by: adminOn: December 15, 2025
It only ever takes one motorcycle accident to change a life. Even if you’re lucky enough to escape with minor injuries, the emotional impact can be immense. Add to that potential medical bills and repair costs — and you’ll understand why most states have certain protections in place to compensate riders.
In California, for instance, anyone hurt by negligent driving or improper infrastructure is eligible for motorcycle accident settlements. Provided you follow the right processes, collect evidence, and reach out to a Glendale motorcycle accident lawyer, this compensation can start from tens of thousands of dollars and go well into the millions.
What is the average settlement for a motorcycle accident? How long does a motorcycle accident settlement take? This guide breaks down what you should know.
The moments after a motorcycle accident are unsettling, but critical. All evidence gathered at this point can have a bearing on the outcome of a case and your eventual settlement amount. This could include:
There should be no surprise that motorcycle accidents are particularly devastating. In California, two-wheelers are responsible for 13% of road traffic fatalities, despite accounting for only about 3% of the total registered vehicles. In almost all other cases, riders leave with a range of injuries — from minor scrapes and broken bones to severe internal damage with long-term consequences.
The severity is an important factor in determining your motorcycle accident injury settlement, but is often complex to determine. Our team of personal injury lawyers in Glendale can help you quantify your injuries, and maximize compensation.
All damage to your vehicle, as well as surrounding areas are considered when deciding the average settlement for a motorcycle accident. This includes damage to third-party property, as well as damage incurred to personal property as a result of an accident. It also includes damaged accessories and often covers all mechanical repair bills.
If you’ve been involved in an accident, your first course of action should be to get checked out by a medical professional. This on-the-spot assessment can go a long way in determining your motorcycle accident lawsuit settlement.
Eventually, you must be compensated for all immediate and long-term bills, including medications, hospital visits, surgeries, and physical therapy. A lawyer can help you collect and preserve these medical bills and calculate the extent of your damages.
Accidents of this nature can often have long-lasting consequences, hurting your quality of life, as well as your ability to work. Fortunately, a California motorcycle accident settlement often covers wages lost during recovery or any reduction in earning capacity following an incident. Compensation is adjusted depending on the impact the accident has on your career and future earnings.
Motorcycle accident lawsuit settlements also often account for non-economic damages, such as “pain and suffering”. This is a more abstract concept, as it isn’t easy to quantify how much pain an individual feels after an incident. However, a court can calculate these damages depending on the evidence you provide, on a case-by-case basis.
Some factors it might look into include the impact of the accident on your personal relationships, the loss of ability to participate in things you love, and mental anguish.
Determining liability is a major part of all California motorcycle accident settlements. Those who aren’t at fault are likely to receive maximum compensation. However, in California, you can still be compensated even if it is determined you were partly at fault. Based on a comparative negligence system, you will be awarded a percentage of your maximum compensation. Once again, this is tricky to quantify, so we recommend reaching out to a lawyer to better determine your motorcycle accident liability.
Lastly, don’t discount the impact an insurance policy can have on your settlement. Uninsured drivers will likely have a harder time being compensated than a person with adequate coverage. Besides that, an insurance company runs like a business, so many will naturally try to lowball you. Make sure you document all your conversations with companies, or reach out to a legal professional to handle official communications.
If you or a loved one has recently been in a motorcycle accident, act fast. You don’t want to be left in a situation where missing evidence impacts your average settlement for motorcycle accidents. To increase your chances of fair compensation, ensure that you:
Even if your injuries seem minor, getting checked out by a medical professional can help you secure an adequate motorcycle accident settlement. Denying care on the spot gives insurance companies an opportunity to claim that your injuries aren’t that serious — and potentially deny your claim. Similarly, the outcome of a lawsuit can be influenced for the better with extensive medical documentation.
Following a crash, try your best to document as much as you can. License plate numbers, debris strewn around the site, eyewitness statements, and more can go a long way in helping you secure above average motorcycle accident settlements in California. A legal expert can help you gather and present your evidence — so make sure you do your bit and provide them with as much documentation as possible.
Motorcycle accident settlement amounts can range from a few thousand dollars to well into the millions. Maximizing the compensation in this case requires expertise that only a dedicated attorney can offer. You can work with our Glendale Law Firm to collect the right evidence, communicate with insurance companies, and build a robust case.
Which brings us to the figures. Unfortunately, it’s hard to give you an exact amount without studying your specific case. But it’s worth looking at some prominent cases to get a better idea of how things work.
In 2019, a motorcyclist was awarded $6.1 million in compensation for a severe brain injury he suffered after hitting several potholes. The same year, a motorcyclist who lost a leg in a San Diego accident arrived at a $10.8 million settlement with the federal government — the largest personal injury case in the city’s history.
These are, of course, cases involving serious injury. For more minor injuries, claims can run from anywhere between $10,000 to $250,000 or more.
At Pogosyan Law, we understand that there can be a huge variance in motorcycle settlement amounts. That’s why we believe in taking a personalized approach. Reach out to our team for a free case evaluation today.