Automobile versus Motorcycle Accident

Accident Overview

On May 26, 2013, at 9:39 a.m. on Seventh Street at the intersection of Grant Avenue in Novato, CA, our client was driving his 2004 Harley Davidson motorcycle in the northbound direction of Seventh Street. Our client was obeying the rules of the road and was stopped at a stop light waiting for the signal to change. As the light turned green in his direction, he started to enter the intersection when he saw the adverse party make a left turn directly in front of him, smashing him to the ground.

About the Accident

This was an automobile accident versus a motorcycle accident that resulted in serious injuries for our client due to the other driver’s negligence. There were no adverse road conditions. The accident happened when the driver made an improper left turn without yielding the right of way to a vehicle proceeding straight. The adverse driver was driving a 2003 Honda Odyssey.

After the accident, our client suffered a fractured lumbar to the L-1, a dislocated thumb on his left hand, severe road rash, and bruised ribs. Our client was transported by the Novato Fire District Ambulance Service to Marin General Hospital in San Rafael where he was kept for two days and seen by orthopedists and neurologists and had CT scans and MRIs. The driver of the other car was an uninsured motorist and our client was insured by Geico Insurance.

Case Facts

Our client needed ongoing medical treatment after the accident, including physical therapy and orthopedic, follow-ups. His health insurance was with Anthem Blue Cross and his copays and deductibles began to mount. He had uninsured motorists coverage with Geico, but Geico was unsure at that point whether there was an exclusion in his policy.

Our client missed a significant amount of work and was charged large medical bills from this accident. Based on this information he reached out to GJEL Accident Attorneys to see if he was entitled to compensation and to have his questions answered. He wanted to know:

1. Who is responsible for my medical bills?
2. How will I pay these bills and the loss of work?
3. What if I have permanent lifelong damage to my body?

The staff at GJEL were able to quickly evaluate the case over the phone and went to meet the client at his home while he was convalescing.

Based on the serious injuries from this accident and the mounting medical bills, our client decided to retain GJEL Accident Attorneys to help get his life back on track after this tragic accident.

The staff at GJEL started a full investigation which started with getting the police report from the Novato Police Department. The police report showed that the other driver was 100% at fault and responsible for the accident. GJEL also had its own private investigator do a supplemental investigation and determined that the party at fault was not insured. Thus, this was an uninsured motorist case.  

At first, the client’s insurance company, Geico, was questioning whether there was an exclusion under their policy that would mean the client was not entitled to uninsured motorist coverage. As the firm continued to collect evidence, the insurance company ultimately agreed that there was a valid uninsured motorist. Attorney Jim Larsen helped our client through this difficult time and ultimately was able to settle this case without going to trial. In the end, our client was awarded $195,000 for this accident by Geico insurance after aggressive representation.

Andy Gillin

Andy Gillin received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his law degree from the University of Chicago. He is the managing partner of GJEL Accident Attorneys and has written and lectured in the field of plaintiffs’ personal injury law for numerous organizations. Andy is a highly recognized wrongful death lawyer in California.