What Rights Does The Motorcycle Rider Have In California?

Most motorcycle riders in California relish the rights that the State has granted to all motorcyclists. Yet some of those that have been hit by a larger vehicle have gained a sense for how drivers can seek to infringe on those same rights.

Special rights enjoyed by each person riding a motorcycle in California.

The right to practice land splitting. That means riding a motorcycle in the area between lanes. This privilege allows the motorcyclist to move quickly, and to get out of the way in a hurry, when necessary.

The right to engage in the practice of lane sharing. That means sharing a lane with another motorcycle rider, when both motorcyclists are traveling on a road with 2 or more lanes on each side of the same roadway. Members of CHiPS (California Highway Patrol) take advantage of that privilege, and share a lane when patrolling a section of the State’s highway system.

Drivers’ views of riders on motorcycles

Too often, drivers view those riders as an annoyance. Each of them forces the driver to have his or her eyes on a small, fast-moving object. Sometimes a driver’s attitude toward motorcyclists gets reflected in his or her driving habits, especially when that same driver has been forced to share a road with a motor cycle rider.

The ideal lawyer for a motorcyclist that has been hit by a larger vehicle.

That Personal Injury Law Firm in Thousand Oaks & Watsonville should be familiar with the special rights granted to the riders of motorcycles in California. Once agreeing to advocate for a motorcycle-riding client, the hired lawyer needs to get a confused defendant/driver in the correct frame-of-mind.

That frame-of-mind should acknowledge the correctness of the rider’s actions, even if those actions involve lane splitting or lane sharing. Of course, the same legal advocate for the owner of the 2-wheeled vehicle should also realize that motorcycles are not supposed to ride in the narrow lane at the side of the road. In addition to having a familiarity with the rights granted to the riders of motorcycles, the hired attorney’s knowledge should include possession of certain details. Specifically, that attorney’s amassed knowledge should encompass all the details, regarding typical injuries in a motorcycle-related accident.

One particular injury has not been suffered by any patients that were not riding a motorcycle, at the time when a special injury intruded into some motorcycle rider’s life. That particular injury is road rash. Depending on its severity, that condition can create a great deal of pain. In certain cases, it can temporarily incapacitate the injured victim. In other words, it can become a disruptive force in the life of someone that has suffered with road rash. Consequently, that rash victim needs a fair compensation package.