Those injured in a bicycle accident require the help of a Madera bicycle accident lawyer who understands their rights and has the knowledge and skills to help them recover the damages they deserve.

Autoaccident.com has a longstanding record of recovering those damages for personal injuries in a bicycle accident caused by another’s negligent actions.

By placing a claim against the negligent party, the injured rider may be able to recover the following:

• All medical expenses, including hospital costs, rehabilitation, ambulance fees, and even out-of-pocket expenditures
• Lost wages, lost earning capacity, and future wages if the injured person cannot return to work
• Physical trauma such as injuries, permanent disabilities, amputation, scarring, and disfigurement
• Personal losses such as the loss of companionship, love, and consortium
• Damage to relationships with the spouse and children and the ability to enjoy life
• Emotional and psychological trauma such as anxiety, depression, and other signs of post-traumatic stress disorder

Those who ride bikes in Madera do it to enjoy the fresh air and scenery, exercise, and take advantage of a convenient form of transportation. However, when motorists do not yield the right of way to a bicycle rider or act negligently, it can lead to a severe accident. According to California Healthline, the three years between 2016 and 2018 showed the highest number of fatal bicycle collisions since the 1990s.

Because of their vulnerability when involved in a motor vehicle crash, bicycle riders often suffer severe injuries. Some of the following are the most common:

• Fractures: Bicycle riders often suffer broken legs, arms, hips, hands, and facial fractures. They require treatment in an emergency room, and some need reconstructive surgery. Substantial medical costs, lost time at work, and pain and suffering can result. With the help of an experienced accident attorney, the injured person may recover compensation for these losses.
• Traumatic brain injuries: Even when a cyclist is wearing a helmet, damage to the head can occur if the impact is bad enough. A concussion, a milder type of TBI, can cause the injured person problems for weeks or months. Severe TBIs can include brain penetration of an object, hemorrhage, or other serious issues that can cause physical or cognitive disabilities that are long-lasting or permanent.
• Abdominal or chest trauma: Abdominal trauma can lead to organ damage or internal bleeding, an emergency requiring surgical repair. Chest trauma can include a crush injury or damage to the ribs, heart, or lungs.
• Spinal cord damage: Spinal cord and back injuries can damage the nerves, ligaments, discs, or vertebrae and cause long-term damage, such as numbness, muscle weakness, or continual pain. If the spinal cord is severely damaged or severed, it results in paralysis below the injury site.

When a motorist is negligent, accidents can injure a bicycle rider. When both driver and rider obey the rules of the road, it lessens the risk of injuries or fatalities. Some of the following types of negligence are the most common causes:

• Drunk or drugged drivers
• Failure to use turn signals
• Distracted drivers who are texting, reaching for something, or changing a radio station
• Failing to yield
• Speeding, running a red light or stop sign, and violating other laws
• Not checking the driver’s mirrors for a bicyclist before making a turn
• Government negligence, such as uneven pavement, potholes, and non-functioning traffic lights
• Dooring accidents are caused by a parked motorist or passenger not checking before opening a car door
• Following too closely violates California’s three-foot distance law

The video below provides bike safety tips for sharing the road with motorists.

Following an accident injury that was caused by another’s negligence, the bicyclist can place a claim for the following damages:

• All medical costs associated with the accident, including ambulance service, hospital bills, surgeries, specialists, tests, and rehabilitative care, are covered.
• Future medical bills are covered if the injury is ongoing or expected to continue.
• Lost wages from the inability to work, which includes any bonuses, are included. If the person cannot return to the same job or will be given lower pay, that is also covered. Self-employed persons may also recover these damages.
• Pain and suffering is recoverable. It includes a monetary amount placed on the value of activity restrictions, emotional and psychological damage, loss of consortium, embarrassment, depression, and so forth. Some individuals suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of an accident. To recover damages for PTSD, the injured individual must be under the care of a professional and symptoms documented.

Evidence is used to support a claim for a bicycle accident injury. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Madera can do just that, and our law firm has handled many of these cases since 1982. We send out our investigators to the crash site right away to collect evidence that includes the following:

• Investigators look over the police report for errors and interview any witnesses.
• Accident reconstruction is an essential part of an investigation because it shows the positioning before, during, and after the crash. It can also turn up evidence of negligence by the driver, including speeding or other traffic infractions.
• Investigators look for surveillance cameras from businesses and traffic lights for real-time capture of the bicycle crash.
• They check for poor road design or lack of maintenance, which means the government entity in charge might be liable.

Our injury lawyers begin working with the evidence once it has been gathered to build a case supporting our client’s compensation claim. It can be used in insurance company negotiations or in preparing a court case.

When negligence causes your bicycle collision injuries, our legal team offers you free and friendly advice. Contact our experienced Madera bicycle accident lawyers today at (559) 377-7676 or (800) 404-5400.

We have represented many Madera residents with bicycle or traffic accident injuries over the years and those with traumatic injuries or wrongful death cases since 1982.

^{Editor’s Note: updated [cha 10.16.23] Image by 272447 from Pixabay cd llo [cs 1033]}