Sacramento Bicycle Accident Lawyers
We’ll tell you if you have a case or not, call (888) 488-1391 — We’re here 24 hours a day.
Sacramento Bicycle Accident Lawyers Providing Responsive Guidance After An Injury
Bike accidents can cause very serious injuries. Many victims are permanently disabled by injuries they suffer in a bike accident, and it takes significant compensation to pay for these lifelong losses. You don’t have to pursue compensation on your own. The Sacramento bicycle accident lawyers at our law firm are here to assist you.
We deal with the insurance company so that you can focus on your recovery. We will also work to protect your legal rights at every step of the claims process – and, if necessary, in court.
Learn more about bicycle accident statistics, the common causes of these crashes, what you should do after a bike accident, how our attorneys can help protect your legal rights, and the answers to common bicycle accident questions.
Taxi Cab Company Accident
$1,000,000.00
Settlement in a bicycle versus taxi cab company accident; client suffered lower leg injuries.– JUDD ROSS ALLEN
Sacramento, California Bicycle Accident Statistics
According to Advocacy Advance, a total of 675 bicyclists were killed in the U.S. during 2020, which was a decrease from the 2019 total of 846. However, with traffic reduced by up to 41 percent during pandemic lockdown orders, some experts predicted a greater decrease than was actually seen.
California had the highest number of bicyclist deaths that year, with 118. While this number can be expected in the state with the largest population, it does cause important safety concerns.
Here in Sacramento, we are faced with especially dangerous conditions for bikers. The local Sacramento CBS affiliate reports that Sacramento was the fifth deadliest city in the nation for bicycle fatalities in 2017. With so many bike accidents in California – and specifically in Sacramento – bicyclists must know what to do to protect their legal rights after any accident.
What Should I Do After Having A Bike Accident?
Any accident scene is overwhelming and chaotic, and its effects can make accident victims say things they shouldn’t or even blurt out something that could hurt their legal claims. Our Sacramento bicycle accident attorneys are here to help. Consider these steps to protect both your health and your legal rights after a bicycle collision:
Call 911
Sometimes, a driver will ask you not to call 911. They might claim that you can “work it out yourselves” or that the accident “isn’t really that bad.” When they try to persuade you from contacting the authorities, they are protecting their own legal rights – not yours.
A police report is often the most crucial piece of evidence in a motor vehicle accident case. You also do not know if there are any crimes to be investigated. The driver could be drunk, drugged, or driving without insurance. Only a police officer can issue traffic citations and criminal charges. Proof of these charges is also important evidence in an injury case.
Finally, it is important to call 911 so that you can be checked out medically. You could be injured even if you do not feel hurt right away. Many serious conditions, such as internal bleeding or brain damage, do not show symptoms for hours after an accident occurs. The emergency medical technicians can help you determine whether you need to go to the hospital right away.
Get Immediate Medical Attention.
Even if you do not leave the scene of an accident in an ambulance, it is still important to see a doctor as soon as possible. Emergency room doctors know what signs to look for. They can monitor you for changes in blood pressure, neurological changes, or other signs of a serious injury.
Sometimes, an emergency room doctor will discharge you quickly without further testing. Even if such a thing took place, your visit was not wasted. Many conditions are made worse by delayed treatment. By seeking medical attention promptly, you give your body the chance to recover and can also protect your potential claim by documenting your injuries and associated medical costs. It can also help counter the insurance company’s claims that your delayed treatment worsened your injuries.
If Possible, Get Photos At The Accident Scene.
Your health and safety should always be the priority at the accident scene. Get out of traffic and find a safe place to wait for the police to arrive. Consult with the EMTs about your medical condition, and if you need to go to the hospital in an ambulance, don’t wait to do so. Speak with the police and give them any information they need.
If you are able to take photos or videos of the accident scene, doing so can be helpful to your lawyer, but do not delay going to the hospital or speaking with the police to do so. Follow all directions and advice from the first responders who come to the scene of the accident. If you are able to use your cell phone to get photos and videos after that, feel free to do so, but only if it can be done safely. Do not step out into traffic or interfere with efforts to clear the street.
Reach Out To A Sacramento Bicycle Accident Lawyer.
Once medical experts have addressed your medical needs, consider hiring a Sacramento bicycle injury attorney. Hiring a lawyer can be beneficial to your case. The insurance company is likely to call you within 24 hours of the accident.
If they know you have a Sacramento personal injury attorney, they are no longer allowed to contact you directly about the accident. All communications must go through your lawyer’s office, which protects you from accidentally saying anything that could hurt your case. Your attorney also works to preserve evidence that might get lost, such as parts of the damaged vehicle.
There are many important things a bike accident lawyer does to protect your legal rights. They can negotiate with the insurers on your behalf. Depending on your case, if a potential settlement offer doesn’t cover your losses, they may take your case to court and represent you to seek compensation.
Document Your Injuries And Losses.
Many injury victims have bruises, cuts, and scrapes that go away in the days after an accident. It can be helpful to take photos of these injuries before they fade away. You should also take photos of stitches, casts, and other signs of your injuries. Doing so can help document your pain and suffering for settlement negotiations. You can also document your pain and suffering in a journal.
Note all the ways it has affected your daily life, such as days missed at work, nights when you couldn’t sleep, hobbies you couldn’t participate in, interruptions to your exercise routine, and effects of your injuries on your personal relationships. These details paint a picture of your suffering. They help make a persuasive case in settlement negotiations, and they also make compelling testimony to a jury if your case must go to trial.
Common Causes Of Bicycle Accidents In Sacramento
There are several reasons why bike accidents occur in Sacramento. The person who is legally responsible (“liable”) for causing your accident also has a legal obligation to compensate you for your injuries and losses, so it is important to find an injury lawyer who knows how to find all potential defendants and prove their liability. Our experienced bicycle collision attorneys can help you identify potential responsible parties from whom you may seek compensation.
What follows are some of the most common causes of Sacramento bike accidents:
Distracted Driving
We have all seen an increase in distracted driving as smartphones have become nearly universal in recent years. Drivers are now tempted to check their phones, tablets, and watches while they are driving. Newer vehicles even have distractions built right into the dashboard, such as navigation programs, entertainment systems, and dozens of apps that are usually right at a driver’s fingertips.
All of these electronic diversions are in addition to the distractions drivers have always faced. Food and drink, grooming, changing the radio, and attending to pets or children can also distract the person who is supposed to be safely operating the vehicle. Drivers have a legal obligation to avoid these distractions in order to look out for other road users, including bicyclists.
Drunk Driving
For decades, drunk driving has been targeted with heavy campaigning for public awareness and expanded law enforcement efforts. But drunk driving continues to be a prevalent problem in spite of these efforts. NHTSA reports that over ten thousand victims were killed by drunk drivers in the U.S. in 2019. That is one victim every 52 minutes.
These deaths are preventable, and it is important to hold drunk drivers accountable for their behavior. Criminal charges and suspended driving privileges are important deterrents, but injury victims must also hold drunk drivers financially accountable by filing personal injury claims.
Drugged Driving
Alcohol is not the only substance that can impair a driver’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. As the opioid epidemic spreads throughout the country, law enforcement officers are seeing more and more cases of drugged driving. According to NHTSA, 56 percent of drivers involved in crashes with serious or fatal injuries tested positive for at least one drug after the accident.
This information was collected between October and December of 2020. It will be interesting to see whether the pandemic had an effect on the rate of drugged driving across the United States. Whether a driver was impaired by alcohol, drugs, a combination of the two, or any other substance, they are liable for injuries caused by their impaired driving.
Low Lighting
Accidents are likely to occur at night, during inclement weather, and at any other time that visibility is limited. Conditions of limited visibility include dark locations, like an underground parking garage. Drivers have a legal obligation to exercise caution when driving in low-light conditions.
If they hit a bicyclist, they may be liable for the accident, even if poor visibility was a factor at the time. Drivers must adjust their habits to current road conditions to make sure they are always keeping a safe watch for other road users.
Product Defects
Sometimes an accident is not a driver’s fault. A bike accident can be caused by defective products. Imagine, for example, that a driver’s new car had defective brakes, and they were unable to stop the car in time. Or imagine that a bicycle had defective pedals that caused the rider to roll into traffic.
These accidents would likely be the manufacturer’s fault because the U.S. has strong consumer protection laws that require all manufacturers to sell safe products free from defects. If the product has a defect, the manufacturer can be held liable for any injuries it causes.
How A Sacramento Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Protect Your Legal Rights
You wonder whether you need an injury lawyer’s advice after a bike accident. Some injury victims do choose to handle their accident claims. However, obtaining legal assistance can be helpful when managing your claim. There are many things a bike accident attorney will do to protect your legal rights while your case is pending. What follows are just a few.
Your Lawyer Handles All Communications With The Insurance Company So That You Do Not Say Anything That Could Hurt Your Case.
As soon as the insurance company is notified that you have a lawyer, they are no longer allowed to contact you directly about the case. They must communicate through your lawyer’s office. This can safeguard you against common pitfalls that could jeopardize your case. The Sacramento bicycle accident lawyers at our law firm can handle correspondence, review settlement offers, and address disputes that may arise during your case.
Your Lawyer Takes Action To Preserve Crucial Evidence.
There are many types of evidence that can be destroyed soon after an accident happens. The sooner you hire an injury lawyer, the less chance there is of losing critical evidence that could make or break your case.
Consider security footage. Video footage of the accident can be incredibly persuasive evidence in a personal injury case. But security camera footage is routinely erased to make room for new security footage.
A lawyer can help you investigate the accident scene. They can check the cameras that might have recorded the accident and contact the owners to request that they save the footage. Another piece of evidence that is quickly lost is the damage to the vehicle that hit you. An attorney can assist in preserving repair records and accident scene photos that help illustrate how the collision occurred. Your lawyer may even collaborate with an accident reconstructionist to examine the crash from an expert’s point of view.
Your Lawyer Drafts Demand Letters And Handles Negotiations.
Most injury victims cannot be expected to know what their cases are fairly worth. However, Sacramento bicycle accident lawyers have the experience and knowledge to evaluate a claim. They can also draft detailed demand letters for the insurance company. These letters outline the accident facts, supporting evidence, and the compensation you seek.
Our team understands the factors that affect settlements and verdicts. The injury lawyers at Arash Law can help you assess your case’s potential value and organize supporting evidence.
If Necessary, Your Lawyer Takes Your Case To Court.
We aim to assist you in seeking compensation through negotiation or, when needed, litigation. In circumstances where negotiations don’t result in a favorable outcome, your bike accident lawyer may advise you to file a lawsuit against the liable parties.
Going to court can be overwhelming for anyone, especially if you have never been there before. The legal team at our injury law firm will thoroughly prepare you for what will happen before you ever get to court. We walk you through the process step by step, and our bike accident lawyers are by your side through every stage of litigation. The litigation process can be lengthy and exhausting, but our legal team is here to support you every step of the way.
Sacramento Bicycle Accident FAQs
Who Is At-Fault For My Bicycle Accident?
Liability often falls on the driver in a bike accident, but there are many potential defendants in a bike crash case. A company could be at fault for manufacturing a defective car or bike. A parking lot owner could be liable for allowing dangerous conditions (such as hidden potholes) to remain on the property. Our experienced bike accident injury lawyers can investigate the cause of your bicycle accident and determine the liability of other parties who may be responsible for your losses.
How Long Do I Have To File An Injury Case After A Bike Accident?
In California, you usually have two years to file an injury lawsuit after a bike accident. Other types of claims have shorter deadlines:
- If you were working during the crash, you may have a workers’ compensation claim. This typically has a one-year filing deadline from the date of the injury, although some exceptions may apply.
- If your claim is against a government entity, like a city or state agency, you generally need to file a written government claim within six months of the incident before you can file a lawsuit.
Since deadlines can vary based on the details and parties involved, it’s advisable to consult a Sacramento bike-injury attorney early. They can help you figure out which time limits apply to your case.
How Much Will It Cost Me To Hire A Sacramento Bicycle Injury Lawyer?
Bike accident lawyers understand that most clients are not able to pay attorney fees upfront. You are accruing costly medical bills at a time you are likely missing work, and the last thing you need is lawyer bills on top of everything else, which is why most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency.
In this type of arrangement, your attorney agrees to work on your case without any upfront payment, and you agree to pay them a portion of any settlement the attorney secures on your behalf. Doing so helps you get the legal advice you need without paying upfront fees.
Like many personal injury lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t have to pay our lawyers up front to start your case. We won’t charge any lawyer fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf. Our written fee agreements outline our fees and any other case-related costs that you may incur, regardless of the case outcome. During our consultation, our lawyers can clarify our fee structure and answer any questions you may have.
How Long Will My Bicycle Accident Case Take?
Every case is different. Some cases can be settled quickly because the defendant was clearly at fault, and the insurance company agrees to the amount of your losses. These cases can often be decided in a few short weeks after an accident.
Unfortunately, some bike accident cases are complicated. Developing your case and proving your injuries can be a time-consuming process. It can be incredibly challenging to wait for news about your case when your medical bills are accumulating. Your attorney might have to hire expert witnesses to prove what happened, who was at fault, how you have been injured, and the financial and emotional costs of those injuries.
Contact Our Experienced Sacramento Bicycle Accident Lawyers For Your Case
Our injury attorneys have decades of experience handling different types of injury cases in California, including bicycle accidents. We can assist you in navigating the legal process of your claim and help you understand your rights to pursue the compensation you may be entitled to.
We serve injured victims in Sacramento and surrounding areas, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Riverside, Bakersfield, Santa Barbara, San Jose, San Diego, Fresno, Sherman Oaks, and throughout California. We will work diligently to manage your case, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries. Call us at (888) 488-1391 to schedule your free initial consultation or fill out our “Do I Have A Case?” form.
Latest Traffic Reports in California
