City of Montclair Bicycle Accident Attorney
Involved in a Bicycle Accident in Montclair – We Can Help.
The City of Montclair offers a wide range of designated areas for any person interested in bicycle riding. With an extensive network of bicycle lanes, paths, and recreational areas for bicycle enthusiasts, residents of Montclair can enjoy bike riding as a commuting option or for sport.
Regrettably, there are far too many drivers who are unaccustomed to sharing the road with bike riders, which unfortunately leads to disastrous consequences for many cyclists each year.
After a Bicycle Accident in Montclair, Seek the Legal Support of a Skilled Personal Injury Attorney
Even with the use of a helmet, a cyclist faces serious injury or even death if hit by a car. Cyclists are largely unprotected from harm, which can lead to the following: Broken bones, Serious head or brain trauma, Spinal cord injuries, Internal organ damage, Disfiguration, and/or cuts and abrasions.
If you or someone you know was injured following a bicycle accident, it is vital to seek the legal support of a well-versed attorney. Bicycle-related accidents lead to injuries that can be very costly. Additionally, most victims lose their ability to return to work while they recover. Contact a skilled personal injury attorney for information on how you may be able to obtain financial compensation for your grievances.
Montclair personal injury attorney Justin H. King has many years of dedicated experience helping those who have been injured as a result of a bike riding accident. Attorney King understands that bicycle-related accidents are often a tremendous financial burden. Contact the firm today for a free case evaluation.
Identifying Potential Liable Parties after a Bike Accident in Montclair
Most bicycle related accidents occur as a result of a negligent driver who failed to yield to the bike rider. It is important to know, however, that cyclists can also face injury as a result of multiple parties. The following is a limited list of examples of potential liable parties. Automobile manufacturers for an unsafe car design or car part; Helmet manufacturers for design flaws; Local or state transportation agencies for dangerous intersections, roads, or highway designs; Construction companies for inadequate maintenance and negligent construction; or Commercial property managers or owners for unsafe sidewalks, parking lots or driveway conditions.
According to California’s comparative fault law, multiple parties can be held accountable for causing a victim’s damages. Even if the victim is found to be partly at-fault for causing the accident, he or she can still recover a percentage of the restitution owed.
The Nature of Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle-related accidents can occur at just about any time and any place. There are, however, certain types of accidents that can occur more often than others. Bicycle accidents can often occur at stop signs, which happens because cyclists usually pedal into an intersection when an automobile has the right of way.
Other types of bicycle-related accidents can include the following examples:
- Right turn accidents. Right turn accidents occur when a driver cuts in front of a cyclist when making a right turn at an intersection. For the most part, these types of accidents are the fault of the driver.
- Left turn accidents. Left turn accidents can occur when drivers make a left turn when a cyclist is going straight. In these situations, cyclists can be struck in the side or run into the vehicle. According to California Vehicle Code §21801(a), every driver attempting to make a left turn must check and yield for others coming from the opposite direction, which includes cyclists. Regrettably, a majority of motorists fail to look for oncoming cyclists and ultimately collide with them when making a left turn.
- Every driver is expected to provide cyclists sufficient space when passing. Unfortunately, some drivers get impatient and will attempt to make a risk pass. This is a very dangerous situation that can result in a serious sideswipe accident or have the cyclist get run off the roadway.
- Door collisions. In a majority of streets across the City of Montclair, bicycle lanes are adjacent to parking lanes, without enough space between the cyclist and parked park. In a door collision accident, a driver can forget to check for oncoming cyclists before opening his or her car door, which leads to the cyclist colliding with the open car door. Equally dangerous, the cyclist can swerve into oncoming traffic in an attempt to avoid striking the open car door.
In spite of how the accident occurred, victims should know that under personal injury law, they have a right to pursue monetary compensation from the responsible party.
Cycling Accident Statistics
According to information reported by the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, close to 6,000 cyclists were killed in collisions with automobiles across the U.S. in 2017. According to the report, cyclist casualties increased by 32% between 2008 to 2017. Moreover, in a recent study published by Injury Prevention reported the following: Roughly 70% of cyclists who were treated in an emergency room were male,About half of all emergency room patients were minors under the age of 12, About 50% of the injured cyclists were using a helmet at the time of the incident, Nearly 60% of cyclists who were treated in an emergency room suffered injuries in the upper extremities, About one-third of the victims sustained injuries to the face and about 22% suffered head trauma, Cyclists not using a helmet at the time of the incident were about 14 times more likely to die in the collision when compared to those who were wearing helmets.
Obtain Legal Support of a Well Qualified Personal Injury Attorney in Montclair, CA
According to the California Department of Public Health, bicyclist injuries increased about 21% in 2013. The high rate of injury reported at the time indicated that injuries are more likely to occur in the evening hours and to individuals who are over the age of 45. In spite of these figures, it is important to know that everyone is susceptible of a serious bicycle injury, no matter the time of day or age of the cyclist.
If you or someone you know was injured in a bicycle accident in the City of Montclair or surrounding area, contact the legal support of a qualified and well-versed attorney. As an injured victim, there may be an opportunity to receive monetary compensation.
Montclair attorney Justin H. King is highly regarded in the field of personal injury accidents involving bicycle accidents. Attorney King is highly skilled and well-prepared to defend your case. Contact the Law Offices of Attorney King today for a free case evaluation.
Justin H. King – Bicycle Accident Attorney Serving Montclair
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents – Cyclists are put into a precarious position on the road. They are not motorized and do not travel as fast as cars, and as mentioned previously they do not have any of the safety features that minimize injuries when in a traffic accident. Despite these facts, cyclists must share the road with pedestrians, passenger vehicles, buses, and commercial freight traffic.
Mr. King helped us cope with an injury caused by an auto accident. Throughout the process he showed great integrity, intelligence, wisdom, and the right amount of aggressiveness to get the job done. He conducted himself as a real gentlemen. Finally, he was easy to stay in contact with, was not handing us over to assistants or lower-level attorneys to keep us out of his hair. You dealt with him personally the whole way through, and he was honest about what he thought was reasonable and realistic, and what was a strategy that science and medicine could support. (We have science/medicine backgrounds.) We came out of the process with an excellent outcome so that we could try to keep our lives on the same path as before the injuries, and he always tried to reduce the stress by reaching out to us along the way. We are very pleased that we selected Mr. King and recommend him most highly!
Sharing the road with other vehicles is the cause of almost all fatal and serious bicycle accidents. While California law allows for bicyclists to share the road with traffic, much confusion exists among both drivers and riders as to how to regard each other. Many cyclists are struck when drivers in passenger vehicles make left hand turns while only taking notice of vehicle traffic. Others collide with cyclists at intersections. In some cities and towns where bicycle lanes have been implemented, many drivers fail to respect the driving lane boundaries and inadvertently strike cyclists. When accidents result, a personal injury attorney both familiar with bike accidents and auto injury accidents provide help for victims.
Cycling Accidents & Medical Bills – While the amount of medical bills that a person will accumulate depends on the type of accident and the severity of their injuries, any trip to the hospital or doctor puts you in a position you do not want to be in. The average hospital stay per day in California costs the patient $2,700, the third highest in the Nation. That figure does not include the cost of surgeries or special procedures. A week-long stay in a California hospital is likely to cost the patient almost $19,000.
This figure does not take into account the fact that the initial treatment for the immediate injuries sustained after a bicycle accident is just the beginning when it comes to visiting doctors. There is also the cost for rehabilitation and any disabilities or lingering effects of the traffic accident had on the injured.
During the recovery period, it is unlikely that the injured is working. This means that the bicycle accident victim may not be able to work full time or at all depending on their injury. This can cause a loss in quality of life. Coupled with the pain and mental anguish that the injured is experiencing, one accident can completely change a person’s life for the worst.
A Personal Injury Firm Representing Victims Covering a Wide Scope of Catastrophic & Serious Injury Cases
Areas of Practice