If you were injured in a bicycle accident in Los Angeles, you have legal rights. You may be able to recover all of the money needed to cover your medical bills, missed work time, and your long-term recovery. In many cases, you could win your settlement even if you were not wearing a helmet or using lights.
Let the Simmrin Law Group put our experienced legal team to work for you. We will give you a free consultation and help you get started on your case. Fill out the form to the right or give us a call to schedule an appointment with a member of our team today.
What Kinds of Bicycle Accidents and Injuries Count As Valid Claims?
If you were injured, and it was not your fault, there is a good chance you have a valid claim. We take on cases including:
- Injuries caused by cars and other vehicles
- Motorcycle-on-bicycle accidents
- Truck-on-bicycle accidents
- Injuries caused by bad road conditions, such as potholes, grates and sewer covers, bad pavement, and badly timed lights
- Injuries caused by a defective bicycle or faulty bike gear
- Traumatic brain injury cases
- Wrongful death cases
- Cyclist harassment cases
No matter how your accident happened or who was involved, if you do not believe you are at fault, you may have a case.
For a free legal consultation with a bicycle accidents lawyer serving Los Angeles, call (310) 928-9347
What Are My Rights As an Injured Cyclist in Los Angeles?
Cyclists have the same rights as anyone else on the road, pathways, or sidewalk. Personal injury law in California is based on fault. The person who causes an accident or injury is the one responsible for the costs. Unfortunately, who is at fault isn’t always obvious.
Sometimes, a driver or even a pedestrian can be at fault even if they did not explicitly break any traffic laws. If they did anything negligent or careless, they are at fault. Remember, you can win your case even if:
- the driver was not ticketed
- the driver blames you
- the insurance company initially refuses your claim
Do not second guess yourself after an accident. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Los Angeles will put an investigator on the case to prove exactly what happened.
Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me (310) 928-9347
What If I Wasn’t Wearing a Helmet or Using Lights?
Do not allow the insurance company to blame you. You can win your accident claim even if you weren’t wearing a helmet or using lights. Safety gear does help save lives, but not wearing it does not make the injury your fault.
Los Angeles has complicated laws around bicycle safety. In general:
- Adults are free to cycle with or without helmets (however, children must wear them).
- Bicycles need reflectors and lights if riding after dark.
- Cyclists are supposed to bike legally, on streets, bike lanes, or approved sidewalks/pathways.
If you break these rules, you may get a ticket. However, it doesn’t mean you are at fault for the accident.
How Does a Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer Prove Faul?
Determining fault in these cases depends on two things:
- Whether or not the safety gear would have prevented the accident from happening. This consideration is typically focused on lights and reflective gear, as wearing a helmet is unlikely to prevent an accident from occurring.
- Whether your injuries would have been less severe had you been wearing safety gear. This is the area that focuses more on helmet usage.
The answers depend on what happened. Your lawyer can look at the specifics of your accident and help you get a clear answer. In many cases, you may still have a valid claim.
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What If I Was Hit by an Aggressive or Threatening Driver?
Los Angeles has the toughest laws in the country against harassing cyclists. The city’s Cyclist Anti-Harassment Ordinance offers strict penalties for anyone who:
- Intentionally forces a bicycle off the street
- Threatens a cyclist
- Distracts a cyclist
- Physically injures a cyclist (with their vehicle or otherwise)
If any of these factors apply to your case, you can sue for three times the cost of your damages. This money is meant to both punish the person who threatened or injured you and to help you put your life back together. It also serves to deter unsafe behavior around cyclists.
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How Much Money Can I Win for a Bicycle Accident Claim in Los Angeles?
In most accidents, the damages include property damage and injuries. The money you could potentially recover is broken into three parts:
- Economic damages
- Non-economic damages
- Punitive damages
Economic Damages
Economic damages cover anything that has a direct financial impact on your life. You have a right to recover 100% of your costs for:
- Your medical bills and medication
- Physical therapy or any other rehabilitation
- Missed wages, if you were unable to work
- The cost of your bicycle or damaged equipment
- The full long-term cost of your injury in the future
Non-Economic Damages
You may also be granted extra damages based on what happened. This is common if you have a severe injury or a disability caused by the accident. The things covered under non-economic damages are consequences of an injury that can lower your quality of life but have no direct financial correlation.
Because the losses covered by non-economic damages are irreplaceable, they tend to make up the largest part of a compensation claim.
Punitive Damages
In certain situations, an accident victim may also be eligible to receive punitive damages. Money received for punitive damages is not meant as compensation for a loss suffered by the accident victim. Instead, it is intended as a punishment for the responsible party.
Punitive damages are only awarded in cases where the liable party acted in a particularly egregious manner. Most often, when dealing with punitive damages, the liable party will also be looking at criminal charges. The amount that can be recovered for a bicycle accident that resulted in a serious injury can be quite large, with compensation reaching into the six-figure and even seven-figure range.
Obviously, insurance companies are not quick to pay out this money on their own. They may attempt to deny or delay your claim, offer you less than you really need, or even blame you for an accident you didn’t cause. If you were injured, do not face the insurance company without an experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney on your side.
How Much Does a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Los Angeles Charge?
When you have been injured in a bicycle accident, you will likely face a large stack of medical bills. The last thing you need is to have to worry about the cost of hiring an attorney.
Fortunately, that shouldn’t be a problem. Like all reputable personal injury attorneys, a Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney will work on a contingency fee basis. This fee structure means that they will only get paid if you get paid.
You will never pay a penny out of pocket and if you do receive financial compensation, your attorney’s fee will simply be paid out of the money you receive at a pre-agreed-upon percentage. This payment system assures clients that their attorneys will do everything within their power to ensure they receive the most money possible for their claim. In general, those who hire an attorney end up in a much better financial position than those who attempt to represent themselves.
A Los Angeles Bike Accident Attorney Can Review Your Case for Free
Bicyclists have rights; however, the law won’t always enforce them without legal help. It’s important to have a legal professional on your side. The attorneys of the Simmrin Law Group are here to help.
Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation today. One of our Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyers will review your case and advise you of your options for pursuing financial compensation.
Call or text (310) 928-9347 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form