If you are a resident of Long Beach or Southern California, riding your bike is a great way to get some exercise, enjoy the fresh air, or even commute to work. Cycling has been shown to have excellent health benefits for people of all ages, including improved joint mobility, decreased stress levels, strengthened bones and increased cardiovascular fitness, and the activity may also reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, obesity, arthritis and depression. But when other motorists drive recklessly or refuse to safely share the road with bicycles, the chance of a cyclist being involved in a deadly accident increases exponentially. If you or a loved one has suffered serious injuries in a Long Beach bicycle accident, you may be able to recover damages by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. Contact our bicycle accident attorneys at DAG Law Firm today to discuss your legal options.
Affordable Long Beach Bicycle Accident Attorney
In the aftermath of a Long Beach bike accident, the two most important things you can do are: seek immediate medical attention and retain a personal injury attorney who can help you get the maximum recovery for your losses. Having a reputable lawyer on your side will not only ease some of the burden from your shoulders, it will also ensure that your rights are protected throughout the recovery process, whether that involves filing an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit. Our knowledgeable and compassionate attorneys at DAG Law Firm are skilled at representing the best interests of bicycle accident victims in Long Beach and throughout Southern California and will work tirelessly to ensure your compensation is adequate.
Injuries Resulting from a Long Beach Bicycle Accident
Because they have a much smaller profile than passenger cars, trucks and motorcycles, bicycles are harder to spot on Long Beach roadways and are therefore highly vulnerable to motor vehicle accidents. And because bicycles offer riders far less protection in the event of an accident, the injuries sustained by cyclists in a motor vehicle collision tend to be much more severe than those sustained by vehicle occupants. Even cyclists who wear a helmet and other protective equipment can suffer permanent injuries that may affect their normal functioning for the rest of their lives, such as brain damage or paralysis. The injuries caused by a Long Beach bicycle accident may include:
- Head injury
- Concussion
- Road rash
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Fractures
- Knee, leg or foot injury
- Shoulder, arm or hand injury
- Back injury
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death
Brain injuries are the number one cause of death in bike accidents and those who survive this type of traumatic injury are often left with life-long disabilities that require extensive, costly medical care.
Common Causes of Long Beach Bike Accidents
All bicycle accidents are different and there are a number of factors that can contribute to a collision between a bicycle and motor vehicle. The unfortunate truth is that the majority of bicycle accidents in Long Beach and across the United States are caused by simple negligence, which means these devastating accidents could have easily been avoided with a little care and attention. According to local statistics, the most common driver-related causes of Long Beach bicycle accidents are as follows:
- Motorist running a stop light or stop sign
- Motorist making a turn in front of a moving bicycle
- Motorist driving at an unsafe speed
- Motorist driving on the wrong side of the road
- Motorist unsafely passing or changing lanes
- Motorist texting while driving
- Motorist driving while drunk
Some other causes of bicycle accidents in Long Beach may include dangerous road conditions, careless pedestrians or faulty bicycle components. There are also some bicycle-vehicle accidents that are caused by the cyclist himself. However, even if you have been found partially at fault for your bicycle accident, you may still be entitled to compensation from the other at-fault person or party, based on his or her percentage of liability.
Determining Liability in a Long Beach Bicycle Accident
Despite state and local efforts to increase awareness of cyclists and motorists and reduce the risk of bicycle accidents in Long Beach, bicycle-vehicle collisions are on the rise statewide. According to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,000 cyclists were killed in accidents in the United States in 2015, and approximately 467,000 were injured. What’s more, the Governors Highway Safety Association reports that California has the highest rate of bicycle fatalities of all states, with more than 338 occurring between 2010 and 2012. Unfortunately, the majority of these accidents are caused by the negligence of other motorists on the road who fail to pay attention while they are behind the wheel.
If you have suffered injuries in a Long Beach bicycle accident, determining who is at fault in the accident is the key to recovering the compensation you deserve, and that means proving that the other person or party was negligent. To prove negligence in a bicycle accident case, you must show: that the other motorist had a duty of care, that the motorist breached that duty of care, that the breach caused your injuries, and that damages were sustained as a result of those injuries.
Seeking Compensation for Bicycle Accident Injuries
Obtaining compensation from the at-fault party can help ease the emotional and financial burden resulting from a serious bicycle accident, and allow you and your loved ones to begin the recovery process. Imagine being struck by a car, pickup truck or SUV while riding your bike, and you can understand why bike accident victims need help obtaining the maximum compensation they are entitled to under California law. Unfortunately, it’s nearly impossible to obtain adequate reimbursement from insurance adjusters who are too concerned about their company’s bottom line to give accident victims the compensation they deserve. Many insurance companies have a policy of making low-ball offers to accident victims knowing that they may be desperate enough to accept. Depending on the circumstances of your bicycle accident case, you may be able to recover financial compensation for:
- Physical injuries
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Past and future earning potential
- Property damage and repair costs
- Rehabilitation or counseling
- Funeral costs for wrongful death
Free Bicycle Accident Consultation in Long Beach
It is the vision of Long Beach, California to be the most bicycle-friendly urban city in the country. And with the addition of new bike paths, bike trails and designated bike lanes on city streets, as well as safety campaigns like Bike Long Beach and Share Our Streets, which seek to raise awareness about the importance of safe cycling and driving, it is well on its way. Unfortunately, with more and more bicycles on Long Beach roadways that are already crowded with passenger cars, commercial trucks and motorcycles, the rate of bicycle-vehicle accidents is on the rise. If you have suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in Long Beach, contact our Long Beach personal injury lawyers at DAG Law Firm today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
