Riding a bicycle can be an economic and freeing decision. While it has many benefits, it poses a significant danger when sharing roads with cars and vehicles. Any collision between a bicycle and a car can cause significantly more damage to the bicycle rider than the car or driver.
If you have been involved in an accident, securing a Citrus Heights bicycle accident lawyer with Triumph Law immediately sets you up for the most success. They can help you build a case to get you the maximum compensation you are entitled to and handle negotiations with insurance adjusters. A Citrus Heights personal injury lawyer can allow you to focus on healing and return to your everyday life as soon as possible.
Bicycle Accidents
Because of the size and weight difference, as well as the general lack of protection when riding a bicycle, it is incredibly dangerous for bicycles on the road. In the latest reporting year, the National Safety Council (NSC) saw almost 400,000 bicycle injuries and 1,230 fatal accidents that resulted in more than 1,250 deaths.
Most accidents with bicycles are caused by human or driver error of some kind. Some of the most common reasons for accidents are:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Failing to yield to the right of way
- Poor road designs
- Unclear or non-existent bike lanes
California has many laws determining how vehicles should behave around bicycles to protect all parties best. These include minimum standards for passing or navigating around them. However, bicyclists are also held to the same legal expectations of driving laws.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Injuries from bicycle accidents can be incredibly severe and, in many cases, can cause death, with some of the most common being:
- Lacerations
- Bruises
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injury
- Internal injuries
Many of these injuries can take weeks or months to heal completely, if ever.
Your Triumph Is Our Triumph
(916) 500-0000What to Do after a Citrus Heights Bicycle Accident
If you are in an accident while on a bicycle, you can do a few things to protect the integrity of your cases and the evidence collected.
- Call 911
- Assess and treat injuries
- Collect police reports and witness statements
- Take photos of the scene
- Speak of the accident sparingly
Once you have contacted a lawyer, they will likely ask you for related documents, including photos of the accident and the police report. They may also request that you maintain a folder of all medical expenses and records. Further, keeping a personal journal tracking your recovery and experience can be helpful.
Your attorney may ask you to refrain from speaking freely about the accident or posting on social media. This might happen for many reasons, but the biggest one is that while your attorney is looking out for your best interest, the insurance company is also looking out for theirs. Any statements you have made regarding the accident or posts on social media might give them a basis to deny the severity of your injuries or encourage them to make settlement offers for less than is fair.
Working with Your Citrus Heights Bicycle Accident Attorney
A personal injury case can last months or years, depending on whether you have an agreed-upon settlement or end up going to trial. This means that you and your lawyer can be working closely together for quite a while. At Triumph Law, we will work tirelessly to see you recover the compensation you deserve.
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(916) 500-0000 Assessing Injuries and Claiming Damages from Your Bicycle Accident
For many cases, after making the initial call, you will sit with our bicycle accident attorney in Citrus Heights to determine the extent of your injuries. These can include a few things, but the most common damages claimed are economic and non-economic. However, if you have lost a loved one or there was true ill intent or malice, you may be eligible for a wrongful death claim or ask for punitive damages.
Economic and non-economic damages refer to being tied to financial loss or not. Economic damages are things like reimbursement for medical expenses or lost wages. Non-economic damages are meant to compensate you for something like missed experiences or time with family due to your injuries.
If you lose a loved one due to someone else’s negligence, a surviving spouse or family member can claim wrongful death for assistance in covering medical or funeral costs and supplementing the person’s income to their family. Punitive damages are not seen as a type of compensation but more as a penalty for malicious intent to deter them from similar behavior in the future. These can be claimed if there is proof that they acted maliciously or with intent to cause harm.
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(916) 500-0000 Call Our Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Citrus Heights Today
The faster you call us at Triumph Law, the faster we can start securing evidence and investigating avenues of liability to ensure the maximum compensation possible. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means finances should not be a reason that you don’t reach out. We don’t get paid until you receive the money you are due.
You can reach out any time and get a free consultation with our bicycle accident lawyer in Citrus Heights. The sooner you reach out, the sooner you can focus on getting better. Let us do the hard part.
