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If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident, then you know just how dangerous they can be. They can happen suddenly, without warning, and can cause serious bodily harm. If you’re the victim of a bicycle accident, you can be left with medical bills and a serious amount of pain. Because of your injuries, you might not be able to work, and therefore financially suffer. Fortunately, you or your loved one might be entitled to compensation with the assistance of a Fresno bicycle accident attorney.
The following are the most common causes of bicycle accidents:
If you are injured in a bicycle collision, trust the attorneys at Freedman Law to represent your best interests. Our Fresno personal injury attorneys have the skills, experience, and resources you need to advocate aggressively for your best interests. Call today to schedule your free case evaluation for an accident injury.
To immediately access the resources at any point on this page, click the corresponding link below.
Why Should You Seek an Injury Attorney?
How a Fresno Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
Common Causes of Bike Accidents in Fresno
What Injuries Can a Bicycle Accident Cause?
What Are California’s Bicycle Accident Laws?
Possible Damages for Fresno Bicycle Accident Victims
Who Has the right of Way, a Bicycle or a Car?
What Should You Do After a Bicycle Accident?
Speak to a Fresno Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
Bicyclists often face unique challenges when pursuing compensation after an accident. Although motorists are more often at fault for causing bicycle accidents, that will not stop the at-fault party’s insurance company from shifting the fault onto you. If they can successfully blame you, it will ultimately devalue your claim. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer will protect you from this situation. They will handle:
In other words, they will make sure you recover the compensation you deserve. If the insurance company is unwilling to settle for a fair amount, your attorney will represent you in court.
Bicycle accidents can occur unexpectedly for a number of reasons, putting the biker at risk of serious harm or even death. Some of the most common causes for a bike accident in Fresno include:
Bicycle riders are incredibly vulnerable to harm in the event of a crash, without the frame of a car to protect them from the incredible forces of a collision. As a result, even a low-speed crash can potentially cause moderate or serious injuries. Bicyclists who are struck by a motor vehicle may suffer:
Facial Injuries
Facial injuries are incredibly common in bicycle accidents. Although helmets help protect the face, they are primarily designed to protect the skull. As a result, bicyclists often suffer damage or a dislocated jaw, broken nose, loss of teeth, damage to the eyes or loss of vision, nerve damage, and scratches or lacerations.
Traumatic Brain Injuries
The primary cause of bicycle accident fatalities and long-term disabilities are traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). A TBI occurs when a sudden, violent blow or jolt to the head causes the brain to collide into the skull. These injuries frequently happen when a bicyclist’s head hits the ground or another object on the way down. TBIs can range from mild concussions to severe trauma resulting in permanent cognitive impairment.
Head, Neck, or Spinal Injuries
In the accident, the bicyclist can hit their heads on the vehicle, the pavement, or another object which can cause severe lacerations and bruising. Victims also commonly suffer strains or sprains of the muscles, tendons, or ligaments in the neck, leading to a neck injury called whiplash. Whiplash is caused by the neck being quickly jerked forward and then back. This unnatural motion can result in severe neck pain, headaches, and dizziness. The force of the whipping movement can also cause stress to the spine. Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can have serious and lifelong repercussions, including paralysis and death.
Back Injuries
There are many kinds of back injuries that can occur with varying degrees of severity, for example, strains, pinched nerves, herniated discs, etc. The pain can last for months to years, but some victims must live with chronic pain for the rest of their lives.
Broken Bones or Fractures
The impact of a bicycle accident, being thrown into or hit by an object, can cause severe fractures or broken bones. Surgery or a cast is typically required as treatment, along with prescription medications, physical therapy, and more. In extreme cases, victims can suffer chronic pain and impairment.
Disfigurement and Significant Scarring
Lacerations, road rash, burns, and other injuries to the skin can cause lifelong or long-lasting scarring or disfigurement.
Other Bodily Trauma
The impact of a bicycle accident can cause internal organ damage. This type of injury may not be immediately apparent and can quickly become life-threatening if not treated. Any signs of bruising or cuts on the abdomen are worth having evaluated by a medical professional.
Death
Some bicycle accidents cause fatal injuries. When a bicyclist is killed due to another party’s negligent actions, their surviving family has the right to pursue a wrongful death claim to hold the at-fault individual accountable. A wrongful death claim can be compared to a personal injury claim, had the victim survived. The family can recover damages for funeral and burial expenses, medical bills related to the accident, loss of expected income, and more.
If you lose a loved one to the actions of a careless or negligent motorist, a wrongful death lawyer in Fresno can help you fight for justice on their behalf.
In California, victims of bicycle accidents have the right to hold at-fault drivers accountable for their losses. California is a fault state, meaning that people are financially responsible for any accidents they cause on the road. Injured drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists can file a claim against the at-fault motorist and recover compensation for their injuries.
As an injured cyclist, you have three options to pursue compensation.
In many cases, bicycle accident cases begin and conclude as insurance claims. If your claim is unsuccessful or the insurance company refuses to provide an adequate settlement, you can escalate your case to a lawsuit. Speak to a Fresno bicycle accident lawyer to identify your optimal path to compensation.
Through a bicycle accident lawsuit or insurance claim, you can collect compensation from the person responsible for your accident. There are three categories of monetary damages that you may be able to collect in a California bicycle accident claim: economic, non-economic, and punitive.
Economic damages involve the financial losses that you sustained due to the accident. Common examples of economic damages in Fresno bicycle accident claims include the following.
To recover economic damages, you must provide physical documentation of the expenses.
Non-economic damages involve the pain and suffering that you endured as a result of your injuries.
These losses are much more challenging to prove since they are not associated with an actual financial loss.
Punitive damages are available in some bicycle accident cases but are rarely awarded. Instead, this type of compensation is typically reserved for cases that involve a defendant (at-fault party) who acted extremely negligent. Punitive damages are then awarded with the intention to punish the defendant and deter others from committing similar harmful acts.
Our car accident lawyers in Fresno understand how to effectively litigate for cyclists who have been struck by distracted, negligent, or impaired drivers.
Technically, neither bicycles nor cars always have the right of way as it will depend on each scenario. Since bicycle riders have the same privileges and responsibilities as motorists in California, they must yield the right of way under the same conditions as drivers. For example, if a car and bicycle approach an intersection with a stop sign at the same time, whichever arrived first has the right of way. If multiple cars and a bicycle come to an uncontrolled intersection, the driver or bicyclist to the right has the right of way.
Since bicyclists have the same privileges as motorists, that also means they can be liable for an accident if they are at fault. For instance, if bicyclists fail to yield the right of way to a car and cause an accident, they can be held responsible for damages. Depending on the bicyclist’s auto insurance policy, their insurer may cover the accident. However, cyclists are not required to carry liability insurance for riding a bike. If they do not have auto insurance because they do not drive, the driver of the car will have to file a personal injury lawsuit against the bicyclist to recover damages.
If you are injured in a bicycle accident, it is important to remain calm and seek help as soon as possible. Take the following steps to protect yourself and your right to compensation.
If you are injured in a bicycle accident, you deserve to hold the at-fault party accountable for your losses. In these situations, the experienced Fresno bicycle accident attorneys at Freedman Law can fight for your right to maximum compensation. Contact our law firm online or call 559-447-9000 to discuss your case with a bicycle and truck accident lawyer in Fresno.