The Complete Guide to Understanding Riders and Car Collisions
Understanding Bike and Car Collisions: Along with healing from the collision, you should be prepared to protect your rights, comprehend your auto insurance coverage, and become aware of the same laws governing bicycle restrictions in your state and town.
Lawyers may reject your case occasionally. Did you, for instance, already apologize? If so, you’re going to succeed in locating an aggressive attorney. I. I’ll train you for what you’re supposed to do after the police show up at a bicycle accident site using the information I’ve provided below. Move along!
Bicyclists in California are frequently permitted to ride on public roads without bike lanes. To securely share the road with cars, bicycles must abide by the same rules and legislation as other vehicles. However, bikers are not required to complete any certification program before riding on a road.
If you hit a bicycle with your car, consider your legal alternatives and the need to speak with a lawyer. Make sure to do it with others, please. You deserve the most outstanding legal representation before completing any paperwork or providing declarations to an insurance company.
Understanding Bike and Car Collisions: Rules and Requirements for Share-the-Lane
Although it’s ideal, vehicles and bikers usually share different public roads. A cyclist involved in a car collision may file a claim for compensation for personal injuries and property damage. In the event of a fatality, a beneficiary or a related victim may bring a wrongful death claim.
Share-the-lane laws should be remembered as bicycle use increases to help prevent accidents:
On public roads, cycling is allowed, and all applicable traffic laws are in effect.
- A passing bicycle needs at least three feet of space and may use the entire traffic lane while sharing it with three other bikes.
- Both automobiles and cyclists must use signals while changing lanes; bikers frequently utilize hand signals.
- Keep an appropriate distance from bicycles on the road and watch for them when parked.
If you hit a cyclist or a group of pedestrians in California, you must stay at the scene of the collision, or you risk going to jail.
Traffic Law Compliance in Personal Injury Cases
Bicycles are subject to the same rules of conduct as other vehicles on public roads. However, they are not required to have a driver’s license or insurance. You might be liable for the damage if your car runs over a cyclist. Other factors than careless driving by motorists contribute to bicycle accidents. Our California bicycle accident lawyer can help you identify the at-fault driver.
The Effects of an Accident on a Bicycle
In essence, if you strike a bicycle while driving, you may be required to submit to blood and urine testing to screen for drugs and alcohol. Car accidents involving cyclists are frequently attributed to motor vehicles because they are heavier and more destructive than persons riding bicycles.
Never attempt to leave the scene of an automobile accident without trying to contact law authorities; you should immediately notify the nearest law enforcement department in the state wherever the incident occurred.
Bicycle Accident Insurance Company
Receiving medical care for wounds sustained in an automobile collision can be draining and upsetting emotionally. Personal injury coverage should be undertaken as soon as injuries necessitate medical attention.
This is important to know if the person wasn’t at fault for the bicycle accident. However, they must file a personal injury protection complaint with the driver’s insurance company because they need emergency medical care for their injuries.
When Your Insurance Omits Cyclist Coverage
If the cyclist were at fault for the collision, your liability insurance wouldn’t cover their losses. For instance, if you hit a cyclist at night when they were utilizing the required lighting, you would be liable for any property harm or bodily harm. However, you won’t likely be held responsible if you crash with them because you couldn’t see them since they didn’t have the necessary lights.
A cyclist may also be held responsible for an accident if they:
- Ride in the wrong direction on a one-way street;
- Fail to signal appropriately;
- Roll through a stop sign; or
- Do not ride in the bike lane.
Speaking with the Insurer
The insurance provider for the perpetrator may occasionally accept the claim. However, suppose one is underinsured or does not have insurance. In that case, filing a claim with one’s insurance provider is critical.
Consider that an adjuster from the other party’s insurance is present. If they cannot contact the other party’s insurance, they should urge the parties to file a claim with their insurance provider. Judgments and settlements, medical malpractice, and personal injury are just a few of the practice areas in which our legal firm has vast experience.
Big Ben Law Firm has a competitive advantage when resolving challenging legal challenges thanks to its experience in various practice areas. Contact us if you’d like a free case evaluation.
The Injuries a Cyclist Can Suffer
California’s bike accident victims have various choices for making up for monetary and non-monetary damages. Actual costs and expenses, like medical expenses, are considered economic damages. Intangible non-economic damages include pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium.
Insurance may provide coverage for personal injury and property damage claims. Nevertheless, you can still be held liable if another party suffers severe injuries or dies. Remember that the success of a cyclist’s legal case against you is still being determined.
If they are successful, they may be able to recover money for the following:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damages
- Childcare costs, if their health prohibited them from providing care of their family
- Pain and suffering and annoyance.
They’ll contact your insurance company immediately to get their losses covered if you hit a bicycle with your car. However, if they are unable to settle their claim with your insurer, they do have the option of filing a lawsuit.
Cycling-Related Claims
A bicycle accident victim in California has two years to file a personal injury claim after the incident. You must stand up for your rights and return to your everyday life. Unfortunately, bike accidents will result in losses or injuries of all kinds. Following a collision, bikers frequently suffer from the following wounds:
- Head or brain injuries from trauma
- Damage to nerves
- Road rash;
- Spinal cord injuries;
- Broken or broken bones.
A cyclist may claim various injuries following an accident, and the list is not all-inclusive. However, if a cyclist makes any claim after an accident, there is a significant chance that their injury is serious.
The Responsible Party
A bicycle collision is typically the result of a driver’s failure to yield to a rider while making a turn. Regardless of whether the cyclist has the right-of-way, the careless driver may still be held accountable for any injuries they sustain.
A biker may be held liable by a court for the injury and injuries sustained by the other party if they caused a bicycle accident and disregard basic safety precautions. The at-fault party and the other party may allocate blame through a settlement agreement. The inquiry by the police and a review of the patient’s medical records, however, serve as the foundation for the final verdict.
This conclusion is made due to the appeals court’s ruling involving two colliding bikes. Imagine you should have kept a proper eye or disregarded a sign, and your car hit a bicycle. You might then be held legally responsible and face criminal charges.
It is never good when a car hits a cyclist, but it is unfortunately even worse when its driver is at fault. If you take the blame for an automobile accident, your insurance company will adjust the total value of your claim. Even if he’s partially at fault, a biker has legal advantages in a bike accident since he has a right to use the highway.
Scene of the Accident
Before the police arrive, the owner of a car has the right to move it out of the way of oncoming traffic. The problem is that it might be challenging to determine what caused an accident if you relocate an automobile involved in one.
Ensure the cyclist receives prompt medical assistance if you strike him with your car to prevent further issues. When the police arrive, they assess the relative positions of the moving vehicles. Our lawyers can offer a no-obligation consultation to assist you in managing your bike accident claim if your car struck a bicycle. It follows from this that you must reach out to Big Ben Lawyers as soon as are involved in an accident. It does not matter if you received minor or serious injuries.
Rider Road Safety
Someone who rides on a side street ought to constantly ride in the same direction of traffic, even when applying a contraflow bike lane. The simplest way to lessen your risk of injury in car accidents is to wear a helmet and a luminous jacket. Additionally, cyclists are visible in favorable illumination. Additionally, you should maintain a safe distance since your car could easily collide with a bicycle if you don’t.
You should consult a bike accident lawyer if you or a loved one has hurt another driver while riding a bike. Contact our law firm for an obligation-free consultation to discover more concerning your legal options. Bicycle accidents can result in catastrophic injuries. Our bicycle accident attorneys at Big Ben Law Firm have expertise in defending clients harmed in car collisions needing ambulance transport to the urgent care center.
Engage Big Ben Lawyers Today to Help you With a Bike Accident Claim
Our team of experienced lawyers is available at Big Ben Lawyers. They are willing to assist you with any bike accident claim in California. Our attorneys have a track record of excellence in various personal injury claims. The law firm has consistently championed its clients’ rights, ensuring they get the compensation they deserve after they or their loved ones become victims of an auto accident.
A lawyer may be necessary to guide you via the legal and auto insurance systems if your car struck a cyclist. During this trying moment, one mistake could end up costing you. It can be challenging to arbitrate legal disputes and insurance claims alone.
Our team at the law office can investigate the details of the crash and compile the evidence that shifts responsibility, including the police report. We will handle all communications with the parties. To rule out any guilt on your part, we shall investigate any instances involving pure comparative negligence.
Trust Our Bicycle Accident Lawyers
We can review the regulations governing bicycle accidents with you, discuss the possibilities for legal action, and advise you on what to do next following an accident. Calling our office and arranging a free consultation is always accessible. Expect the finest when you retain our bicycle accident lawyers for legal assistance.
Our unwavering dedication to ensuring our clients receive the highest compensation sets us apart from our legal competitors. We shall ensure that we navigate through the bicycle accident lawsuits seamlessly. We understand that the aftermath of a motor vehicle accident and when bicycle accidents occur may be stressful. For this reason, our lawyers shall ensure that we take up the burden of worrying about your accident claim.
Our lawyers’ efforts have resulted in successful legal results, securing substantial client compensation for car and bike accident victims. When you engage our experienced team of personal injury lawyers, you enlist legal experience and a team passionate about getting you an adequate amount of compensation. We shall give your personal injury lawsuit the attention and resources that shall guarantee its success. Allow our experienced personal injury attorneys to deal with the personal injury case as you focus on your healing and recovery process associated with most personal injury claims. Contact us today to begin the process of helping you attain the highest possible compensation. We are always available to help you. We look forward to receiving your call so that we can start the process of helping you attain the compensation that you rightly deserve.
Big Ben Lawyers
144 N Glendale Ave.
Suite 250
Glendale, CA 91206