Have you been in an accident while riding your bicycle? Was someone you love injured while riding their bike? Bicycling has so many benefits. It’s good for the environment, it’s good for your body, and you can soak in the Southern California sun all while getting to where you want to go. Unfortunately, bicycling can also put you in harm’s way. Reckless, negligent drivers don’t always follow the rules of the road as they should. If you or someone you love is hurt, a bike accident attorney in Los Angeles from our firm can help.
When you’re riding your bike and someone crashes into you, hurting you, you deserve to be compensated for that. We have helped many bicyclists who were exactly in the same position that you are now: recovering from an accident and wondering what’s next. Our team has a proven track record of success. If you believe that you were in a bike accident, we encourage you to reach out to us for a free case evaluation to see how we may be able to assist you. Se Habla Espanol.
What Should I Do if I’m Injured in a Bike Accident?
Before you do anything else, remove yourself from potential further harm. To the extent that you can do so without putting yourself at risk, get out of the road, away from the flow of traffic, or any other threat.
Maintaining calm will always help. After an accident, you’re very likely to be in shock, to have your adrenaline running wild. Often, if you can calm your breathing, you can calm your mind. Just make every decision one at a time.
After you’ve made it to a safe place, call the authorities. Do so even if you don’t believe that anyone (including yourself) was injured. The police can generate a police report which can prove invaluable to your case.
Gather evidence if, again, you can do so without putting yourself at risk of harm. Take pictures and video, if able. If you’re unsure what evidence to gather, look to damage. Injuries, environmental damage, damage to your bike, the vehicle that hit you, and so forth.
Should the other party be there, talk to them. Get their name, license number, contact information, and insurance. Do not admit fault or say anything that could be interpreted as admitting fault (“sorry about that,” etc.) This conversation can be done very quickly and to the point.
Once the police get there, explain what happened. Make sure to receive medical attention. All too often, the worst injuries do not reveal themselves immediately, as they could be internal.
After all of the above is taken care of, reach out to a bike accident attorney.
What Compensation Can I Receive for a Bike Accident?
If you are injured in a bicycle accident, you can claim two different kinds of damages: economic and non-economic. When you reach out to us for a case evaluation, we’ll go over what we believe your case will be worth. Once we’ve explained that in detail, we can take your case, representing you as aggressively as possible to help you receive the maximum amount of compensation.
Economic damages cover bills that you accrued as a result of the injury. That means your medical costs, such as emergency care, doctor’s visits, stays in the hospital, any surgical procedures, rehab, therapy, and so much more. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents can be particularly devastating as the bike has such little protection in a crash.
Not only can we help you to receive compensation to cover your medical care, but we can also connect you to medical care providers who can help. They, like us, are paid on contingency. As such, you do not have to pay them out of pocket. In fact, you don’t have to pay them until your case is over and even then, their payment comes out of your compensation.
Many who were in a bicycle accident cannot work their job in the same capacity or even, sometimes, at all. You can receive compensation to make up for wages you lost due to your injury in addition to compensation for your reduced earning capacity.
Non-economic damages are compensation for what you may have gone through that does not have a price tag attached to it. Your pain, your suffering, emotional anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, and more – those are economic damages. We will fight to get you all of the damages that you should receive.
What are Bike Accident Injuries?
Many bike accident injuries, fortunately, are minor. They can include scrapes, bruises, and sprains – these injuries are troublesome and annoying, yes, but they aren’t “significant” in that they can upend your life in a negative way. That said, you can still receive compensation for these injuries.
Regrettably, many other bike accident injuries are serious. They can include fractured bones, dental injuries, dislocations, and more. Even something as innocuous sounding as “road rash” can lead to serious repercussions. Often, the worst bike injuries are not visible on one’s body, as they could be whiplash, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), and others. If you were hurt in a bike accident because of someone else’s negligence and/or recklessness, you deserve to be compensated for that.
What Causes Bike Accidents?
The most common cause of bicycle accidents is, according to multiple studies, drivers failing to yield the right of way. A bicycle can be very fast, but drivers have to give bicycles the right of way. Cars, buses, trucks, vans, and the like – when they’re inappropriately driven, it can lead to bike accidents.
However, those liable for a bike accident can include more than just the driver of a vehicle that crashes into a bicycle. Other cyclists, runners, pedestrians, someone who is unable to control their pet, someone in charge of road conditions who doesn’t do their job, and others – we can find exactly who was liable for your accident and bring a lawsuit against them.
After a thorough, comprehensive evaluation of your case, we’ll bring a lawsuit against all parties liable for your accident. Then, we’ll represent you aggressively, all to get you the maximum compensation from all involved.
How Common Are Bicycle Accidents?
Bicycle accidents are, unfortunately, more common than they should be. More people are bicycling than ever before, as it’s a lot of fun, a great method of transportation, good exercise, and something that’s enjoyable whether you’re in a group or by yourself. It can, however, be dangerous, particularly when others fail to properly share the road.
In the state of California, the number of bicyclists killed has steadily climbed in the last decade-plus. That number continues to rise. If you or someone you care about was hurt in a bicycle accident, you don’t have to just “take it.” If someone else was at fault, it’s worth it to reach out to an experienced attorney to see how we can help.
How Can a Bike Accident Attorney Help?
First, we perform a free evaluation of your case. Then, once we’ve taken your case, our team of expert investigators gets right to work determining exactly what happened. With that information, we can put together the most complete case for your needs.
To win a bicycle accident case, we have to prove that the accident was caused by the other party being reckless and/or negligent. Additionally, we have to prove that they owed a duty to you, they breached that duty to you, and, because they did so, you were injured.
We have done this in many ways over the years. From drivers who were texting at the time of the accident, driving at excessive speeds, driving under the influence, failing to properly maintain a road and so much more – we can find the truth and utilize it properly to make your case.
On the other hand, the other side will do what they can in hopes of making sure you receive little to no compensation for your injuries. They could argue that you didn’t follow traffic laws properly, that you failed to make yourself visible, that you didn’t wear a helmet – even if you did all of those things in compliance with the law.
We don’t let that happen. Not on our watch. Our team will find the truth and then build your best case around that so that you have the most positive outcome.
When Should I File a Bike Accident Claim?
The short, simple answer is to say: “as soon as possible.” The sooner you reach out to a team of experienced attorneys, the sooner we can work to get you the compensation that you deserve. To file a bicycle accident case in California, you can file up to two years from the date of the accident. That’s not a long period of time at all.
While there is no set average time frame for how long these accidents last, the strong majority of them do end in a negotiated settlement. Rarely do they go to court. However, when they do, we’re always grateful for an opportunity to represent our clients there, helping them to win as much as possible.
Belal Hamideh: Winning Bike Accident Attorney in Los Angeles
There is nothing easy about recovering from a bicycle injury. The physical as well as emotional recovery can be arduous at best. If you or someone you love were hurt in an accident while on a bike, you may be due compensation. Reach out to us for a free case evaluation today so that we can help you. Schedule the free case evaluation by messaging us through this site or giving us a call.