Riverside bike accident attorneys: Bicycle is considered the most convenient way to go to school, work, or somewhere else. It’s environment-friendly because it doesn’t cause air pollution. It’s economic because it doesn’t need fuel to run and it’s a form of exercise which is good for your well-being. However, riding a bike has its risks as well.
Colliding with other vehicles can cause devastating injuries because you don’t have anything to protect you except for a helmet. If you or a loved one was involved in an accident, contact Big Ben Lawyers to know your options. Our dedicated and experienced Riverside bike accident lawyers will protect your rights and ensure that you’ll get the compensation you deserve.
Call us at (951) 561-2002 and schedule a FREE case evaluation. We work on a contingency fee basis.
Damages A victim May You Can Recover As a Bicycle Accident Victim in Riverside
The damages you are eligible to recover generally depend on the severity of your injuries and how much you lost in the crash. It may include monetary expenses, such as medical bills and bicycle repairs or replacements. Additionally, you may get compensation for non-monetary damages, such as loss of consortium or pain and suffering.
Economic Damages
Since economic damages are quantifiable, it’s much easier to calculate since the compensation you’ll receive is usually based on the amount of the expenses you incurred. These include medical expenses for hospitalization, prescription, doctor visits, and other overheads related to your medical care. It may also encompass lost income, loss of ability to earn, loss of personal property, and cost of repair or replacement for broken property such as a phone, your bike, and its parts.
Non-Economic Damages
While physical injuries and property damage are easy to compute, non-economic injuries can prove more difficult. Your bike crash can affect your work and your quality of life in many ways you didn’t anticipate. The compensation you may receive under this includes:
- Pain and suffering that give you irritation or emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life because the accident can alter your quality of life, changing your lifestyle, hobbies, and daily routine activities
- Emotional distress when you experience unwanted agitation or apprehension surrounding the situation
- Loss of companionship which encompasses loss of financial assistance, love, sex, guidance, and the ability to have or raise kids
Riverside Bike Accident Attorneys: What are the Types of Bicycle Accidents?
A bike on the road is also a vehicle, and a cyclist like you has the exact rights and responsibilities as those of car, bus, truck, and motorcycle drivers. When negligence prevails, an accident is likely to occur.
Bicycle Crash at Intersections
An intersection accident occurs when a bicyclist has a stop sign while the car driver hasn’t. After stopping, the bicyclist maneuvers into the intersection in front of the car that has the right-of-way. When an accident happens, the cyclist is possibly at fault.
In case the driver has the stop sign and the bicyclist doesn’t, and after stopping, the car banishes into the intersection with a cyclist in the front. This scenario makes the car driver as the possible liable party if a crash happens. However, if the bicyclist rides against the flow of traffic, he and the car driver may share fault for the incident.
Left Turn or Left Cross
This accident happens when the bicyclist and the driver reach the intersection from opposite directions where the driver turns left, hitting the cyclist.
Right Turn or Right Hook
When car drivers turn right in several ways without caution, a collision is likely to occur.
- A car overtakes a bicycle as they approach an intersection and abruptly turns right at the intersection, obstructing the cyclist’s path.
- The bicycle overtakes a slower car on the right, and the driver makes a right turn into the bicyclist.
- Both the bike and the car are waiting at a light. When it changes, the car turns right and overtakes or collides with the bike.
Bike Accidents Due to Road Hazards
Some bicycle accidents don’t involve other vehicles. Bicyclists are vulnerable to a crash if they come across road dangers including:
- Roadway cracks or potholes can make bicyclists lose control of their bikes
- Sewer grate bars that run in the same direction as the traffic can get bicycle tires stuck and danger of getting hit by other vehicles
- Rail or trolley tracks can likewise trap bike tires if they cross the roads at an angle or curve or when they run in the oncoming traffic’s direction
Liability in a Bicycle Accident in Riverside
As previously mentioned, a bicycle is considered a “vehicle” and should follow the laws of the road. With regard to collisions at intersections, accountability typically concludes whether the bicycle or the car had the right of way.
No Traffic Signals
When two vehicles reach an intersection not conducted by a traffic signal, the vehicle that arrives first has the right of way. If both arrived at the same time, the one on the right has the right of way. If an intersection is controlled by a stop sign, the vehicle to the right has the right of way.
Traffic Signals
The signal determines the right of way at intersections controlled by signals. In case the sensor can’t detect the bicycle’s presence, the bicyclist can place the bike closer to the sensors buried in the road. If it didn’t work, wait until it’s safe to cross or rather cross at the crosswalk.
Significance of Liability
A crash between a car and a bicycle makes the bicyclist sustain all possible injuries. Identifying liability is crucial because the at-fault person usually pays for accident-related losses and damages, and could deal with a personal injury case.
Assuming that the driver’s negligence caused the accident, he is the liable party who needs to compensate the bicyclist who is the victim.
Get the Help You Need at Big Ben Lawyers
Being hit by any vehicle while riding your bicycle is a catastrophic experience, especially when you sustain damaging injuries. Our compassionate and skilled Riverside bike accident legal adviser will be happy to help you fight the insurance company and make the negligent liable party pay for his negligence that caused your misfortune.
At Big Ben Lawyers, we’ll get you the finest medical care and get you maximum compensation. We can seek justice for you and much more. Also, we can get your bike repaired or replaced. Retaining our Riverside bike accident legal adviser will give you an edge against the at-fault driver and insurance company. Call us today and tell us about your case. Dial (951) 561-2002 and book a FREE consultation of your case. We always work on a contingency fee basis.
Big Ben Lawyers
11801 Pierce St.
Suite 200
Riverside CA 92505