Big Bear & Lake Arrowhead Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Riders Helping Riders in California’s Mountain Country
Riding up to Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead is one of the best experiences on two wheels. The curves, the views, the crisp pine air — it’s why so many Southern California riders head for the San Bernardino Mountains when they need to breathe again.
But when things go wrong on those roads — when a car crosses the double yellow, or a driver takes a blind turn too fast — the consequences are brutal. Whether you were riding Rim of the World Highway, cresting the last mile into Big Bear, or coming down the mountain toward Running Springs, a motorcycle crash up here can leave you injured, overwhelmed, and unsure where to turn.
At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we represent injured riders and grieving families all across the San Bernardino Mountains. We’re not your average law firm. We’re built by riders, for riders — and we’re ready to fight for the justice you deserve.
Mountain Roads, Mountain Risks
Riding up here isn’t like riding the coast or the desert. The roads are tighter. The turns are sharper. The weather changes by the hour. And tourists? They come up the mountain with no clue how to drive it — let alone how to share the road with motorcycles.
Riders in Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead, and Running Springs face real dangers every time they gear up:
Blind corners and sudden drop-offs
Tourists braking randomly or drifting wide in turns
Icy or gravel-covered patches, even in spring and fall
Overloaded trucks taking curves too fast
Inexperienced or distracted drivers on vacation
And when a crash happens up here, help isn’t always around the corner. That delay in care can turn a survivable injury into something life-altering.
Where Crashes Happen in Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead
We’ve seen motorcycle crashes throughout the mountain communities, including:
Highway 18 (Rim of the World Highway) between Crestline and Running Springs
Highway 38 — the back way to Big Bear from Mentone and Redlands
Highway 330 — steep, twisty, and full of blind curves
Big Bear Boulevard and North Shore Drive
Lake Gregory Drive and Crest Forest Drive
State Route 173 — narrow, winding, and unforgiving
We also see crashes near key intersections in Big Bear Lake Village, Baldwin Lake, Fawnskin, and along Moonridge Road, especially during ski and tourist seasons.
What Causes Motorcycle Accidents in the Mountains?
Riders up here aren’t reckless — they’re experienced, careful, and focused. Most crashes aren’t caused by the rider. They’re caused by someone else’s mistake.
Common crash scenarios we handle:
Left-turn collisions – A car turns across your lane on Highway 18 or Big Bear Blvd. Happens all the time.
Head-on crashes – Especially when drivers cross the center line on blind corners.
Rear-end accidents – Often downhill, when cars follow too closely and can't stop in time.
Loss-of-control evasions – You lay the bike down to avoid a reckless driver who veers into your lane or slams brakes.
Tourists drivers unfamiliar with the terrain – They’re distracted drivers. They brake in turns, cut corners, or stop in the road unexpectedly.
Poor road maintenance – Potholes, gravel, icy patches, or crumbling shoulder edges that the city or county should’ve fixed.
We know how to investigate all of it — and hold the right party accountable.
These Crashes Cause Serious Injuries
When you crash on a mountain road, the impact is harder and the stakes are higher. We've represented riders who suffered:
We’ve also worked with families in wrongful death cases — riders who didn’t make it home from the mountains.
We handle those cases with compassion, grit, and deep respect for the road — and the rider you loved.
We Know These Roads Because We’ve Driven Them
We know the mountain roads around Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead — the blind corners, the tight descents, the turns drivers misjudge. We understand the riding line, the margin for error, and what it means when someone else takes that from you. We know:
Highway 330 at dawn, watching sun break through the pines
Rim of the World Highway in fog thick enough to cut with a knife
Highway 38 on summer weekends when drivers think it’s a racetrack
Big Bear Blvd. on icy mornings when no one should be doing 40
That local knowledge — combined with real legal skill — helps us tell your story and prove exactly what happened.
Because we know how to ride, we also know how crashes actually happen — and how to explain that to a jury, an adjuster, or a judge. That experience helps us dismantle bad police reports, challenge false assumptions, and prove that you weren’t the problem — the other driver was.
What You Can Recover After a Crash
If someone else caused your crash — or contributed to it — you may be entitled to significant compensation, including:
Emergency medical care and hospital bills
Ongoing treatment, surgeries, and therapy
Lost wages and loss of earning potential
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Property damage (your bike, gear, helmet, etc.)
If you lost a loved one in a crash, we can also pursue:
Wrongful death compensation
Loss of financial support and companionship
Funeral and burial costs
Survivor damages for emotional loss
How We Prove the Other Driver (or Agency) Was at Fault
Insurance companies love to blame riders — especially when the crash happened on a mountain road. They’ll say you were going too fast, leaning too hard, or “taking a curve wrong.”
We shut that down with:
Accident reconstruction experts who understand motorcycle physics
Witness interviews
Body cam and dash cam footage
Helmet and gear analysis
Medical records that tell the real story of your injuries
Investigation into road conditions, signage, and visibility
And if we find the city, county, or CalTrans played a role by neglecting a dangerous section of road? We hold them accountable, too.
We Represent Riders from Across the Mountain and Beyond
Whether you live in the San Bernardino Mountains or rode up from L.A., San Diego, Riverside, or the desert — we represent:
Locals riding daily from Crestline, Big Bear, and Lake Arrowhead
Weekend warriors from the Inland Empire or Orange County
Out-of-state riders visiting for the alpine curves
Families devastated after a rider didn’t make it down the hill
No matter where you’re from or what you ride — cruiser, sportbike, dual sport, or trike — if you were hurt on a mountain road, we’ve got your back.
What It Costs to Hire Us
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means:
30% if we settle before filing
33% after we file a lawsuit
40% if the case is within 100 days of trial or after summary judgment
You don’t pay a dime out of pocket. No hourly billing. No retainers. If we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing.
And we front the costs — court fees, experts, crash analysis, everything.
What To Do After a Motorcycle Crash in Big Bear or Lake Arrowhead
If you’ve just been in a crash — or someone you care about has — here’s what to do:
Get medical help immediately — even if you think you’re okay. Some injuries don’t show up until later.
Preserve your helmet, clothing, and bike — they’re critical pieces of evidence.
Take videos and photos of the scene, your gear, and any visible injuries.
Do not talk to the other driver’s insurance company — they’re looking for a reason to blame you.
Reach out to a motorcycle lawyer who knows mountain roads and knows how to win.
Why Big Bear Riders Choose McCarthy Motorcycle Law
There’s a reason we’re considered California’s Motorcycle Law Firm. Because we’re not just attorneys with our faces plastered all over billboards— we’re part of the motorcycle community. We’ve lost people to crashes. We’ve sat at hospital bedsides. And we’ve stood up to the insurance companies and made them pay what’s right.
We don’t pass you off to a paralegal
We go to trial if that’s what it takes
We care — because we’ve lived it
We don’t treat you like a file. We treat you like a fellow rider who got knocked down — and deserves a real chance to get back up.
Get a Free Case Evaluation — Straight from the Mountains to Our Inbox
Fill out our free, confidential case evaluation form. It goes directly to John McCarthy’s inbox — not a call center. John is an award-winning trial lawyer, who knows how to ride. He’ll read it, and usually respond the same day.
If we can help, we’ll set up a free consultation. If we can’t, we’ll point you in the right direction. No B.S. Just help.
Big Bear. Lake Arrowhead. Rim of the World. If you were hurt up here — or lost someone you love — we’re here to fight for you.