Motorcycle Accident on Lankershim Blvd in North Hollywood: What Riders Need to Know

Arya Firoozmand, Esq.

Local North Hollywood Injury Attorney · UCLA Law

Arya Firoozmand is the founding partner at L&F Brown. A Woodland Hills native and El Camino Real graduate, he earned his law degree at UCLA and has spent his career representing injured clients across the San Fernando Valley.

Lankershim Blvd is one of the most heavily traveled corridors in North Hollywood, and for motorcyclists, it is one of the most dangerous. The boulevard cuts through the heart of the community from the NoHo Arts District south toward Universal City, carrying a mix of passenger cars, buses, delivery trucks, rideshare vehicles, and cyclists that makes it a constant source of conflict for riders. If you were involved in a motorcycle crash on Lankershim, here is what you need to know about why these accidents happen, what your rights are, and what steps you should take right now.

Why Lankershim Blvd Is Dangerous for Motorcyclists

Lankershim is a wide, multi-lane boulevard with commercial driveways, restaurant parking lots, Metro bus stops, and pedestrian crosswalks that create constant disruption to traffic flow. Drivers are frequently distracted by storefronts, GPS navigation, and passengers. They make sudden turns into parking lots and driveways without signaling or checking for motorcycles in adjacent lanes.

The stretch between Magnolia Blvd and Chandler Blvd is particularly problematic. This section runs through the NoHo Arts District, where foot traffic is heavy, rideshare vehicles stop abruptly to pick up passengers near venues like Tiki No and the Federal Bar, and drivers are looking for street parking rather than watching the road. Motorcyclists riding through this corridor face a constantly changing set of hazards that demand full attention from every driver on the road, attention that many drivers fail to give.

The intersection of Lankershim and Magnolia Blvd sees a high volume of left-turning traffic, and left-turn collisions are one of the most common types of motorcycle accidents anywhere. A driver turning left across oncoming traffic who fails to see an approaching motorcycle can cause a devastating broadside collision that the rider has almost no ability to avoid.

Further south, where Lankershim approaches the 170 Freeway on-ramp, traffic speeds increase and lane changes become more aggressive as drivers position themselves to enter the freeway. Motorcyclists in this transition zone are vulnerable to being cut off by drivers who are focused on the ramp and not on the traffic beside them.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Crashes on Lankershim

Left-turn collisions. A driver turning left across Lankershim fails to see an oncoming motorcycle and turns directly into the rider's path. This is the single most common cause of serious motorcycle accidents on the boulevard.

Door strikes. Drivers and passengers opening car doors into traffic along the commercial stretches of Lankershim, particularly near the NoHo Arts District restaurants and bars, can catch a motorcyclist off guard with no time to react.

Rear-end crashes at signals. Lankershim has numerous signalized intersections where traffic stops and starts frequently. A distracted driver who does not notice that a motorcycle has stopped at a red light can rear-end the rider with serious consequences.

Lane-change collisions. Drivers changing lanes without checking mirrors or blind spots. This happens throughout Lankershim but is especially common near the 170 on-ramp where traffic patterns shift quickly.

Rideshare and delivery vehicle stops. Uber, Lyft, and food delivery drivers stopping suddenly in travel lanes to pick up or drop off passengers and orders create unexpected obstacles for motorcyclists.

Who Responds and What Happens After the Crash

Because Lankershim Blvd is a city street, LAPD responds to motorcycle crashes here, not CHP. The responding officers will document the scene, take statements from both parties and any witnesses, and prepare a traffic collision report. That report becomes a key piece of evidence in your case.

Make sure you get the report number before the officers leave. If you are transported by ambulance to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, ask a witness or bystander to photograph the scene and get the officer's information so you can obtain the report later.

Do not assume the police report will tell the whole story or assign fault correctly. Officers arrive after the crash and can only document what they observe and what people tell them. Your attorney can supplement the report with additional evidence, including surveillance camera footage from nearby businesses, traffic signal timing data, and accident reconstruction analysis.

Your Rights as an Injured Motorcyclist

California law gives you the right to pursue compensation for all damages caused by another driver's negligence. This includes your medical expenses at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center and all follow-up care, physical therapy, lost wages for every day of work you missed, future medical costs if your injuries require ongoing treatment, pain and suffering damages for the physical and emotional impact of the crash, and the cost to repair or replace your motorcycle and damaged gear.

Under California's comparative fault system, you can recover damages even if you were partially at fault. If the other driver is found 80% responsible and you are 20% responsible, you recover 80% of your total damages. Insurance companies will try to push your fault percentage higher, especially if you were lane-splitting at the time of the crash. Lane-splitting is legal in California, but adjusters treat it as a liability weapon against riders.

Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Crash on Lankershim

Get medical treatment immediately. Even if you feel okay at the scene, adrenaline can mask serious injuries. Go to Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center for a full evaluation. Same-day medical records establish the connection between the crash and your injuries, which is critical for your case.

Document everything. Photograph the crash scene, both vehicles, your injuries, road conditions, traffic signals, and any visible skid marks or debris. If there are businesses nearby with security cameras, note their names and locations.

Get witness information. Anyone who saw the crash happen can provide testimony that supports your account of events. Get names and phone numbers before people leave the scene.

Do not discuss fault. Do not tell the other driver, the police, or anyone else that the crash was your fault or that you could have done something differently. Stick to the facts of what happened.

Do not speak to the other driver's insurance company without a lawyer. The adjuster's goal is to minimize your claim. Let your attorney handle that conversation.

Contact an attorney quickly. Surveillance footage from businesses along Lankershim Blvd is typically overwritten within a few days. An attorney can send preservation letters to those businesses immediately, securing footage that might otherwise be lost.

Motorcycle riders face unique risks that other motorists do not. Road rash, even in low-speed crashes, can require skin grafts and leave permanent scarring. California allows lane splitting, but drivers who fail to check mirrors before changing lanes cause many of these collisions. Helmet use affects the severity of head injuries but does not bar recovery. Every biker deserves legal representation that understands the dynamics of motorcycle crashes.

Why Lankershim Cases Require Legal Representation

Motorcycle accidents on Lankershim Blvd tend to involve significant injuries because of the speeds involved and the vulnerability of the rider. The cases are filed and litigated through the Van Nuys Courthouse West, where judges and juries hear personal injury matters regularly. Building a strong case requires understanding how to present motorcycle crash evidence effectively in that courthouse, how to counter the anti-motorcyclist bias that insurance companies rely on, and how to maximize recovery from every available insurance policy.

If you were injured in a motorcycle crash on Lankershim Blvd, a North Hollywood motorcycle accident lawyer can evaluate your case, identify all liable parties, and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Our North Hollywood personal injury team knows Lankershim Blvd and the unique risks it presents to riders. We have handled cases involving left-turn collisions, rear-end crashes, and lane-change accidents throughout this corridor. The consultation is free and we work on contingency. Call us today.