Bicycle Accident Attorneys in Los Angeles

Los Angeles Bike Accident Lawyers

Accidents involving a cyclist and a vehicle can be more dangerous than most other traffic accidents, resulting in serious and sometimes life-altering injuries including broken bones, permanent scarring/disfigurement, decrease in or loss of dexterity/ambulation, brain injuries, and differing levels of permanent disability.

At The Joseph Farzam Law Firm, we believe that you should not be responsible for the medical expenses that result from collisions caused by other motorists. Call us today at (310) 226-6890 for a free case evaluation regarding compensation for your injuries.

Common Types of Bicycle Accidents on California Roads

In the vast majority of cases where cyclists experience injuries and/or fatalities on the road, a motor vehicle is involved. The most common types of bicycle vs. motor vehicle accidents are as follows:

  • Motorist Failure to Heed Stop Signs: Colloquially known as the “California Roll,” the act of motorists slowing but not stopping at stop signs often leads to unsuspecting cyclists continuing through an intersection, resulting in collisions.
  • Vehicles operating in bike lanes:  As California strives to be an environmentally friendly state, bicycle lanes increase in popularity. Sadly, motorists do not always practice proper bike lane etiquette or caution, which can cause bicycle accidents to occur.
  • Motorists Overtaking a Bicycle Rider:  More common at night or early morning due to low visibility, motorists sometimes fail to see cyclists in the peripheries of their vehicle, resulting in collisions.

Other causes of bicycle accidents involving motorists and truck drivers include drunk driving, driving while distracted, speeding, driver negligence or fatigue, failure to yield, opening a car door into the path of an oncoming cyclist, driving too close to a cyclist, and motorist engaging in a sudden stop resulting in a rear-end crash with a cyclist.

Serious Injuries Caused by Bicycle Accidents

While the use of bicycle lanes and protective equipment can potentially mitigate the severity of accident-related injuries, the weight discrepancy of bicycles and automobiles is such that accidents almost invariably lead to serious — and sometimes permanent — injuries. Cyclists involved in motor vehicle accidents can commonly experience:

  • Brain Injuries and other head trauma
  • Leg injuries including torn ligaments
  • Amputation injuries (severed fingers, toes, partial or total limb loss,)
  • Spinal Cord Injuries;
  • Neck and lower back injuries;
  • Facial lacerations resulting in permanent disfiguration and/or scarring
  • Bicycle accident-related death.

Statistically, men and children are most likely to sustain injuries due to bicycle vs. motor vehicle accidents. According to recent studies, 92% of those who died in bicycle accidents were male. Among children, young boys are at five times greater risk of bicycle accidents.

Children and Bicycle Crashes

Children enjoy the freedom, fun, and mobility afforded by bicycles; however, accidents involving children are not uncommon. Of people injured or killed in bicycle accidents, statistics show one in five is a child between the ages of five and fifteen years old. Studies indicate that brain injuries were among the leading causes of death in these circumstances. While bicycle helmets have reduced the incidence of head injuries in bicycle accidents today, they do not fully eliminate the possibility of a brain injury.  

If your child has suffered a bicycle accident involving a vehicle at a stop sign, crosswalk, traffic light, or a bike lane, contact our personal injury attorneys for a free case evaluation at (310) 226-6890.

Bicycle Riding Safety Tips

Our kids are important to us and we want to protect them as best we can.  Below are some important safety tips for children and adult bicycle riders:

  • Ensure your child knows and exercises proper riding and safety protocols.
  • Avoid cycling at night: If you ride a bicycle in the dark, wear light-reflective materials, install a tail light on your bike, and consider attaching a headlamp to your helmet to increase visibility.
  • Always wear a helmet: The use of a bicycle helmet greatly reduces the chances of brain, facial, or dental injuries.
  • Always be on the lookout for traffic issues ahead.
  • Use proper hand signals when riding in the street.
  •  Use bike lanes: these include bicycle paths, striped lanes, and signed routes

Bicycle Accident Lawyer – Compassionate, Effective Legal Representation

Accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles are particularly challenging to litigate due to a combination of convoluted liability issues and serious injuries necessitating expert testimony from medical practitioners. The Joseph Farzam Law Firm has 18 years of experience providing meticulous legal representation to those involved in such accidents.

We Can Get You The Compensation You are Owed

Our bicycle injury lawyers have litigated thousands of cases, recovering tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts against all major insurance carriers in California.

Compensation for your Bicycle Injury Claim

Compensation for an accident caused by another party’s negligent or intentional actions can be based on several factors:

  • Medical Expenses, including your emergency room and hospital stays
  • Cost of prescription medications
  • Cost of future medical care and rehabilitation
  • Lost wages and future loss of income
  • Compensation for pain, suffering, and emotional distress
  • Cost of miscellaneous property damage.

Your Cause is Our Objective

Our objective is to see justice served and full restitution for your accident-related injuries recovered. We have a tremendous passion for the practice of law and will tirelessly litigate your case until appropriate restitution is achieved.