San Diego Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Local Riders. Local Knowledge. Relentless Representation.

If you’ve been seriously hurt in a motorcycle crash in San Diego — or you’ve lost someone you love to one — you’re not alone. And you don’t have to take on the insurance companies, hospitals, and legal system by yourself. At McCarthy Motorcycle Law, we’re riders helping riders. This isn’t just our job — it’s personal.

We Ride. We’ve Lost Friends. We Get It.

San Diego has one of the most active and passionate motorcycle communities in California. From the twisty curves of Sunrise Highway to weekend cruises through Balboa Park, from Ortega Highway meetups to the iconic rides up and down Pacific Coast Highway, San Diego is made for motorcycles. But it’s also home to some of the most dangerous intersections, distracted drivers, and insurance companies that treat riders like second-class citizens.

We’ve been in your boots. We know what it feels like to be sidelined by a crash, overwhelmed with hospital bills, and dismissed by an adjuster who doesn’t seem to care. Our lead attorney, John McCarthy, doesn’t just fight for riders — he built this law firm for them. After losing people he cared about to bike and motorcycle crashes, he made it his life’s work to stand up for people just like you.

Why Motorcycle Accidents Hit Harder in San Diego

There’s a reason motorcycle crashes are more devastating here. San Diego has:

  • High tourism traffic – Out-of-towners unfamiliar with the roads cause thousands of crashes each year.

  • Military presence – With bases like Camp Pendleton, Miramar, and Coronado, young service members on bikes face unique risks.

  • Year-round riding weather – San Diego’s sunshine is a blessing and a curse. More riders on the road means more opportunity for accidents.

  • Aggressive commuters – From the 805 to the 163, speed and stress create dangerous conditions for motorcyclists.

  • Rider-unfriendly drivers – Many drivers still don’t understand California’s lane-splitting law, leading to preventable collisions.

San Diego Danger Zones for Riders

If you’ve ridden around San Diego for any amount of time, you know there are places that just feel sketchy.
We’ve seen crash reports come from:

  • Interstate 5 through Downtown and National City

  • Route 94 near Euclid Avenue

  • El Cajon Boulevard, especially near SDSU

  • The merge between the 805 and the 8

  • Balboa Avenue between Clairemont and Pacific Beach

  • South Bay Expressway toll roads (SR-125)

  • Highway 78 near San Marcos and Vista

You know the feeling — cars weaving without signaling, people on their phones, Uber drivers slamming brakes to pick someone up. We build cases around those real dangers because we ride those same roads.

What We Do After the Crash

When you contact McCarthy Motorcycle Law, you’re not dealing with a big billboard firm or a call center in another time zone. You’re talking to John — or someone he personally trusts with your case.

We help you:

  • Get your medical bills paid

  • Recover your lost income and future earning capacity

  • Access top-tier doctors, therapists, and specialists

  • Prove fault with investigators, dash cam footage, and witness statements

  • Take the case to trial if needed

We’re not afraid of court. We prepare every case as if it will go to trial — because insurance companies treat riders better when they know your lawyer isn’t bluffing.

Motorcycle Wrongful Death Cases in San Diego

Some cases break your heart. We’ve stood beside families who lost a spouse, a child, a parent — often in crashes that could’ve been prevented if the driver had just been paying attention.

Under California law, certain family members (spouse, domestic partner, children, sometimes parents or dependents) can bring a wrongful death claim. It allows you to recover for:

  • Funeral and burial costs

  • Lost future income and financial support

  • Loss of companionship, guidance, and love

It’s not just about the money. It’s about accountability. It’s about standing up and saying, “This shouldn’t have happened. And it can’t happen again.”

We’ve helped families hold drivers, companies, and even cities accountable for unsafe conditions. If you're grieving and don’t know where to turn, we’ll walk you through your rights — gently, respectfully, and on your terms.

How We Prove Fault in Motorcycle Cases

Insurance companies love to blame riders. Too fast. Too reckless. Not wearing bright colors. We’ve heard it all.

But here’s what we do differently:

  • We dig deep. We hire accident reconstructionists, interview witnesses, and pull video from nearby businesses or traffic cams.

  • We understand physics. A car making a left in front of a motorcycle isn’t a “he said, she said.” It’s measurable timing, speed, visibility, and decision-making.

  • We challenge assumptions. We’ve seen police reports that blamed the rider — then flipped the case with new evidence.

When you’ve got a law firm that understands motorcycle dynamics, braking distance, and rider visibility, you’ve got an edge. Most firms don’t have that. We do — because we live and breathe this stuff.

Types of Motorcycle Crashes We Handle in San Diego

Rider Injuries We Fight For

Motorcycle injuries are brutal. They affect your ability to work, to ride, to sleep, to just live.

We’ve helped clients with:

Don’t Overlook the Emotional Aftermath

Even if your body heals, the mental toll is real. Riders often deal with:

  • Post-traumatic stress (loud noises, intersections, nightmares)

  • Survivor’s guilt

  • Fear of riding again

  • Anxiety about finances, family, and the future

You are not weak. These are normal responses to trauma. We can connect you with specialists who help motorcyclists process that trauma and rebuild their lives.

And yes, you can still have a case even if your wounds aren’t visible. Emotional injuries matter. Psychological pain matters. We fight for that too.

We Represent Riders Across San Diego County

Wherever the crash happened, we’ve likely handled a case nearby. We serve:

  • San Diego proper

  • Oceanside, Vista, and San Marcos

  • Chula Vista and National City

  • El Cajon, La Mesa, and Santee

  • Poway, Escondido, and Rancho Bernardo

  • Beach cities: Mission Beach, Pacific Beach (P.B.), Ocean Beach (O.B.), and Imperial Beach (I.B.).

Whether it happened on the 15, the 8, the 94, or a rural backroad in East County — we’ve got your back.

What It Costs to Hire Us

Our fee structure is designed with riders in mind. We know the system feels stacked against you — so we don’t add to that stress.

  • No hourly fees

  • No retainers

  • No out-of-pocket costs

We work on a contingency fee basis:

  • 30% if resolved pre-filing

  • 33% once we file a lawsuit

  • 40% if we’re within 100 days of trial or after a motion for summary judgment is filed

And we front all case costs. You don’t pay a dime unless we win.

What To Do After a Crash

Even if the crash was weeks ago, it’s not too late. But if it just happened, here’s what you should do:

  1. See a doctor. Your health comes first — always.

  2. Don’t talk to the other insurance company. They’re not on your side. Hell, be careful talking to your own.

  3. Save your gear and clothes. Don’t wash or throw anything away.

  4. Document everything. Take photos, write down memories, keep receipts.

  5. Contact us. Let us take the stress off your plate so you can focus on healing.

Contact McCarthy Motorcycle Law – Built by Riders, For Riders

At the end of the day, you deserve more than a lawyer. You deserve someone who actually gives a damn.

That’s what you get with McCarthy Motorcycle Law. We know San Diego. We know how to ride. We’ve lost friends. We care deeply. And we’re not afraid to go to trial to get justice for our fellow riders.

Get a Free Case Evaluation Today

Our case evaluations are fast, confidential, and go straight to John’s inbox. You won’t be passed off to some paralegal. You’ll get a real response, from a real rider, who’s also a trial-tested attorney.

You’ve been through enough already. Let us help carry the weight.