Denair’s location in Stanislaus County makes it a bicycle rider’s dream. People cannot only use their bicycles to run errands, go to work, and just get a little exercise but the many nearby bike trails and beautiful scenery tempt them to go farther afield. Unfortunately, accidents with motor vehicles happen. In 2018 alone, according to the California Office of Traffic Safety, 204 bicycle riders were either injured or killed because of collisions with motor vehicles. When a bicyclist is injured by a negligent driver, our team of injury lawyers at AutoAccident.com is here to get them fair compensation.

At AutoAccident.com, our clients are valued, and we put our best effort into obtaining the compensation they deserve. With so many lawyers, we understand that someone looking for advice after a bicycle accident injury may have difficulty deciding whom to call. We include reviews by our clients and cases as links below to help you decide if we would be a good fit for you.

Most bicycle accidents involving motor vehicles are caused by negligence on the driver’s part. Some of the common errors a motorist commits that can end up injuring a bicycle rider include:

• Multitasking while driving can lead to a traffic accident. Drivers are increasingly distracted by texting, talking on a cell phone, adjusting the radio, accessing GPS, and other activities while they should be concentrating on the roadway and surrounding traffic. Since a bicycle is less conspicuous than larger vehicles, a momentary distraction by a motorist is enough to cause an accident, resulting in serious injuries or a fatality. Rear-end collisions with a bicyclist are relatively common and frequently cause catastrophic injuries.
• Careless right-hand turns are a common cause of bicycle/motor vehicle accidents. California Vehicle Code 22100 states that vehicles must use the bike lane to turn right from the curb. Some drivers forget to check to see if a bicyclist is occupying the lane before moving over, which results in a severe accident.
• Disobeying the three-foot distance law leads to accidents involving bicyclists. Legislators in California realized that if a bicycle rider is crowded by a motor vehicle, they have no way to escape a collision, so this law was enacted, which states that a vehicle must maintain a three-foot distance from a bicyclist at all times. By performing accident reconstruction and utilizing videos from traffic surveillance cameras, we can prove the motorist was at fault for crowding the bicycle rider.
• Speeding is responsible for all types of traffic accidents, including those that involve bicyclists. Speeding drivers require longer to stop in an emergency and are more apt to lose control of their vehicle. Either of these situations can cause severe injuries to a bicycle rider in a crash, especially since the risk of fatalities and trauma increases with the speed of the vehicle.
• A driver who makes a risky or illegal left turn can cause injury to a bicyclist. Motorists are expected to grant the right of way to those already inside an intersection or crosswalk area, including bicyclists and pedestrians.
• Dooring accidents often happen to bicycle riders, motorcyclists, and other drivers. The driver and passengers must park at a curb and exit their vehicle to look first for oncoming traffic before opening the door.
• Negligence by a government entity can lead to a bicycle accident. Defective traffic lights, potholes, fissures or cracks in the pavement, poor design, and more can cause a bicyclist to crash. The government entity charged with design and maintenance can be held responsible for bicycle accident injuries and fatalities. Since the time limit for filing a claim against a government entity is considerably shorter than for other personal injuries, enlisting the assistance of a lawyer is an excellent idea to avoid missing the deadline.

Evidence collected after a traffic accident is the way a client’s claim for compensation is proved. We start out right away by sending our investigative team to the accident site to collect that evidence. Evidence collected includes:

• The investigators review the report filed by the responding police to check for mistakes. An error in the police report could end up causing problems when filing an injury claim.
• Accident reconstruction shows the vehicle’s position relative to the bicycle rider and how the collision occurred. This evidence is commonly accepted by insurance companies and in civil court.
• Witnesses of the bicycle accident are interviewed.
• Area business and traffic surveillance cameras are checked to see if the accident was captured on film. In addition to showing the accident as it happened, the film footage may show whether the motorist was speeding or committing another traffic infraction.

After the evidence has been gathered, our legal team constructs a strong claim for our injured client. If the insurance company refuses to pay what the injured client deserves, the case can be brought before the court so that a jury can decide.

When you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident caused by a negligent driver or other entity, call us for our free and friendly advice at (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400. We can answer your questions, review your case, and tell you how you might be able to obtain compensation. If you prefer, you are welcome to message us online.

^{Editor’s Note: updated 11.27.23 Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay cd llo [917]}