San Francisco Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Real Help for Riders Hurt in San Francisco’s Streets

If you ride a motorcycle in San Francisco, you already know the truth: The City wasn’t built for bikes—but we ride it anyway.

From the wet steel rails on Market Street to the chaos of 19th Avenue, riding in San Francisco means navigating tight lanes, fast-changing traffic, and drivers who treat motorcycles like an inconvenience. Add in fog, hills, Muni buses, and sudden car doors in the Mission, and it’s a wonder more riders don’t go down.

When they do, the blame almost always falls on the biker.

At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’re here to flip that script.

We represent riders and grieving families across San Francisco who’ve been hurt or lost someone because of someone else’s negligence. We know the risks you take just by getting on your bike. And we fight to make sure you’re not blamed, silenced, or shortchanged when things go wrong.

Riding in San Francisco Is a Battle—and Riders Deserve Better

You ride in The City because you love it—or maybe because it’s the fastest way to get around. But anyone who’s spent more than a day on two wheels here knows how dangerous it can be.

We’ve helped people who’ve been hit in:

• The Tenderloin: sudden lane changes, jaywalking pedestrians, and aggressive drivers

• SoMa: blind intersections and delivery trucks clogging the curb

• The Mission: ride-share cars stopping mid-lane and dooring incidents on Valencia

• Van Ness, Geary, and Park Presidio: high-speed traffic and impatient drivers

• The Outer Sunset and Richmond: fog, visibility issues, and left-turn collisions

• Downtown and the Embarcadero: tourists, Ubers, Waymos, trolleys, and chaos

You can ride smart, ride sober, wear your gear, and still end up on the pavement because someone didn’t bother to check their mirrors.

And when that happens, we step in.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in San Francisco

Most crashes involving motorcycles aren’t caused by the rider. They’re caused by someone else not paying attention.

Here are some of the most common causes we see in San Francisco:

• Left turns across a rider’s path at unprotected intersections

• Rear-ending by tourists distracted by their GPS

• Lane changes without signaling or checking blind spots

• Sudden stops or swerves by rideshare and delivery drivers

• Opening car doors into traffic—especially in dense areas like the Haight or Marina

• Distracted driving, particularly in slow-moving traffic

• Speeding or running red lights, especially on hills and one-ways

• Potholes, steel grates, Muni tracks, and poor street maintenance

This city throws everything it has at riders. And when something—or someone—puts you on the ground, you need someone who understands what really happened and knows how to prove it.

Serious Injuries Deserve Serious Legal Backup

There’s no such thing as a “fender bender” on a motorcycle. Even a tap from a distracted driver can leave you in surgery, out of work, and stuck in recovery for months.

We represent San Francisco riders dealing with:

• Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)

• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis

• Severe road rash that requires skin grafts

• Crushed limbs, amputations, and orthopedic trauma

• Internal injuries that aren’t visible but can be deadly

• Multiple fractures and complex surgeries

• Post-traumatic stress and anxiety about riding again

And for those who’ve lost a loved one in a crash, we pursue wrongful death claims that hold the responsible party accountable.

We know how to deal with the insurance companies, the biased police reports, and the defense lawyers who love to play the “reckless biker” card. We don’t let them get away with it.

For Families Who’ve Lost a Rider in San Francisco

There are too many white crosses along San Francisco roads.

We’ve worked with families who’ve lost sons, daughters, spouses, and siblings in fatal motorcycle crashes across the state. In these cases, time is critical. Witnesses disappear. Evidence gets cleaned up. Police reports often lack detail—or lean hard on assumptions.

If your loved one was killed while riding in San Francisco, we can help you:

• Find out what really happened

• Investigate the crash independently

• Hold the driver or company accountable

• Recover for funeral and burial costs

• Pursue damages for loss of love, companionship, and support

• Push for punitive damages if the conduct was reckless or egregious

We handle these cases with care, confidentiality, and respect. You’ll never feel like just another file in a stack. We take your case personally—because we know how personal this is.

What Makes McCarthy Motorcycle Law Different

We’re not here to run up a settlement and disappear. We’re not going to hand your case to a “case manager” and keep you in the dark. And we’re definitely not going to settle cheap just to close the file.

We fight differently. Here’s how:

🏍 We Understand Riders

We don’t just represent motorcyclists. We all ride—or used to. We’ve lived this life, and we get what makes these cases unique. That means we can explain your side of the story clearly, persuasively, and with credibility.

⚖️ We’re Trial Lawyers

We build every case as if it’s going to court. Because sometimes, that’s where justice lives. And when insurance companies know we’re ready to take your case the distance, they pay attention.

🤝 You Deal With John Directly

No layers of red tape. No passing your calls around. You get attorney John McCarthy directly. You can call, email, or text him—and you’ll actually get a response.

💸 No Win, No Fee

You don’t pay us a dime unless we recover money for you. That’s how it should be.

What to Do After a Motorcycle Crash in San Francisco

If you’re reading this after a crash, here’s what we recommend:

1. Get medical care right away. Even if you walked away, go get checked. Head injuries and internal trauma aren’t always obvious.

2. Save your gear. Helmet, jacket, gloves—all of it might help prove what happened.

3. Don’t give a statement to the insurance company. Let us handle that.

4. Write down what you remember. Details fade fast. Jot down what happened while it’s still fresh.

5. Call us. Even if you’re not sure what to do. We’ll listen. We’ll help.

We Represent Riders Across San Francisco and the Peninsula

Whether your crash happened in the heart of the city or south toward Daly City, we’re ready to take your case seriously. We’ve helped riders injured in:

• The Mission

• SoMa

• The Tenderloin

• Chinatown and North Beach

• Bernal Heights and Glen Park

• The Sunset and Richmond Districts

• The Marina and Cow Hollow

• Twin Peaks, Diamond Heights, and Noe Valley

• Daly City, South San Francisco, and Pacifica

If you ride these streets, you’ve probably had a close call already. If you’ve been hurt—or if someone you love didn’t make it home—we want to help.

This Firm Is Built for Riders

We don’t take car crash cases. We don’t chase fender benders or soft tissue claims. This firm is focused on motorcycle crashes—serious cases involving serious injuries and wrongful death.

We know how fast The City turns on riders. We’ve seen how the police reports skew. We’ve read the “reckless motorcycle” nonsense. And we don’t buy it.

We take your case seriously because you deserve someone who rides with you, fights for you, and knows how to win.

Start With a Free, Confidential Case Evaluation

If you’re unsure whether you have a case—or if you're just overwhelmed and want straight answers—we’re here.

Fill out our case evaluation form. It’s free, it’s confidential, and it goes straight to attorney John McCarthy. He’ll read it personally and respond quickly—usually the same day.

If we can help, we’ll set up a free consultation. If we can’t, we’ll still help you figure out your next step.

No pressure. No BS. Just real help from someone who gets it.

McCarthy Motorcycle Law – California’s Motorcycle Law Firm
Fighting for riders in San Francisco and across the state.