Need Consultancy? Request A Free Quote
Want to get in touch with us? We’d love to hear from you. Get an expert opinion today.
DELIVERING JUSTICE FOR MY CLIENTS
Woodland Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Practice Areas
Woodland Bicycle Accident Attorney
Bicycles are environmentally friendly, promote a healthy lifestyle, and can provide alternative transportation around many of the busy areas of California. Many people living in the Woodland, CA, area enjoy riding bikes for exercise and leisure, and some use them to commute to and from work everyday. Unfortunately, while most bicyclists are cautious and do their best to be safe on the roads, bicycle accidents can and do happen. When these incidents occur due to the negligence of others, injured cyclists need to know their rights and their options for legal recourse.
Legal Counsel for Bicycle Accident Victims in Woodland, CA
A personal injury claim can help a bicycle accident victim recover damages caused by a negligent driver. Whenever a motor vehicle hits a bicycle, the bicyclist is highly vulnerable to traumatic injuries, some of which can be life-threatening or cause permanent disabilities. Therefore, if you or a loved one recently experienced a bicycle accident in Woodland due to another party’s negligence or intentional misconduct, it’s vital to consult a Woodland bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Why Do I Need a Woodland Bicycle Accident Attorney?
You might think that the fault for your recent accident is apparent, and you can easily prove this is true on your own. However, even a seemingly straightforward personal injury claim can pose significant challenges, many of which the average person would be unable to effectively address on their own. If you are already struggling with painful injuries and economic uncertainty from the inability to work, do not make an already difficult situation worse for yourself by attempting to handle it unassisted. Hiring an experienced Woodland bicycle accident lawyer can significantly improve your chances of success with your claim.
The Kreeger Law Firm has years of experience representing Woodland, CA, clients in many complex personal injury cases. We understand the legal challenges facing these victims and the obstacles they face as they work toward securing compensation for their damages. When you choose the Kreeger Law Firm to represent you in a bicycle accident claim, we will do everything we can to maximize your recovery, streamline your legal proceedings as much as possible, and help you hold the defendant responsible for your accident accountable for the damage they have done.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Woodland, CA
An injured bicyclist likely has grounds for civil action if their accident occurred due to another driver’s negligence. In California, some of the most commonly reported causes of bicycle accidents that generate personal injury cases include:
- Distracted driving. Every driver has a legal duty to pay attention while operating their vehicle. Even a momentary distraction can be enough to prevent a driver from stopping in time to avoid a collision with a bicyclist. Distracted driving is the most commonly reported cause of all vehicle accidents throughout the US each year.
- Driving under the influence (DUI). When drivers are intoxicated by drugs or alcohol, they put themselves and others at grave risk. Intoxication diminishes reaction time, slows judgment, impairs spatial awareness, and makes people more prone to engage in risky behaviors.
- Speeding. Drivers who exceed speed limits not only endanger themselves but also reduce the time and space they have to slow down or stop to avoid a collision with a bicyclist. Accidents at high speeds are especially dangerous and often result in catastrophic injuries.
- Moving violations, such as illegal turns, lane changes without signaling, and running red lights. These actions can catch bicyclists unaware and result in devastating accidents.
- Product defects. A product manufacturer could face liability for a personal injury if the product that caused the injury was unreasonably serious or defective. For example, if your bicycle accident occurred due to a defect with your bike, you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer.
Woodland drivers need to understand that bicyclists can use the roads the same as motor vehicle drivers, with a few important exceptions. Bicyclists may not ride on highways, and they must use bike lanes wherever they are available. When they move with the flow of traffic, bicyclists can take a lane and have an expectation to follow traffic signals just like all other drivers. Unfortunately, not all drivers extend the appropriate courtesy to bicyclists and engage in aggressive or risky maneuvers near them, often resulting in serious bicycle accidents.
Potential Injuries From a Bicycle Accident
Whenever a motor vehicle driver hits a bicyclist, the bicyclist is almost certain to suffer some form of injury. Even if the bicyclist is wearing a high-quality helmet, they face a severe risk of suffering a traumatic brain injury. Broken bones, internal organ damage, and spinal cord injuries are also likely. Your Woodland bicycle accident attorney will be instrumental in calculating the full scope of the medical expenses you can include in a personal injury claim against the driver responsible for the incident.
California state law allows personal injury plaintiffs to secure compensation for all medical expenses they incur due to the defendants’ actions named in their cases. A bicycle accident victim is likely to require immediate emergency care and ongoing treatment to fully recover and manage their symptoms. For example, if a bicycle accident victim suffers multiple broken bones, they may not only require several surgeries and face an excruciating recovery process, but they may also need physical therapy to regain lost functionality and resume an everyday life. The defendant would be liable for their immediate and future medical expenses in this situation.
Other Economic Damages Claimable in a Bicycle Accident Suit
California also allows personal injury plaintiffs to seek compensation for other economic losses caused by a defendant’s actions. The victims’ injuries are likely to leave them unable to work until they recover, and the defendant would be liable for their lost income during recovery. If a victim develops a permanent disability from their accident that prevents them from working at all in the future, the defendant would be responsible for their lost future earning capacity.
Property damage can also be included in a plaintiff’s economic damages. For example, their accident likely destroyed their bicycle, and they can hold the defendant accountable for the cost of replacing it. They can also seek compensation for any other personal belongings damaged or destroyed by the defendant’s actions. It’s relatively common for plaintiffs in bicycle accident cases to be surprised when they discover the total economic damages they can include in their claims, but their non-economic damages are likely to be even more substantial than their total economic losses.
Property damage can also be included in a plaintiff’s economic damages. For example, their accident likely destroyed their bicycle, and they can hold the defendant accountable for the cost of replacing it. They can also seek compensation for any other personal belongings damaged or destroyed by the defendant’s actions. It’s relatively common for plaintiffs in bicycle accident cases to be surprised when they discover the total economic damages they can include in their claims, but their non-economic damages are likely to be even more substantial than their total economic losses.
What Are Non-economic Damages?
California state law acknowledges that the experience of a personal injury can be just as damaging if not worse than the economic losses from the incident in question. “Non-economic damages” refer to a plaintiff’s intangible losses resulting from a defendant’s actions, namely their pain and suffering. This may sound difficult to quantify in monetary terms, but an experienced Woodland bicycle accident lawyer can use various methods to determine appropriate pain and suffering compensation for their client.
When a client is expected to fully recover from their injuries, the per diem method is typically used. This method requires a set amount of pain and suffering compensation for every day the plaintiff spends in recovery until they reach maximum medical improvement from their injuries. However, when a client faces permanent harm from their bicycle accident, their attorney is more likely to use the multiplier method. This involves calculating the total economic losses incurred by the plaintiff and then multiplying this number by a factor of two to five.
For a bicycle accident claim involving severe permanent harm, the victim’s total compensation for their pain and suffering is likely to form the majority of their total case award. This is because their pain and suffering damages should reflect the severity of the physical pain they experienced and the psychological toll of the permanent effects of the accident, such as disability and diminished quality of life.
When a client is expected to fully recover from their injuries, the per diem method is typically used. This method requires a set amount of pain and suffering compensation for every day the plaintiff spends in recovery until they reach maximum medical improvement from their injuries. However, when a client faces permanent harm from their bicycle accident, their attorney is more likely to use the multiplier method. This involves calculating the total economic losses incurred by the plaintiff and then multiplying this number by a factor of two to five.
For a bicycle accident claim involving severe permanent harm, the victim’s total compensation for their pain and suffering is likely to form the majority of their total case award. This is because their pain and suffering damages should reflect the severity of the physical pain they experienced and the psychological toll of the permanent effects of the accident, such as disability and diminished quality of life.
California’s Negligence Law
If you intend to pursue a personal injury claim for your recent bicycle accident, you must understand the state laws likely to come into play as your case unfolds. Specifically, California’s pure comparative negligence law may influence the final outcome of your claim if you bear any partial fault for causing your claimed damages. Under this rule, a plaintiff may still recover compensation for their damages when they bear partial fault for causing them. However, they lose a percentage of their case award equal to their percentage of fault for causing the incident in question.
While many bicyclists ride responsibly, a bicyclist can be partially responsible for the accident that injured them. If an investigation determines that an injured bicyclist bears comparative negligence, the judge handling the case will assign them a fault percentage based on the severity of their actions. For example, if a bicyclist sues a driver for $200,000 in damages, but the judge overseeing the case determines the bicyclist is 25% at fault for causing the accident, the bicyclist would lose 25% of the case award, resulting in $150,000 instead. It’s common for defendants in bicycle accident claims and other vehicle accident claims to assert comparative negligence to deflect liability away from themselves. If you have any concerns about comparative negligence coming into play in your bicycle accident claim, it is crucial to discuss your case with an experienced Woodland bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Bicycle Accident Lawyer FAQs
Q: Who Is Usually at Fault If a Bicycle Is Involved in an Accident?
A: Whenever a motor vehicle driver and a bicyclist collide, the driver is almost always at fault. While it is possible for a bicyclist to absorb partial liability for a bicycle accident, motor vehicle drivers inherently have a higher duty of care to prevent accidents. Your attorney can help you gather whatever evidence you may need to prove liability for your recent bicycle accident in Woodland, CA.
Q: Should I Go to the Doctor After a Bicycle Accident?
A: Many bike accidents result in traumatic injuries that demand immediate medical attention. However, bicyclists can have accidents and believe they are relatively unhurt, only sustaining minor cuts and scrapes. They should still see a doctor as soon as possible in this situation. It’s possible that they suffered internal injuries that are not yet noticeable, and it is vital to secure treatment for such injuries quickly before they can worsen.
Q: How Long Will My Case Take to Resolve?
A: If liability for your bicycle accident is perfectly clear, you could potentially resolve the matter within a few weeks to a month or two. However, if the defendant contests liability, asserts comparative negligence, or disputes the extent of the damages sought by the plaintiff, the case can take much longer to resolve. Your Woodland bicycle accident lawyer can provide a reasonable estimate of the time your case is likely to take to complete.
Q: How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Woodland Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
A: The Kreeger Law Firm aims to make our legal representation accessible to those who need it most, so we offer our clients contingency fee billing. With a contingency fee, the client pays nothing upfront for their legal representation and only pays a fee once we win their case. The fee is a percentage of the total case award, so there are no unpleasant surprises for the client, and they have ensured a suitable recovery for their damages.
Contact a Bike Accident Personal Injury Lawyer About Your Case
The right attorney can make a tremendous difference in the outcome of a bicycle accident case. Unfortunately, these personal injury claims often entail complex variables, and the average person may be completely lost when navigating the legal implications of their situation. Kreeger Law Firm has years of experience representing clients in complicated personal injury cases, and we are ready to put this experience to work in your bicycle accident claim. If you would like to discuss your situation with a compassionate and reliable Woodland bicycle accident attorney, contact us today and schedule a case review with our team.
