Determining Liability in a Bicycle Accident Claim

Protect Your Rights and File a Claim With a Personal Injury Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Unfortunately, bicycle accidents are often caused by negligent drivers. Many drivers on the road do not realize that bicyclists have the right to be on the road just as much as they do. A lot of drivers are unfriendly towards bicyclists on the road and may even become hostile at times.

Bicycle accidents typically never end well, as bicyclists do not have protection like people inside of cars. If a car hits a bicyclist, he or she can easily sustain serious injuries, ranging from broken bones, brain damage, and much more. Whereas drivers of vehicles can easily avoid injuries in a bicycle vs. car accident, since the driver is protected by the external parts of the car, airbags, and seatbelts. According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Administration, bicycle accident deaths make up for two percent of all auto accident fatalities. In addition, bicycle accident injuries make up for two percent of all people involved in accidents.

If you or a loved one was involved in a bicycle accident caused by a negligent driver, you need to contact a Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. You should never wait, as this can potentially jeopardize your case. By contacting a knowledgeable lawyer about your accident, he/she will be able to handle every part of your accident so that you have the opportunity to recover from your injuries. It is important to know that you are not alone and there are people who can help you every step of the way.

Causes of Bicycle Accidents

According to statistics, several bicycle accidents happen at intersections, due to drivers failing to yield or violate a cyclist’s right of way. In addition, drivers fail to check to see if it is safe to switch lanes, which often results in side-swiping a bicyclist.

In addition to the causes explained above, here are some causes that often occur as well:

• Negligent drivers and/or violating traffic laws
• Negligent bicyclists and/or violating traffic laws
• Hazardous and unsafe road conditions
• Faulty or unsafe bicycle equipment

Since bicyclists do not have safety measures like vehicles, such as airbags, seatbelts, or an external car frame, it is probable that a bicyclist may sustain serious injuries.

Determining Liability in a Bicycle Accident

Many people are unaware of the fact that bicyclists basically have the same legal rights as those who driver motor vehicles. Therefore, bicyclists must obey the same traffic laws as motor vehicle drivers. In addition, bicyclists have access to insurance claims and the legal system. As a result, both drivers and bicyclists must follow traffic laws and remain vigilant at all times.

Here are some examples of determining liability in a bicycle accident:

Texting and Driving: A driver was texting and driving, while attempting to make a right turn but failed to see a bicyclist approaching the intersection, which resulted in the bicyclist crashing into the vehicle. Because the driver failed to pay attention due to him texting and driving, the driver will be held at fault for the collision.

Hazardous Road Conditions: A bicyclist was traveling down the road and came upon a construction site, which had a lot of loose gravel and rocks that the construction workers failed to clean up. Due to the hazardous road conditions left by the construction workers, the bicyclist lost control and violently hit the ground, suffering serious injuries. The bicyclist filed a claim based on the dangerous conditions of the road and he received a settlement in return for his losses.

Defective Bicycle Equipment: A bicycle dealer failed to warn customers of a recent defective notice from a bike’s manufacturer, yet still continued to sell those particular bikes. As a result, a bicyclist’s brake cable failed, which caused him to crash into a pole and was seriously injured. The bicyclist filed a claim against the dealer and a product liability claim against the manufacturer and was able to settle his case.

Contact a Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has sustained injuries from a bicycle accident due to the fault of a negligent driver, reach out to a trusted personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles. Getting the legal help you need is imperative to a successful case. By contacting a lawyer, he or she will handle every part of your case to take any additional stress off of your shoulders.