Ventura Bicycle Accident Attorney
Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties offer some of the most scenic locations to ride a bike or enjoy a coastal walk. Under California law, drivers must share the road with all vehicles, including bicycles. Unfortunately, drivers tend to ignore these rules and put innocent people at risk of serious injury or wrongful death.
If you or a loved one was injured in a bicycle accident in Ventura or the surrounding areas, contact the Law Offices of Bamieh and De Smeth today. Our Ventura bicycle accident lawyers represent bike injury victims and their families and work to get them the financial compensation they need after a serious accident. To schedule a free legal consultation with our attorneys, contact our law offices today at (805) 643-5555.
What to Do When You’ve Been Hit by a Car while Riding Your Bike in California
As a bicyclist who has been injured, struck, or run over, you first need immediate medical attention. If you were injured in an accident, the first person you call should be the police and emergency medical services. If you suffered serious injuries, you may need immediate care to help you recover quickly and completely. Reporting the accident to the police can also help create a record of the accident that can later help in court. Additionally, police who witness the aftermath of the accident may be able to testify on your behalf and help you build your case.
If you are able to, you should also collect information from the driver who hit you. You should get the following information if you are well enough to talk to them and take notes:
- The driver’s name, contact info, and address
- The make, model, and color of all cars involved in the crash
- The car’s license plate number
If there were any witnesses to the crash, you should also get their contact information.
If you can get up and walk around, take pictures of the accident scene and any injuries you faced. Photos of the positioning of your bike, the car, and the street or intersection can help you describe the accident in court. Additionally, photos of the injuries and damage to your bike and the car that hit you can show the jury how severe the crash was.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Unlike motorists, bicyclists have little to no protection to ensure their physical safety. Helmets are certainly important for preventing head and brain injuries, but bikes do not have the same protection from airbags, windshields, and the walls of a car. The damage resulting from a bike accident is often severe or fatal. The following are some of the most common bicycle accident injuries:
- Catastrophic injuries
- Broken bones including arms, legs, collar bones, and ribs
- Cuts and lacerations
- Dislocated joints
- Loss of limb
- Head and brain injuries
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Bruises, contusions, or internal bleeding
- Soft tissue damage
- “Road rash” abrasions
Unfortunately, anytime a car collides with a bicyclist, the person on the bike typically suffers the most damage. If you were injured as a result of someone else’s careless or reckless actions, you should fight to receive compensation with the help of a personal injury lawyer.
Damages for a Bike Accident in California
If you were seriously injured, you may suffer substantial financial and physical harms that can justify claims for compensation. These harms or “damages” that you suffer typically include three major categories: medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, you can claim any damages that resulted from the accident if you sue for a bicycle accident in California.
The cost of medical care can be quite high if you were severely injured or suffered life-altering injuries in a bike accident. Brain trauma and spinal cord injuries are some of the most serious injuries you can suffer, and they are quite common in bike accident cases. These injuries could result in decades of ongoing care and substantial medical costs.
If your injuries caused you to miss any work or reduced your potential earning capacity, you may request damages for this financial harm. Your attorney and a financial expert can help estimate the total value of these damages as part of your lawsuit.
Lastly, you may be entitled to pain and suffering damages. In rare cases, your damages for pain and suffering may be limited, but California law typically allows you to claim substantial damages for the pain and suffering you faced. These damages are “non-economic” damages in that they do not stem from any costs you face and compensate you purely for the physical and mental pain you suffer; they are separate damages from the medical expenses and healthcare costs.
Call Our Ventura, CA Bike Accident Injury Lawyers for a Free Legal Consultation
If you wish to learn more about how our bilingual legal team of Ventura bicycle accident injury attorneys can assist you after a bike accident, do not hesitate to call our law firm today. Our hotline is available 24/7, so there is no bad time to contact us and schedule your free, completely confidential initial case evaluation. To schedule your free consultation, call our law offices today at (805) 643-5555.