While bicycling is an excellent form of cardio workout or a cost-effective way to get around town, injuries from a bicycle accident are often severe and sometimes deadly.

Whether you’re riding through town or on the bike trails through St. Helena’s beautiful scenery, staying safe is essential. If you or a family member has suffered severe injuries in a bicycle collision due to someone else’s negligence, call our experienced injury attorneys at (707) 564-1900 to learn about your legal options. We offer free, friendly advice.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reports over 840 bicyclists were killed in traffic accidents in 2019, and roughly 417,000 were injured or treated in the emergency room. This number does not represent the total injuries since most bicycle accidents were not reported, and the injured party did not seek medical treatment.

Statistics also show that:

• 90% of bicyclist deaths in 2019 were 20 years and older
• 78% of bicyclists were killed in urban areas
• 20% of all bicycle accidents occur between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm
• More deadly bicycle accidents occur in California than in any other state
• Bicycle injuries and deaths cost about $4 billion annually nationwide

Intersections are dangerous areas for bicyclists. Data shows that about 45% of all bicycle accidents occur at intersections. Various causes for an intersection accident are due to the design and complexity of the location. Some of the more common reasons include:

• A motorist fails to stop at a red light or stop sign hits a bicyclist legally traveling through.
• A driver turns right without looking to see if a cyclist is in the bike lane.
• A motorist turns left and hits a bicyclist traveling straight in the opposite direction.

In a bicycle vs. car accident, the bicyclist will likely suffer serious injuries due to the lack of protection. This can cause a variety of injuries, such as:

• Bone Fractures
• Facial injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Traumatic brain injury
• Wrongful death

The following YouTube video explains how you can crash your bicycle and provides tips for riding safely.

If you’re injured in a bicycle accident with a motor vehicle in St. Helena, you’ll want to call 911 and seek medical treatment immediately. Be sure to tell the responding police officer what happened before the accident. If you are physically able, take pictures of your injuries and the damages to your bike. Preserve your bike in the same condition it was in immediately after the accident, along with the clothes you were wearing.

Don’t give a recorded or written statement to the other party’s insurance company. You are not required to give a statement. The insurance company will only try to use that statement against you in the future. Instead, contact an experienced St. Helena bicycle accident lawyer for a free consultation and case evaluation.

A bicycle accident attorney can help you get fair compensation for lost wages, medical costs, pain and suffering, and other damages you experienced after your bicycle accident. The attorney will send an investigative team to examine the accident site for issues that may have caused the collision, speak to witnesses, use accident reconstruction techniques, and obtain surveillance video of the collision.

The attorney will file a claim against the at-fault party and negotiate with the insurance company to help get you the maximum compensation you deserve for your damages. California’s deadline to file this type of claim is two years from the accident date. Your personal injury lawyer will ensure that all documents are filed on time.

If you or a family member has suffered severe injuries in a bicycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, contact a skilled injury attorney to determine your legal options. Call our experienced St. Helena bicycle accident attorneys today for free and friendly advice at (707) 564-1900 or (800) 404-5400.

We have assisted residents of St. Helena and throughout Northern California with their personal injury and wrongful death cases since 1982.

See our verdicts and settlements case history.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 10.16.23] Image by 👀 Mabel Amber, who will one day from Pixabay cha llo [cs 732]}