Oroville Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Oroville Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Oroville is a great place to go for a bike ride. The city is surrounded by beautiful scenery, and trails like the Freeman Trail and those in the Oroville State Wildlife Area attract many cyclists, both local and from other parts of California. Moreover, an increasing number of people are choosing to ride their bikes as a form of transportation all across the U.S. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of people who bike to work has risen by over 60 percent in the last decade alone. However, riding a bicycle comes with serious risks, especially when sharing the roadway with motor vehicles. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,000 cyclists die, and around 470,000 are injured in U.S. accidents every year. Furthermore, CDC estimates that over $10 billion in monetary losses are suffered due to U.S. bicycle accidents annually.

Because bicycle accidents can mean serious damages, injured cyclists are usually able to claim compensation for their injuries from negligent parties. Under California law, at-fault motorists must accept responsibility for the damages they have caused and reimburse injured cyclists for their losses.

However, cyclists who are severely injured in an accident have a lot on their hands. Injured cyclists are most often trying to recover and return back to their daily lives after their injury. On top of physical and emotional stress, pursuing a personal injury claim can be difficult without help. I have over 36 years of experience in helping people claim the payments they deserve for personal injury cases, including bicycle accidents. I can personally review the details of your case, give you advice about your legal options, and help you move forward with getting the payments you deserve.

If you’d like to speak with me personally about your case, feel free to give me a call at (530) 392-9400.

Bicycle accidents frequently happen in Oroville. In fact, UC Berkeley research data shows that over 90 traumatic bicycle accidents took place in Oroville over the past ten years. These accidents accounted for almost 10 percent of all traumatic auto accidents that happened in the Oroville and caused numerous serious injuries.

Almost all of these accidents were the fault of negligent drivers. Driver negligence is a legal term that is used to describe reckless driving behaviors. A driver is considered negligent when they violate a traffic law or neglect to pay attention to the road. Careless driving behaviors include the following:

• Improper turning
• Failure to yield
• Driving in bike lanes
• Speeding
• Cutting off a cyclist
• Tailgating
• Driving under the influence
• Failure to apply brakes in time to avoid a crash
• Driving while distracted

In other cases, accidents can be caused by a city or state governments’ failure to make sure that their roads are safe. Governments in charge of maintaining roadways and bicycle lanes are responsible for making sure that roads are not hazardous and can often be held liable for negligence when they fail to keep roadways safe. Some common examples of roadway hazards include:

• Insufficient signage
• Potholes
• Lack of bicycle lanes
• Inadequate lighting during the night
• Severe bumps or cracks in the road
• Poorly designed intersections

Watch YouTube Video: NHTSA's Bicycle Safety Tips for Adults. This video provides basic tips for adults on bicycle safety.

Another common cause of bicycle accidents is defective parts. Cyclists rely on their bikes to work correctly, and issues like faulty brakes, pedals, etc. can easily lead to serious collisions. When a bicycle part causes an accident, the makers, retailers, and sellers of the part can typically be considered negligent and held responsible for damages. These cases are referred to as “product liability claims.”

If you suspect that you were involved in a collision because of a poorly made bicycle, my firm can investigate the accident and pursue a claim against the parties responsible for selling you a dangerous product.

Because bicyclists do not have the same protection as passengers in a vehicle, they suffer severe injuries at a high rate. While cyclists can make sure they wear protective, bright clothing and helmets, cars are much larger and move at much higher speeds, meaning that cyclists are liable to suffer a wide range of injuries in the event of a crash. Many of my past clients have sustained from the following types of trauma during a bicycle crash:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Chest trauma including lung damage
• Internal bleeding
• Bone fractures
• Spinal cord, back, and neck injuries
• Nerve damage

Recovering after an accident takes time and, most often, money. Injured cyclists are frequently left with steep medical care bills and need expensive therapy to fully recover. In addition to these costs, recovering from an injury often means taking time off of work. In severe cases, an injured cyclist may not even be able to continue his or her career due to chronic injury symptoms.

These financial stresses can be a significant burden on individuals and their families. For this reason, injured cyclists are able to seek payments for a wide variety of losses. Some of the damages that cyclists can recover include:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Loss of income potential
• Emotional distress
• Punitive damages
• Pain and suffering

I’m Ed Smith, an Oroville bicycle accident lawyer who has practiced personal injury law for more than 36 years. I’m also the founder of AutoAccident.com, the best website for information on personal injury topics in Northern California.

If you or an individual that you care about was injured during a bicycle accident, you could call me at (530) 392-9400 or (800) 404-5400 for my free, friendly advice.

Before you call, you may want to learn about how I’ve been able to help my past clients. To read reviews of my practice, see Google, Yelp, and Avvo.

To get details about the success I’ve had advocating for my clients, check out the Verdicts and Settlements obtained by my firm.

You can also get more information about us on our facebook page.

I’m a California member of Million Dollar Advocates Forum, the national group for lawyers who have won over a million dollar trial verdict or case settlement.

Photo: "bicycle" by snapwire through pexelscco

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