Pedestrian Accident Lawyers / Los Angeles Bicycle Lawyers / Motorcycle Attorneys

When a cyclist collides with cars or other motorized vehicles, fatalities ad property damage remains quite common. According to statistics from the City of Los Angeles, in 2016 alone, there were 1,980 bicyclists injured and 74 killed in traffic accidents. Around 70% of these victims are teenagers aged 15 and under.

One of the most common types of collisions in Los Angeles is a bike accident. Despite wearing safety gear and riding in the same direction as traffic, bikers remain vulnerable to severe injuries.

• According to a recent MIT study, the most common risk causing bicycle accidents is reckless drivers.

But bikers riding for work or recreation can be harmed by someone in any number of ways. The result of such carelessness could be lifelong trauma or death.

Examples include:

• Distractions: Death at the hands of distracted, inattentive car drivers (texting, playing with GPS or radio dials, etc.)
• Drugs/DUI: In the past decade, less than a quarter of Americans killed in bicycle accidents were legally drunk. However, it is still a considerable number. 26% of bicyclists killed had some blood alcohol content (BAC) level. Only 7% of children under age 18 were involved in alcohol-related collisions.
• Wrong-way drivers: Wrong-way driving (also, a bicyclist riding against traffic moving in a different direction causes about 1/4 of bicycle wrecks)
• Safe Space: Car drivers failing to keep vehicle spaces far enough from the bike rider’s lane, clipping one or more cyclists while driving
• Swinging doors open: Opening car doors in front of a group of oncoming bikes
• Unsafe Turns: Automobiles and vehicles like motorcycles making a dangerous turn into a cyclist’s path, and other careless mistakes
• Negligent maintenance: Municipality maintenance issues (Dangerous intersections and failing responsibility to clean up road debris/repair potholes, broken, uneven pavement, and cracks in sidewalks/asphalt)

Children riding bicycles remain at far greater risk of being involved in a bicycle collision. For one, compared to adults, little ones are harder for us to see.

Children have less skill and riding experience. This lack of talent makes it difficult for them to predict movement like an abrupt turn. Hence children don’t always know when to take evasive action to avoid being injured in a bicycle crash. Our top Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer will take time to get to know the family and hear about how their children suffered after a bicycle accident.

Unfortunately, California roads see thousands seriously injured or killed in a bicycle accident yearly in Los Angeles County, CA. Accidental deaths in the 45-64 age group account for a significant proportion of rider fatalities. So yes, age does play a factor in these matters.

In Los Angeles County in 2016, the number of fatal bike accidents was 3,904, with 934 injuries. All riders should exercise due care at all times to prevent bicycle collisions.

An impact with another motorist or pavement may cause varying injuries. Harm from bicycle accidents can range from road rash to wrongful death, paralysis, brain trauma, catastrophic head injuries, skull, and spinal cord injuries.

We accept clients with all types of severe injuries, including:

• Scarring and disfigurement
• Lower extremity injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Internal injuries
• Skull fractures
• Broken bones
• Lacerations
• Road rash

Injured bike riders can find out more with a free case review from a Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney. Call us at (213) 596-9642 24/7 for traffic accidents anywhere in LA County, or the United States.

Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer, Michael Ehline, is not just a legal advocate. Michael rides his mountain bike through Santa Ana, Venice Beach, Marina del Rey, and Long Beach, California regularly.

Here are some bicycle accident lawyer tips from a lawyer who rides:

• Be alert when cycling.
• Carry information with your first name, last name, and emergency phone message contact.
• Always wear a helmet.
• At night use head-lights that can be seen from at least 300 feet away on each side.
• Install red reflector visible from at least 500 feet away to help prevent bicycle accidents.
• Equip your pedals on each side with white or yellow reflectors.
• Film your ride with a GoPro-type camera.

In California, cyclists have a duty to file a claim for compensation within two years from sustaining riding injuries caused by others. But if the person filing wasn’t mentally competent at the time or unaware of their damage till later, the statute may extend the time frame for your legal team to sue.

Bicycle accident injury cases need the best lawyers in L.A.. If the at-fault party’s insurance company or government agency disputes liability, call an Ehline Law Firm attorney to receive higher settlements and verdicts.

If you live in or around Los Angeles and suffered injuries, schedule a free consultation with our Southern California law office at (833) LETS-SUE. Call us to discuss your case or referral during your case evaluation with a bicycle accident lawyer. Form an attorney-client relationship for your serious injuries today.