First: call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room now if, after a crash, you have:
- a head injury with passing out, fainting or confusion [1]
- an injury to the neck or spine, especially with loss of feeling or not being able to move [1]
- a headache that gets worse and does not go away, repeated vomiting, slurred speech, one pupil larger than the other, or weakness, numbness or decreased coordination [2]
- convulsions or a seizure, or you are very drowsy or cannot be woken up [2]
- severe chest pain or pressure, or trouble breathing [1]
- heavy bleeding, a deep wound, or a possible broken bone [1]
- back pain with numbness or weakness in both legs, loss of feeling around the genitals or anus, or changes in bladder or bowel control [3]
The NHS also lists back pain that started after a serious accident, such as a car accident, as a reason to call emergency services, and says not to drive yourself there [3]. These signs apply whether or not you were wearing a helmet. A chiropractic office is not an emergency room, and nothing on this page is a reason to skip one.
If none of those apply but you are hurt and want a medical check soon, urgent care or your own doctor can see you; which doctor to see after a crash walks through it in order.
What the first visit is
The first visit is an exam, not a treatment session. The doctor takes the history of the crash and of each symptom, then checks how you move, where it is tender, and what orthopedic and neurological tests show, with range of motion measured in degrees. The findings and the plan are explained before any care starts, and everything is written down with a date.
Oakland Accident Care doesn’t do CT or MRI scans and doesn’t diagnose or rule out concussion. If the history or exam calls for imaging, or for a medical doctor to check a possible concussion, a possible fracture or a nerve problem, the clinic refers you out, and you are told before any chiropractic care starts.
Two doctors treat here: Dr. Ben Glass, DC, in English and Spanish, and Dr. Irina Velichko, DC, in English and Russian, whose focus is extremity injuries: shoulder, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle and foot. Same-day slots are held for new accident patients.
What we ask about a motorcycle crash
On a motorcycle there are often two hits: the impact, and the landing. The history covers both, because it guides the exam:
- where the other vehicle or the road hit you, and which side you landed on;
- whether you put a hand out, which sends force up through the wrist, elbow and shoulder;
- whether your head struck the ground or anything else, helmet or not;
- whether a leg was pinned under the bike, or your hip or knee took the landing.
Write these down while you remember them. They go in the record from the first visit.
Your helmet and gear after the crash
The law. California Vehicle Code § 27803 says: “A driver and any passenger shall wear a safety helmet meeting requirements established pursuant to Section 27802 when riding on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle.” [4] The DMV’s Motorcycle Handbook says that means a helmet compliant with the U.S. DOT’s Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 218, and it suggests face or eye protection, a leather or long-sleeve jacket, long heavy pants, over-the-ankle boots and full-fingered leather gloves [5].
Keep it as it is. Before anything is repaired, cleaned or thrown away, photograph the helmet, jacket, gloves, boots and the bike, and note where each one is scuffed, cracked or torn. A car crash leaves a repair estimate; for a rider, the gear and the bike are much of the record of how you went down.
Before you ride again. The handbook’s helmet checklist says a helmet should have “no obvious defects such as cracks, loose padding, or frayed straps” [5].
Whether you were wearing a helmet, or which gear you had on, has nothing to do with whether you should be examined. How it bears on a claim is a question for a lawyer, not for us.
Who pays
Get examined as soon as you can. An early, dated exam starts your record from the beginning.
Auto insurance, MedPay, PIP, and liens accepted.
The clinic does not bill health insurance or workers' comp. We check your policy before your first visit, and what you owe is confirmed in writing before your first visit. Which coverage applies depends on the policies involved: the other driver’s liability coverage, medical payments coverage on your own motorcycle policy if it has it (what MedPay is), uninsured motorist coverage if the other driver had none or left (uninsured and hit-and-run crashes), or care on a lien (how liens work). The usual order is on who pays for my care after a car accident.
Reports
Oakland Police take reports for crashes on city streets and the CHP for the freeways; how to request yours is on how to get an Oakland police report. The DMV’s SR-1 is a separate report: the SR-1 report explained, in the DMV’s own words.
Motorcycle crashes in Oakland
Our own count of state crash records found 691 injury or fatal crashes involving a motorcycle in Oakland from 2021 through 2025, by year, on Oakland collision data. The state Office of Traffic Safety counted 119 motorcyclists killed or injured in Oakland in 2023 [6].
Where riders come from
The clinic is in downtown Oakland, near 8th Street and Broadway, about a 7-minute walk from 12th St./Oakland City Center BART. Riders come from across the East Bay: see the East Bay page, with BART and bus routes in, and the area pages for West Oakland, Fruitvale, East Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, Alameda, San Leandro and Hayward.
Ask for a call back
Leave a first name and number. We'll call you back within 30 minutes during clinic hours; outside clinic hours, first thing the next morning.
Questions
Do you treat people hurt in motorcycle accidents?
Should I go to the emergency room first?
What happens at the first visit?
What does California law say about motorcycle helmets?
How is care paid for?
Do I need a lawyer to be seen?
Related pages
Sources
- MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine), "When to use the emergency room - adult" (reviewed July 15, 2026). Read November 1, 2026.
- CDC, "Symptoms of Mild TBI and Concussion" (page dated Sept. 15, 2025). Read November 1, 2026.
- NHS, "Back pain" (last reviewed March 5, 2026). Read November 1, 2026.
- California Vehicle Code § 27803. Read November 1, 2026.
- California DMV, "California Motorcycle Handbook" (DL 665, rev. 2/2024), "Wear the Right Gear" and "Helmet Selection" (PDF). Read November 1, 2026.
- California Office of Traffic Safety, "Oakland 2023" crash rankings. Read November 1, 2026.
This page is general information, not medical or legal advice, and it does not diagnose. How any law or policy applies to your crash is a question for your insurer or a lawyer. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911.