Torrance Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
After a Torrance motorcycle crash, the other driver’s insurer may raise two questions early: were you lane splitting, and were you wearing a helmet? California law recognizes lane splitting (Veh. Code § 21658.1) and requires every rider and passenger to wear a helmet (Veh. Code § 27803). Neither issue ends a claim on its own: under California’s pure comparative fault rule, a rider’s share of fault reduces the award rather than barring it (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.).
Torrance motorcycle accident lawyer Jon Olsson represents riders and passengers hurt on Torrance streets and South Bay freeways, and he works on every case personally. Consultations are free, and you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Torrance Motorcycle Accident Claims: Key Facts
- Time limit to file suit: injury suits generally must be filed within two years of the crash (CCP § 335.1); suits over damage to your bike and gear get three years (CCP § 338).
- Claims against the City or State: generally due within six months (Gov. Code § 911.2). Claims about Caltrans roads, including PCH and Western Avenue, go to the State.
- Helmets: required for riders and passengers on motorcycles, motor-driven cycles and motorized bicycles (Veh. Code § 27803).
- Lane splitting: defined in the Vehicle Code as riding a two-wheeled motorcycle between rows of stopped or moving vehicles in the same lane (Veh. Code § 21658.1).
- The other driver’s minimum coverage: $30,000 for one person’s injuries and $60,000 for everyone hurt in the crash, which a serious injury can quickly exceed.
- Your share of fault: lowers your recovery but doesn’t eliminate it (Li v. Yellow Cab Co.).
- Cost: no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Why Jon’s Corporate Defense Experience Helps Your Torrance Motorcycle Accident Claim
Jon spent the early part of his career on the other side of injury cases, so he knows how insurers and their lawyers will size up your claim. Before founding Olsson Law, he spent six years at a large international law firm defending companies in complex litigation, including serious injury and product liability matters. He then joined a Los Angeles personal injury firm, where he represented injured people in motor vehicle collisions, dangerous property conditions, public entity cases and disputed liability matters. That background tells him what evidence moves a defense lawyer, and what they look for to justify paying less.
Jon stays directly involved from your first consultation through the resolution of your case, and works to reduce medical bills and liens so more of any settlement goes to you.
- Education: Georgetown University Law Center (J.D.); New York University (B.A.)
- Bar admissions: California, Texas and Massachusetts
- Community: member of the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County Bar Association and the South Bay Bar Association
Prior Results
- $3.85 million: wrongful death settlement
- $700,000: car accident, back and neck injuries
- $400,000: slip and fall, knee injury
These results include matters personally handled by Jon Olsson at prior law firms and matters in which he participated as part of a legal team. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Read more about Jon Olsson, our approach, and prior results.
How Many People Are Hurt in Torrance Motorcycle Crashes?
From 2019 through 2023, reported motorcycle crashes on Torrance streets killed or hurt 29 to 37 people a year. Torrance ranked 14th worst of 61 similar-size cities for motorcycle crashes in 2020, then improved to 40th of 62 by 2023 (OTS methodology).
| Year | Killed or injured in motorcycle crashes (rank) | Share of all Torrance crash victims | Cities ranked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 29 (40th) | 4.5% | 62 |
| 2022 | 31 (35th) | 5.0% | 61 |
| 2021 | 37 (18th) | 6.0% | 60 |
| 2020 | 34 (14th) | 6.0% | 61 |
| 2019 | 29 (16th) | 3.8% | 59 |
No. 1 is the worst ranking, among California cities of 100,001 to 250,000 people. The motorcycle count includes everyone killed or injured in a crash involving a motorcycle; the share column is Olsson Law’s calculation from OTS’s yearly totals. Crashes reported by the CHP, including any on the 405, aren’t counted. As of October 2026, OTS hasn’t ranked any year after 2023.
Common Motorcycle Crash Situations in Torrance
Left turns at signalized intersections. A driver turning left must yield to oncoming traffic close enough to be a hazard (Veh. Code § 21801).
Lane changes in slow traffic. A driver may change lanes only when it’s reasonably safe and after signaling (Veh. Code § 22107). The duty applies whenever another vehicle may be affected by the move.
Pacific Coast Highway and Western Avenue. Caltrans maintains these roads within Torrance, so potholes, debris and pavement edges there are the State’s responsibility.
Freeway crashes on the 405. Lane-splitting collisions and other freeway crashes are handled by the CHP, not Torrance police, so the CHP report is the one you’ll need.
Who Is Responsible for the Road?
Potholes, gravel and uneven pavement can cause a motorcycle crash on their own, so Jon checks the road as well as the other driver. When a road defect contributed, the claim goes to the agency that maintains that road, generally within six months.
| Where it happened | Responsible agency | Where the claim goes |
|---|---|---|
| Torrance city streets | City of Torrance | City Clerk, 3031 Torrance Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503; a signed claim form delivered by mail or in person |
| PCH, Western Avenue, the 405 and other state highways | State of California (Caltrans) | Claims up to $12,500 can go to Caltrans’s district claims office; anything bigger goes to the State’s Government Claims Program |
| Streets just outside Torrance in the City of Los Angeles | City of Los Angeles | Los Angeles City Clerk |
The Torrance City Clerk recommends checking the city boundary map before filing, since a claim sent to the wrong agency can cost time you don’t have. Under state law, you generally must prove a dangerous road condition that the agency created, or knew or should have known about in time to repair (Gov. Code § 835).
Who Pays After a Torrance Motorcycle Accident?
The at-fault driver’s liability insurer usually pays first. Because the legal minimum is only $30,000 per person, a rider’s own coverage can matter as much as the other driver’s.
| Situation | Who may pay |
|---|---|
| A driver turned or merged into you | That driver’s auto liability policy |
| The driver had no insurance or too little | Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage on the motorcycle policy, if you bought it |
| A hit-and-run driver can’t be found | Your UM coverage, if you meet the statute’s conditions, including physical contact and a report to police within 24 hours (Ins. Code § 11580.2) |
| You were a passenger | The at-fault driver’s policy and, if your rider shared the blame, the rider’s own liability coverage |
| A pothole or road defect caused the crash | The City of Torrance or the State, through a government claim |
| A tire, brake or other part failed | The manufacturer, under California product liability law (CACI No. 1200) |
| Treatment bills before the case resolves | Your health plan or motorcycle MedPay, either of which can ask to be repaid from a settlement |
What Should I Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Torrance?
- Get medical care right away, even if you rode away from the crash. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center is a Level I trauma center.
- Report the crash to the Torrance Police Department on city streets or the CHP on the 405. The driver in a crash that hurts or kills someone generally has 24 hours to report it (Veh. Code § 20008).
- Keep your helmet and gear as they are. Don’t repair or throw away a damaged helmet, jacket or boots; they show the force of the impact and that you were wearing protection.
- Photograph the road as well as the vehicles: skid marks, gravel, oil, potholes and the other car’s position and turn signal.
- Exchange information with the driver: their name and home address, license number, the car’s VIN, the registered owner’s address and insurance details (Veh. Code § 16025). Get witnesses’ contact details.
- Send the DMV an SR-1 report within 10 days when the crash hurt anyone or caused more than $1,000 in damage.
- Don’t discuss lane splitting or your speed with the other driver’s insurer until you’ve talked with a lawyer.
How to Get the Police Report for a Torrance Motorcycle Crash
Torrance police reports become available at least 15 days after a crash. Most can be purchased online through LexisNexis, or requested from the Records Division at 3300 Civic Center Drive for $18; hit-and-run and fatal crash reports may be delayed. CHP reports for 405 crashes are available through the CHP’s crash portal or form CHP 190. We can order the report for you.
How Jon Builds a Torrance Motorcycle Accident Case
- How the crash happened: the police report, scene and vehicle photos, intersection and business video, witness accounts and, in serious cases, a reconstruction of sightlines, speeds and signal timing.
- Answering the rider-fault arguments: evidence that your helmet was certified and fastened, and, for lane splitting, how fast traffic was moving and whether the driver signaled before changing lanes.
- Injuries: medical records, bills and opinions on future care.
- Coverage: the driver’s policy, any employer’s policy and your own UM/UIM and MedPay coverage.
- Resolution: a documented demand and negotiation, and suit if the insurer won’t pay a fair amount. A new injury case is filed in the Superior Court district where the crash happened. The Torrance Courthouse, at 825 Maple Avenue, covers the part of Torrance west of Western Avenue.
Learn more about motorcycle accident claims.
Torrance Motorcycle Accident FAQs
I Was Lane Splitting on the 405 in Torrance When a Car Moved Into Me. Can I Still Recover?
Possibly. The CHP handles crashes on the 405, so its report is the one to get. The Vehicle Code recognizes lane splitting, and a driver must signal and move over only when it’s reasonably safe. The insurer may argue you share the blame, but under comparative fault that reduces your award rather than eliminating it.
I Wasn’t Wearing a Helmet. Do I Still Have a Claim?
Yes. Riding without a helmet breaks the helmet law, but it doesn’t excuse the driver who caused the crash. Expect the insurer to argue a helmet would have reduced your injuries, which can lower the award if a jury agrees.
A Driver Turned Left in Front of Me at a Torrance Intersection and Says They Never Saw Me. Does That Help Them?
Generally not. A left-turning driver must yield to approaching vehicles close enough to be a hazard, and “I didn’t see the motorcycle” usually describes the mistake rather than excusing it.
A Pothole on a Torrance Street Caused My Crash. Who Is Responsible?
The City of Torrance for city streets, or the State for state highways such as PCH and Western Avenue. Either way, you generally have six months to file a written claim, and the next step after a written rejection is usually a lawsuit within six months of that notice (Gov. Code § 945.6).
Can My Passenger Bring a Claim Too?
Yes. A passenger can claim against the driver who caused the crash, and against the rider’s liability coverage if the rider was partly at fault. Riders and passengers sometimes need separate lawyers when both may have claims against the rider’s policy.
How Much Does a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Cost?
There’s no upfront charge. Olsson Law’s fee is a percentage of the money recovered, and if nothing is recovered, there’s no attorney’s fee. The agreement must be in writing under California law (Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147).
Talk to a Torrance Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Scene evidence fades quickly, and claims involving a city or state road are generally due within six months. For a free consultation, call Jon Olsson at (310) 304-4756 or contact us online. You pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Jon also represents people hurt in car accidents in Torrance and throughout Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
This page provides general information about motorcycle accident claims in Torrance. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines and rules can change and may depend on the facts of your case.