office: 8730 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 500, Beverly Hills, CA 90211
3. Taylor & Ring: John Taylor and Dave Ring
Left-turn crashes are among the most common ways riders get hurt. A driver doesn’t see an oncoming motorcycle and turns across its path. In 2007, John Taylor and Dave Ring won an $18.6 million verdict for a motorcyclist hit this way. The firm describes it as the largest motorcycle verdict in California that year.
The firm has since added results such as a $5 million settlement for a motorcycle passenger paralyzed in a construction-zone crash. It lists wrongful death and school safety verdict rankings and Lawdragon Hall of Fame recognition among its honors.
- Rider takeaway: experienced trial team for left-turn and catastrophic injury cases
- Offices: 12424 Wilshire Boulevard, 9th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90025; 1230 Rosecrans Avenue, Suite 360, Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
4. Russ Brown Motorcycle Attorneys
For years, riders on Mulholland Highway could find free legal advice at The Rock Store, the famous biker stop in the Santa Monica Mountains. Russ Brown gave that advice on Sundays. He was one of the first lawyers in the country to focus on motorcyclists, and he was inducted into the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2013.
Brown died in January 2021 at 86, but the practice he started continues as a nationwide cooperative of attorneys led by managing partner Chuck Koro. The firm says it has represented injured riders since 1975, and in 2018 it was named the official legal services provider for American Flat Track racing.
- Rider takeaway: a rider-focused network that understands motorcycle culture
- Office: Southern California roots with a national network. Check the firm’s site for the nearest office.
5. Ehline Law Firm: Michael Ehline
Michael Ehline, a former U.S. Marine, founded his firm in 2005. It now has offices in downtown Los Angeles, Torrance, and Woodland Hills. Motorcycle cases are a core part of the practice, and the firm employs an accident investigator who rides himself, which helps when reconstructing what a rider could and couldn’t see.
The firm reports more than $150 million in total recoveries. Like many firm-reported figures, that number covers all case types and isn’t independently verified. For South Bay and Westside riders, its several local offices make it easy to reach.
- Rider takeaway: accessible local offices and rider-aware investigation
- Office: 633 West 5th Street, Suite 2890, Los Angeles, CA 90071 (also Torrance and Woodland Hills)
Why the City of Los Angeles Keeps Losing Motorcycle Cases
Two of the most significant Los Angeles motorcycle results of 2026 came against the city’s own vehicles. The LAFD fire truck case produced the $28 million verdict. Separately, in July 2026, a California appeals court upheld an $11 million verdict for a rider injured by an LADWP van driver. The city had argued the rider’s speed caused the crash, but the court found it couldn’t meet its burden of proof.
For riders, there are two lessons. Public agencies can be held fully accountable. But claims against them require a government claim within six months. In the fire truck case, an earlier claim filed by a different law firm was found legally void, which nearly ended the case.
After any motorcycle crash, take these steps:
- Save helmet-cam or dashcam footage immediately, before it’s overwritten.
- Photograph your gear, helmet, and bike, since damage patterns help reconstruct the crash.
- Avoid recorded statements to the other driver’s insurer until you’ve spoken with a lawyer.
Motorcycle Crash Questions LA Riders Ask
Q1. Is lane splitting legal in California?
A: Yes. California formally recognized lane splitting in 2016. Riders should still use safe speeds, since unsafe lane splitting can increase their share of fault.
Q2. Can I still recover if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?
A: Usually yes, but damages may be reduced if the defense proves the missing helmet made your injuries worse. It doesn’t usually affect fault for the crash itself.
Q3. How much is a motorcycle accident case worth in Los Angeles?
A: It depends on injuries, lost income, fault, and available insurance. Serious cases involving amputation or brain injury have produced verdicts ranging from millions to tens of millions.
Q4. What if a city vehicle hit me on my motorcycle?
A: You generally must file a written government claim within six months. Missing that deadline, or filing it incorrectly, can end your case before it starts.
