Riding a bike can be an excellent way to get around Los Angeles while staying fit in the process. However, it can also be extremely dangerous. Even a small collision with a car or pothole can cause a cyclist to suffer some severe injuries.

If you have been injured while riding your bicycle around town, you may be able to recover some compensation from the responsible party. To do so, however, you will need the assistance of a skilled Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer. Fortunately, you can find plenty of those right here at KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC.

The Benefits of Working with Our Experienced Bicycle Accident Attorneys

The attorneys here at KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, believe that Los Angeles bicycle accident victims should always be fully compensated for their injuries. When you hire us to assist you with your lawsuit, we will:

Assess the Value of Your Damages

When claiming compensation after a bike accident, you must ensure that you are asking for enough money to cover all of your current and future injury-related expenses. If you fail to do so, you may wind up paying some of your bills out of your own pocket.

Our attorneys have handled countless bike accident cases over the years. As such, we are experts at the art of damage assessment. When you hire us, we will carefully analyze your case to ensure that it is not undervalued.

Thoroughly Investigate Your Case

One of the most important steps in any bike, truck, or car accident case is a thorough investigation. This process can help to turn up evidence that may prove to be the difference between receiving a sizable settlement check or failing to recover any compensation.

When you work with a KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, personal injury attorney, you can be confident that the circumstances surrounding your bike crash will be meticulously investigated. We have been working on cases of this nature for many years, so we know exactly where to look and who to ask to find the information we need.

Negotiate with the Other Party’s Insurance Company

Depending on the details of your bicycle accident, the other party’s insurance company may decide to offer you a settlement deal. Unfortunately, their first offer is unlikely to be their best one. To convince them to improve the terms of their deal, a period of negotiation will almost certainly be necessary.

Having negotiated with countless tight-fisted insurance companies over the years, our attorneys understand what it takes to persuade them to be a little more generous with their settlement offers. When we represent you, we will work night and day to try to land you a fair deal.

Would you like to have our law firm help you fight for the compensation you deserve? Then please do not hesitate to reach out and set up a free consultation with one of our attorneys at our Los Angeles law offices.

Bicycle Accident Statistics

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 467,000 bicyclists were injured on U.S. roads in 2015. Of those injured, more than one-third were children aged between 5 and 19 years old.

However, bike accidents are not just a federal problem. According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), almost 88,000 cyclists were injured in the Golden State between 2007 and 2013. 

The CDPH also found that the risk of sustaining bicycle injuries was significantly higher for cyclists that primarily travel in urban areas, like Los Angeles, than for those who mostly use rural roads. During the research period, urban bicyclists had a total injury rate of 33.9 per 100,000. Meanwhile, rural cyclists had a rate of 20.5 per 100,000.

When the CDPH ranked the counties in California by the number of bicycle injuries that occurred there between 2007 and 2013, Los Angeles County’s 28,196 injuries put it firmly into first place. Orange County, and its 8,506 injuries, ranked second.

Have you been injured in a Los Angeles bicycle accident? If so, you may be entitled to compensation. Contact the attorneys here at KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, today to learn more about your legal options.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Los Angeles

Bicycle accidents can be caused by a wide range of different factors. A brief list of some of the most common causes of bicycle crashes would include:

Drunk Driving

In California, it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. Despite this fact, the CDPH estimates that alcohol plays a role in approximately 5.5 percent of all bicycle injuries.

Distracted Driving

When a driver is texting or applying makeup, they are not paying attention to the road. As a result, they can easily collide with a cyclist and cause them to become severely injured.

Reckless Driving

Driving in bike lanes, blowing through stop signs, and changing lanes without indicating are all generally classed as reckless behavior. These kinds of actions result in thousands of cyclists being injured each year.

Defective Equipment

Bike manufacturers are expected to ensure that their products are built to a high standard before they sell them to the public. Should they fail to do so, the bicycle may break and cause a cyclist to become injured.

Unsafe Road Conditions

The state of California and the city of Los Angeles have a responsibility to keep their roads safe and usable. When they do not meet their obligations, cyclists often crash into potholes, fallen debris, and other obstacles.

If you have been injured in a bike accident that was caused by a drunk driver, defective equipment, or unsafe road conditions, please reach out to the legal team here at KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, in LA as soon as possible. We may be able to help you recover some much-needed compensation.

Common Bicycle Accident Injuries

The injuries sustained by cyclists when they get into accidents on the road can vary significantly from case to case. Some people escape from their crash with just a few cuts and scrapes. However, many others are left with long-term, life-altering injuries.

A short sampling of some of the most common injuries sustained by bicyclists would include:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

When a cyclist hits their head against the ground or any other solid object, they can easily sustain a traumatic brain injury. If the injury is relatively minor, it may be treated with rest and some non-prescription painkillers. However, if it is more severe, surgery and years of rehabilitative care may be necessary.

Burns

If a cyclist slides across the ground after being thrown from their bike, their body may become burned. If their burns cannot be treated with lotions and bandaging, skin grafting surgery may be required.

Spinal Cord Injuries

When a cyclist is stuck in the back by a car or SUV, they may suffer damage to one or more of the vertebrae in their spine. As a result, they are likely to experience symptoms like numbness, impaired breathing, and extreme pain. In severe cases, they may become permanently paralyzed.

Fractured Bones

The force of a serious bicycle accident can easily cause a rider to fracture one or more of their bones. A cyclist’s leg bones and arm bones tend to be the most susceptible to injuries of this nature.

Would you like to have an experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer help you file a claim for compensation for your injuries? Then please do not hesitate to pick up the phone and set up a free consultation with a member of the KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, legal team.

Statute of Limitations for California Bicycle Accident Lawsuits

In the state of California, the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases is two years. A cyclist who gets into an accident on the streets of Los Angeles must begin the process of filing for compensation before this window closes. Should they fail to do so, they may lose their right to sue altogether.

In the vast majority of bicycle injury cases, the statutory countdown clock begins ticking on the date the accident occurred. However, there is one noteworthy exception to this general rule. If the victim does not discover the full extent of their injury until a few weeks or months after the accident, the timer will instead begin on the day they are diagnosed.

Do you want a KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, personal injury attorney to analyze your case and let you know when your statute of limitations is set to expire? If so, please reach out to us to arrange a free consultation at our Los Angeles law offices.

A Knowledgeable Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer

At KJ Injury & Accident Lawyers, PC, we have been helping injured cyclists fight for the compensation they deserve for years. During that time, we have achieved countless favorable results for our clients. If you have been involved in a bicycle accident in Los Angeles and would like to have us represent you in your battle for financial restitution, just give us a call or contact us online.