Motorcycle accident in Woodland Hills?Talk to a lawyer for free.

On the 101, the CHP's West Valley office on De Soto Avenue takes the report, and you can request it online. On Woodland Hills streets it's the LAPD, whose reports can be bought online at least 45 days after the crash, or by mail for $19. In Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Malibu, it's the Sheriff's Lost Hills station, and in the unincorporated canyons, including Topanga, the CHP.

Most injury lawsuits must be filed within two years. If a public vehicle or a road defect, such as a pothole, played a part, a written claim is usually due within six months, to the agency that runs the vehicle or the road: the City of Los Angeles for its streets and vehicles, Metro for its buses, LA County for its roads, and Caltrans for the 101 and Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

Mulholland Highway through the Santa Monica Mountains is a County road that the County calls "a destination for motorcyclists" on weekends, and stretches of it are on its Vision Zero list of collision corridors. Its "Snake" section reopened on December 2, 2025, with flashing signs, rumble strips and hardened centerlines. The CHP's West Valley office handles speeding and traffic enforcement there. Topanga Canyon Boulevard is still under Palisades Fire repairs south of Grand View Drive, with closures at times.

The CHP says plainly that lane splitting is legal in California, and state law defines it (Vehicle Code §21658.1). The CHP's tips: splitting between the far-left lanes is typically safer, avoid splitting next to big rigs, buses and motorhomes, and the danger grows with the difference in speed. Riding on the shoulder is illegal and isn't lane splitting. Drivers in the far-left lane should move to the left of their lane to give riders room, and intentionally blocking a rider in a way that could cause harm is illegal.

California requires every rider and passenger on a motorcycle, a motor-driven cycle or a motorized bicycle such as a moped to wear a DOT-compliant helmet, fastened and fitting snugly. Not wearing one doesn't bar a claim against the driver who caused the crash. In the closest situation California's jury instructions spell out, a missing seat belt, the other side has to prove the injuries would have been avoided or less severe.

An LAPD tow from a Woodland Hills street goes to the Official Police Garage for the Topanga Area, which releases it to the registered owner, someone with its key or someone with the owner's notarized letter; if police put a hold on it, you need an LAPD release first. Storage adds up every day. Photograph the bike and your gear before anything is repaired, and keep receipts for upgrades and aftermarket parts.