Central Coast Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Helping Injured Cyclists and Families in Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo Get Justice

If you landed here looking for California Personal Injury Law Firm, don’t worry—you’re in the right place.

We’ve rebranded as McCarthy Motorcycle Law to reflect what we’ve always done best: representing riders. That means motorcyclists first—but if you were injured while riding your bicycle, especially on California’s Central Coast, we’ve got your back too.

We live here. We ride here. And we fight for riders—motorized or not—who’ve been hit, hurt, and left to pick up the pieces.

Riding the Central Coast—And the Dangers Cyclists Face

Cycling on California’s Central Coast is supposed to be peaceful, scenic, and safe. And it can be—until a distracted driver changes everything.

From the coast of Santa Cruz to the hills of San Luis Obispo, this region is packed with riders:

  • Students biking to class in Santa Cruz or San Luis Obispo

  • Families cruising the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail

  • Road cyclists climbing Prefumo Canyon, River Road, or Soquel-San Jose

  • Commuters navigating tight corridors through Pacific Grove, Watsonville, or downtown SLO

But even here, drivers often:

  • Cut off cyclists at intersections

  • Swing open doors into bike lanes

  • Drift into the shoulder

  • Drive distracted or under the influence

  • Blame the cyclist after the crash

We’ve had enough of it. If a careless driver hurt you or someone you love, we’ll help you fight back.

And if unsafe infrastructure contributed to the crash—like potholes, missing signage, or a lack of designated bike lanes—we’ll investigate the city or county’s role in what happened.

This Is Our Home. We Stand With Riders Here.

We’re not some LA or Bay Area billboard firm parachuting into Santa Cruz or SLO.

This is our backyard. I’m John McCarthy.

  • I live on the Central Coast.

  • I’ve spent countless weekends riding with my family through the Santa Cruz Mountains, on the Monterey Bay Coastal Trail, and on the Bob Jones Trail.

  • We shop at local bike shops, attend community rides, and support events aimed at rider safety.

  • I support organizations that advocate for safer roads across the region:

We know these roads. We know the dangers. And we know the difference it makes when a lawyer actually understands how cycling works—how bikes move, react, and get overlooked by careless drivers.

That’s why I’ve built this law firm for riders—motorcyclists, yes, but bicyclists, too. Because when someone takes your health, mobility, or peace of mind because they weren’t paying attention, they should be held accountable.

Bicycle Accident Cases Deserve Real Legal Support

Most personal injury attorneys think bike accidents are just smaller car accidents. These cases aren’t small. And they’re not simple.

Bicycle crashes involve real injuries, real trauma, and real legal complexity. We’ve seen the aftermath: shattered helmets, broken bones, wrecked lives—and insurance companies that treat it like it’s no big deal.

Why bike injury cases require focused legal help:

Less protection, more damage
Even a low-speed crash can cause life-changing injuries when you’re riding a bicycle. You don’t have airbags, metal frames, or steel cages. When you go down, it’s your body that takes the hit.

Insurance bias
Insurance adjusters love to blame cyclists—sometimes even when the driver admits fault. We’ve heard every excuse:

“They swerved.”
”They weren’t wearing a helmet.”
”They were riding too far out in the lane.”

We don’t let that fly. We push back hard, with facts, experts, and trial-tested strategy.

Local road knowledge matters
If your crash happened on Mission Street in Santa Cruz, along Fremont in Monterey, or on Foothill near Cal Poly, you need a lawyer who knows those roads, knows what it’s like to ride them, and knows how to tell your story in a courtroom.

Every case deserves attention
Even if your case doesn’t make headlines, it deserves the same level of dedication. Whether you were hit commuting to class at UC Santa Cruz or while out for a long ride in Paso Robles, we take your case seriously.

Types of Bicycle Crashes We Handle

We represent cyclists across the Central Coast in cases involving:

  • Left-turn collisions

  • Dooring incidents

  • Unsafe passing

  • Rear-end collisions

  • Hit-and-runs

  • Distracted and intoxicated drivers

  • Delivery van, bus, and truck crashes

  • Poorly maintained roads or bike paths

  • Defective or dangerous rental e-bikes

  • Dangerous intersections or infrastructure failures

If you were hurt while biking—and the crash wasn’t your fault—we want to help.

We also work with experts in accident reconstruction, roadway engineering, and cycling safety to make sure no detail is missed when building your case.

Injuries We See in Central Coast Bike Accidents

The injuries from a bicycle accident can be devastating:

In the worst cases, these injuries can change your life forever. Lost mobility. Lost income. Lost confidence.

We work with top medical experts, life care planners, and mental health professionals to make sure every piece of your recovery—physical, emotional, and financial—is accounted for.

Wrongful Death Bicycle Cases on the Central Coast

Some families don’t get to welcome their loved one home from that ride.

We’ve seen fatal crashes in:

  • Santa Cruz: left-turn collisions and high-speed roadways

  • Monterey: tourist traffic, unsafe passing

  • SLO: rural roads where cars swerve into the shoulder

When that happens, we stand with the family. We investigate. We fight. We do everything we can to make sure your loved one isn’t forgotten.

We pursue full wrongful death claims on behalf of spouses, children, and parents—seeking compensation for:

  • Loss of love, care, companionship, and guidance

  • Funeral and burial expenses

  • Lost future earnings and support

  • Emotional pain and suffering

It won’t bring them back. But it can bring accountability—and some measure of justice.

Serving Riders Across the Central Coast

We represent cyclists in:

If your crash happened in Watsonville, Marina, Salinas, Paso Robles, Morro Bay, Nipomo, or anywhere in between, reach out. Even if we can’t help directly, we’ll point you in the right direction.

When the Case Calls for It, We Team Up With a National Bike Law Expert

We know motorcycle law inside and out. But when your case calls for it, we co-counsel with Clay Griessmeyer, of Griessmeyer Law. Clay is one of the top bicycle injury lawyers in the country.

Clay brings decades of experience representing cyclists in:

  • Product liability and defective bicycle component cases

  • Unsafe road design claims

  • Government negligence and public entity lawsuits

  • Catastrophic injury and wrongful death trials

Together, we bring the strength of a focused, rider-first litigation team that knows how to win.

What to Expect When You Reach Out

  • Free case review – sent straight to my inbox

  • Fast response – usually same-day

  • No pressure – just honest answers

  • Contingency fee – you don’t pay unless we win

  • Direct contact with your attorney

  • Real updates – no chasing down your lawyer

Our job is to make this easier for you—not harder. We’ll handle the legal side so you can focus on healing.

Built By Riders. Fighting for Cyclists.

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’re proud to fight for motorcycle riders across California. But here on the Central Coast, we ride bicycles, too.

We support Bike Santa Cruz County, Bike Monterey, and Bike SLO County. We work with some of the best bike lawyers in the country. And we stand up for cyclists because we know what it means to share the road.

If you’ve been seriously injured in a bicycle crash—or lost someone you love—you don’t have to go it alone.

Let’s talk. Let’s fight. Let’s make it right.

McCarthy Motorcycle Law – Central Coast Bicycle Accident Cases

Built by riders. Fighting for cyclists.