Rocklin Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Rocklin, California, is centrally located in the foothills of the Sierra Mountains, with easy access to outdoor recreational areas. With its panoramic mountain views and nice year-round weather, Rocklin is a great place for bicycle enthusiasts. 

If you have been injured in a crash as a cyclist, you may benefit from the assistance of an experienced Rocklin injury attorney. Contact our law firm at (916) 921-6400 for a free consultation regarding your potential personal injury claim.

Bicycle accidents are common in and around Rocklin and across the country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 800 bicyclist deaths occurred in 2017.

In California, there were 124 bicyclist deaths reported. The NHTSA stated that California had the highest or second-highest bicycle deaths every year from 2007 to 2017.

In many car accidents involving bicycles, the cyclist is often severely injured, while the driver of the larger vehicle usually walks away unscathed or with only minor injuries. Drivers cruise around in cars whose manufacturers often advertise extensive safety features. However, bicycles have no essential safety equipment aside from what the cyclist wears, and this usually means the only form of protection is a helmet. As a result, it is common for bicyclists to suffer the following types of injuries in accidents with motorists:

• Amputations Facial lacerations
• Bone fractures
• Low back injuries
• Neck and shoulder injuries
• Torn ligaments
• Traumatic brain injury or related head trauma

When a bicycle is hit by a motor vehicle on a road or highway, it is often the result of a driver's negligence. There could be many reasons for this, such as failure to look before turning or changing lanes, sideswiping a cyclist on the road, or "dooring" a cyclist riding in a bike lane. 

In many cases, cyclists can bring a claim seeking financial restitution for their harms and losses against the responsible party or parties. Any lawsuit resulting from injuries sustained in a bicycling accident must be brought within two years from the cycling accident date. Valid suits are typically brought against the at-fault driver (with their insurance company as the primary source of financial recovery).

In bicycle accident cases, the theory of legal recovery is negligence. If a plaintiff is thriving in a negligence lawsuit, the plaintiff is generally entitled to economic and non-economic damages designed to compensate for any injury caused by the defendant's negligence. The categories of damages that plaintiffs can recover are:

• Accrued and future medical bills include ambulance fees, surgery costs, and physical therapy.
• Lost wages and reasonable future salaries (if you are left permanently or partially disabled after the collision).
• Pain and suffering comprise the "non-economic" damages in a personal injury lawsuit. These damages typically include mental anguish, stress, inconvenience, and a diminution of the quality of your life after the wreck.

You could also pursue punitive damages if the driver's conduct was particularly egregious or shocking. This is a unique form of damages intended to punish a defendant for genuinely appalling behavior.

Though, punitive damages are rarely awarded since there needs to be clear and convincing evidence of the defendant's egregious behavior. Consult with a Rocklin bicycle accident lawyer for your legal options.

While filing a bicycle accident injury claim without legal representation is possible, it is generally not a wise decision. First and foremost, insurance companies and defense attorneys attempt to take advantage of claimants lacking quality legal representation. It is common for an insurance company representative to call you shortly after a cycling crash.