Motorcycle Accident Attorney in Rohnert Park 

Riding a motorcycle through Sonoma County’s rolling hills, vineyard-lined backroads, and the open stretch of Hwy 101 is one of life’s great freedoms. But that freedom comes with heightened danger. When a car or truck collides with a rider, the consequences are often catastrophic, including broken bones, road rash, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and, far too frequently, death. Motorcyclists have almost no protection compared to occupants of a passenger vehicle. The injuries are exponentially more severe, often requiring long-term medical care, months of rehabilitation, and extensive financial support to rebuild even a portion of what was lost. 

At Flahavan Law Offices in Santa Rosa, Brian Flahavan has spent more than 20 years fighting exclusively for injured people throughout Sonoma County, including Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, and the entire Hwy 101 corridor. Brian has secured multiple seven-figure recoveries for motorcyclists, including a $3 million settlement for a Sonoma County rider left with permanent brain damage and orthopedic injuries after an unsafe left turn on Highway 12. We know the roads you ride, we know the biases you’ll face from insurance companies. We know exactly how to dismantle them in negotiation or in front of a Sonoma County jury. If you’ve been hurt or if you’ve lost a loved one, call us today for a completely free, no-obligation consultation or fill out our online form. You owe us nothing unless we recover money for you. 

Why Motorcycle Accidents in Rohnert Park Are So Dangerous 

Rohnert Park sits directly on the busy Hwy 101 corridor, a major north-south artery that sees over 100,000 vehicles per day. Motorcyclists taking the Rohnert Park Expressway, Golf Course Drive, Wilfred Avenue, or Stony Point Road exits face constant risk from distracted and impatient drivers. In 2024, California reported 597 fatalities for motorcyclists and injuries totaling more than 16,000 statewide, and Sonoma County is regularly included as one of the deadliest counties on the North

Coast for riders. Some local danger zones for motorcycle riders include: 

• The high-speed merge from eastbound Rohnert Park Expressway onto southbound 101, where drivers frequently cross the solid white line into lanes where riders are legally lane-splitting. 
• The long, sweeping left-turn pocket from northbound 101 to eastbound Rohnert Park Expressway, drivers looking only for cars routinely violate a rider’s right-of-way. 
• Redwood Drive and Commerce Boulevard, where left-turning vehicles cut off oncoming motorcycles. 
• Rural Stony Point Road and Roblar Road, where gravel, agricultural debris, and potholes create sudden loss-of-traction hazards. 
• The notorious “Cotati crawl” on 101 just south of town, where stop-and-go traffic invites rear-end and lane-change collisions. 

Even a 25-mph low-side can shred skin down to the bone. A 60-mph collision with a left-turning SUV often means paralysis or worse. 

The Most Common Causes of Motorcycle Crashes in the Rohnert Park Area 

1. Left-turn violations: The single deadliest maneuver for riders in California. 
2. Unsafe lane changes and merges: Drivers drifting without signaling or checking mirrors. 
3. Distracted driving: Cell phones remain the #1 killer of motorcyclists nationwide. 
4. Impaired driving: Alcohol or cannabis impairment was a factor in 42% of 2024 rider deaths. 
5. Road hazards: Fresh gravel on 101 on-ramps, diesel spills, wet leaves, and broken pavement. 
6. Speeding and tailgating: Especially dangerous when a cage follows a bike too closely in heavy traffic on 101. 

The Built-In Bias Against Motorcyclists and How We Destroy It 

Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys start with a playbook designed to blame the rider: “You were lane-splitting,” “You don’t have enough reflective gear,” “Motorcycles are inherently dangerous, you assumed the risk.” They’ll subpoena years of your social media, looking for a single photo of a wheelie or a track-day event to paint you as reckless. 

Brian Flahavan counters that narrative from day one. We move fast to preserve disappearing evidence: 

• Caltrans traffic-camera video from Hwy 101 (it’s automatically overwritten in 7–30 days) 
• Event Data Recorder (“black box”) downloads from the at-fault vehicle 
• Cell-phone forensics proving the driver was texting or on Instagram at the moment of impact 
• Accident reconstructionists who use 3D laser scanning to prove exact positioning and violation of the right-of-way 
• Biomechanical engineers who connect crash forces to your precise fracture patterns and nerve damage 
• Toxicology reports on the other driver (even if police didn’t test at the scene, we can still demand blood draws) 

We’ve turned “50/50 fault” offers into full policy-limits recoveries by showing the driver violated basic rules of the road (CVC §§ 21801, 22107, 21658, 22350) and that no rider, no matter how skilled, could have avoided the collision. 

The Long-Term Reality of Motorcycle Injuries 

A "typical" fractured femur frequently leads to numerous surgeries, hardware placement, and lengthy physical rehabilitation. Road rash that seems superficial in the emergency room can become infected and require skin grafts, resulting in keloid scarring that prevents you from wearing shorts for the rest of your life. Traumatic brain injuries, even mild ones, can mean lifelong cognitive issues, personality changes, and the inability to work in high-skill jobs. Spinal cord damage can require wheelchair vans, home modifications, and 24/7 care. 

These aren’t one-year problems; they’re lifetime problems. Insurance companies know this and try to settle fast, before you realize the full scope. We bring in life-care planners, vocational experts, and economists to calculate every future dollar you’ll need, then we demand it. 

Types of Compensation Available to Injured Riders 

California law allows complete recovery of both economic and non-economic damages: 

• All past and future medical care (surgeries, rehab, medications, adaptive equipment) 
• Lost income and loss of future earning capacity 
• Pain, suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life (no arbitrary cap) 
• Disfigurement and permanent impairment 
• Property damage to your motorcycle, helmet, leathers, and accessories 
• In wrongful death actions: loss of love, guidance, financial support, and funeral expenses 

Motorcycle cases often involve life-altering or fatal injuries, verdicts and settlements are frequently in the high six and seven figures. Brian Flahavan has the trial record and reputation to make insurers pay what a case is truly worth. 

How Flahavan Law Handles Your Motorcycle Accident Case Step-by-Step 

1. Immediate evidence preservation: Bike is photographed and stored before the yard crushes it; traffic cams are subpoenaed the same week. 
2. Medical bill management: We make sure you get the treatment you need without crippling debt while the case is pending. 
3. Full investigation: Private investigators, former CHP officers, and top-tier experts build an unbreakable liability and damages presentation. 
4. Aggressive yet innovative negotiation: Most cases settle for the maximum value once the insurer reviews our trial file. 
5. Trial when necessary: Brian has taken more than 50 cases to jury verdict in Northern California courts and has never backed down from a motorcycle case. 

Local Knowledge = Better Results 

We’re not an out-of-town referral mill. Brian Flahavan has practiced in Sonoma County since 2002. He knows which CHP officers write thorough reports on 101, which local surgeons give the strongest future-care opinions, which judges in Department 17 or 18 have handled dozens of motorcycle trials, and which insurance adjusters try to lowball North Bay claims. That hyper-local experience translates directly into higher settlements and faster resolutions. 

No Recovery, No Fee 

You pay nothing out of pocket, ever. We advance tens of thousands in expert and court costs. If we don’t win, you owe zero. 

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident anywhere in or around Rohnert Park, Cotati, Penngrove, or the 101 corridor, don’t wait. Evidence disappears, and California’s statute of limitations is only two years. 

Motorcycle cases demand fast action and a law firm that understands precisely what riders face. Skid marks disappear, debris gets cleaned up, and witnesses resume their daily routines. After a collision, it’s common for insurance adjusters to try to blame riders for speeding or lane-splitting, or rationalize their alternative to a traditional, car-to-car collision by using the phrase “assumption of risk,” when in fact it was caused by a distracted driver and unsafe left turn or failure to yield. The sooner you get a trial lawyer involved, the better your chances of securing the full value of your claim, including medical bills, future care, lost income, pain, suffering, and the long-term impact on your riding life. 

At Flahavan Law Offices, we work directly with accident reconstructionists who specialize in motorcycle dynamics, as well as medical experts who can clearly explain the severity of your injuries. We also conduct detailed scene investigations, request 911 audio, obtain video from nearby businesses, and track down witnesses that insurance companies often ignore. Every case receives thorough attention because your recovery, financial and physical, depends on it. 

Call Flahavan Law Offices today or fill out our online form for your free, no-pressure case evaluation and personalized guidance. Let our Rohnert Park lawyers who actually understands motorcycles, and who have won millions for injured riders, fight for the justice and financial security you deserve. You ride for freedom. We fight for everything that was taken from you.