Where do Bike Accidents Happen in Southern California?
Where do Bike Accidents Happen in Southern California?
Many Californians enjoy riding their bikes for pleasure and commuting. However, Southern California is jammed with traffic, and many bike accidents happen here daily. Finding a good attorney is vital after being injured in a Southern California bike accident.
You probably have serious injuries – broken bones, head trauma, neck injuries, road rash, etc. Your medical bills can be tens of thousands of dollars or more. Learn more about where bike accidents happen in Southern California, then talk to a bicycle accident lawyer in Southern California for a free legal consultation. You may be entitled to payment for your medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost earnings, and damaged property.
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Alarming Bicycle Accident Statistics
The NHTSA releases bicycle accident statistics annually. For 2014, the NHTSA released the following sobering statistics about bicycle accidents in California and nationally:
- 726 Americans died in bike accidents in 2014 alone.
- California had the #2 highest number of bicycle accident deaths in 2014, with 128.
- Approximately 70 percent of bikers who died in California in 2014 were in urban areas, such as Los Angeles.
- 20 percent of fatal bike accidents happened between 6 and 9 pm.
- Bike accidents with cars were ⅓ of bicycle crash injuries.
There are many dangerous roads and intersections in Los Angeles that are particularly dangerous for cyclists:
- W. Florence Ave. and S. Vermont Ave
- Sepulveda Blvd. and Sherman Way
- La Cienega and Pico Blvd.
- Roscoe Blvd. and Van Nuys Blvd.
- Balboa Blvd. and Nordhoff St.
- Devonshire St. and Reseda Blvd.
- Sherman Way and Woodman Ave.
Speak to a bike accident lawyer if another party injures you in a busy Southern California intersection or on the road. You should be fairly compensated for your injuries and damages.
When Is A Driver At Fault For A Bike Accident?
California drivers have a duty of care to cyclists. According to the duty of care, the driver must follow traffic laws and drive safely. If the driver breaches the duty of care and hits you, they can be held responsible for your injuries.
Proving that the driver caused the accident means proving negligence. This means your attorney must show that the driver had a duty of care and breached it. For example, suppose a driver passed you on S. Vermont Ave. in Los Angeles and got too close. They sideswiped you, and you fell and broke your arm.
You will need to prove that the driver violated their duty of care, got too close to you, and hit and injured you. Evidence proving this can be eyewitnesses, surveillance video, footage from your bike camera, and physical evidence, such as the damaged car and bike.
Then, your attorney must show that you have damages from the accident, such as a broken arm and cuts and scrapes. Then, they should show that you have damages, such as medical bills and lost earnings. Demonstrating these points to the insurance company should lead to a fair settlement. Failing that, your attorney can file a personal injury lawsuit and take the case to a jury.
Most bike accident claims in Southern California are resolved by a settlement. However, the at-fault insurance company can contest liability or offer less than you deserve. Then, your attorney may recommend filing a lawsuit.
Can Other Parties Be Liable For A Bike Accident?
Yes. Sometimes, a car or bike part manufacturer can be liable for an accident. For example, suppose the brakes on your bike failed when you tried to slow in traffic. You rear-ended a car and broke your nose. Your personal injury attorney will investigate and may file a product liability lawsuit against the bike or part manufacturer.
Another possibility is that the driver that hit you was working when the crash happened. The driver may be employed full-time by a courier service. They ran a red light and knocked you off your bicycle. Your bike accident attorney can file a vicarious liability claim against the employer. The employer may be found negligent if the driver’s action led to your injuries.
What Are Common Car vs Bike Accidents In Southern California?
Several types of common bicycle accidents in Southern California involve motor vehicles. Drivers are required to watch for bicyclists and drive with a duty of care, which includes watching for slower traffic and obeying traffic laws. Drivers may be sued in a personal injury lawsuit if they hit cyclists and cause injuries. Common accident scenarios in Southern California bicycle accidents are:
Left Turns
A common accident in California occurs when a car turns left in front of an oncoming bicyclist. Bikers are more difficult to see than cars, and the driver may turn too soon, causing the cyclist to hit the car. The California Vehicle Code states that drivers must yield the right of way to all vehicles when they want to turn left. All drivers must watch for any oncoming traffic, including bicycles, motorcycles, and mopeds.
Dooring Accidents
CVC 22517 states that drivers may not open the car door when it is on the side of moving vehicles unless it is safe to do so. However, many motorists still open the driver’s door without watching for bikers, which often causes cyclists to slam into it.
Reversals
Drivers may back their cars out of parking spaces or driveways too quickly and without looking. They can back into a cyclist or obstruct their path and cause a serious bike accident.
Lane Changes
Cars that try to change lanes may not see bikers in their blind spots. All drivers must look carefully for cyclists and motorcyclists when changing lanes.
Intersection Accidents
Many bicycle accidents occur in busy Southern California intersections. A biker may be traveling through the intersection, but a driver doesn’t see them, pulls out, and hits the cyclist. Many drivers don’t watch for cyclists and may cause cycling accidents by running stop signs or red lights, not slowing for a yellow light, or making a sudden right turn without stopping.
Dangerous Passing
A typical bike accident occurs when a driver passes the biker on the left but is too close. Drivers may become impatient to pass and may sideswipe the cyclist, leading to severe injury or death. California law states that car drivers must provide at least three feet to the cyclist when passing.
However, you should have a car accident attorney review your case if the cycling accident happened. You can be entitled to compensation for your biking injuries if another party’s negligence causes your injuries.
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What Damages Are Possible In A Bike Accident Claim?
Cyclists are unprotected from other vehicles so that bike accident injuries can be severe. You can have high expenses from your injuries, and only a settlement or favorable jury verdict will get you the money needed to recover. Potential compensation may include:
- Medical expenses: Bike accident injuries may be shattered bones, road rash, cuts and scrapes, head trauma, internal injuries, joint injuries, whiplash, and more.
You could have both current and future medical expenses that are alarming. A bike accident attorney will calculate your current and future medical expenses. - Lost earnings: You should be compensated for your inability to work due to the injury. Your compensation may be for lost past and current income. A severe or catastrophic injury may entitle you to lost earning capacity. Suppose you have a severe head injury from slamming your head on the ground. It may prevent you from working permanently.
- Property damage: Your bike, cell phone, and other personal property may have been damaged or destroyed.
- Pain and suffering: A car slamming into a bike can cause painful injuries. You should be paid for the pain and suffering related to the injuries and treatments.
- Mental anguish: A bike accident can leave you with severe injuries that make it impossible to care for yourself or enjoy life. This fact may lead to severe mental and emotional trauma.
Why Should You Hire A Bike Accident Attorney?
Attempting to negotiate a fair settlement with the at-fault driver’s insurance company is often unwise. Bike accidents cause disabling injuries, and you may have $100,000 of damages or much more. Insurance companies are highly likely to fight a large claim, so you will unlikely get what you deserve without an experienced bike accident attorney.
Personal injury attorneys typically recover much more in settlements than you can without legal assistance. Your attorney is better trained and positioned to investigate the accident and the extent of your injuries and negotiate a fair settlement.
The best part about retaining a seasoned bike accident lawyer is you don’t have to pay upfront. A bicycle accident lawyer in Southern California are paid by contingency agreement, so you don’t pay until the end of the case. Most attorneys take a 33 to 40 percent cut of the client’s settlement or jury award as compensation. They also usually take legal expenses from your case settlement or award. So, you pay nothing out of pocket and get more money than you would have on your own.
How Much Is Your Bike Accident Claim Worth?
Recovering from a serious biking accident requires healing physically and mentally. To be fairly compensated, you must also navigate the complicated legal and insurance background.
Because of the many factors involved, there is no standard answer for what a bike crash settlement is worth. It’s critical to understand the unique characteristics of your case to understand its value. A young and old man can be injured in the same type of accident, but one can be more severely injured than the other. Their injuries may affect them in different ways.
Factors that an experienced bike accident attorney will examine to value your claim are:
- Fault: 100 percent fault on the driver’s part will maximize your settlement and may lead to a faster resolution. However, if several parties share blame for the bike accident, the case value can be less, and the case takes longer.
- Severity of injuries: Serious or catastrophic injuries will lead to a higher settlement than a minor one. For instance, a severe brain injury has much longer and more expensive consequences than a broken arm.
- Medical expenses: A severe bike accident injury will lead to a much higher settlement than a minor injury. A severe injury can require weeks or months in the hospital, surgery, and rehabilitation. You also may have ongoing medical needs for years.
- Lost earnings: A serious injury may make it impossible to work in the future, which would increase your settlement.
- Pain and suffering: A devastating bike injury can cause overwhelming pain that must be covered in the settlement. A serious injury, such as a crush or amputation injury when a truck ran over you, would have a lot of pain and suffering compensation.
- Mental anguish: A serious injury can leave you unable to care for yourself and enjoy life as you once did. This causes serious mental and emotional anguish that your mental healthcare team can discuss with your attorney.
How To Get More In Your Southern California Bike Accident Settlement
Getting the most money in a settlement comes down to two things:
- Get fast and thorough medical treatment: See a doctor or go to the ER immediately after the bike crash. Ideally, you want your injuries documented and connected to the accident on the same day. Getting same-day treatment means that the insurance company will likely accept liability because your doctor will say that your injuries happened from a bike accident.
- Hire a skilled cycling accident lawyer immediately: Maximizing your settlement means having a seasoned attorney fighting for your rights. The sooner you hire a lawyer, the better for your case and health.
Speak To A Bike Accident Attorney Today
A bike crash injury can lead to devastating injuries. If a car hit you, don’t attempt to settle the claim yourself. You can have five, six, or seven figures of damages. Retain an aggressive bicycle accident lawyer in Southern California to represent you. Your attorney will maximize your compensation in a settlement or take the case to court in a personal injury lawsuit. The personal injury attorney isn’t paid unless you are!