Irvine Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Irvine Bike Accident Attorney

Riding a bicycle is a great way to avoid the notoriously busy Southern California roadways or to take in some exercise and relaxation. Whatever your reason for choosing to pedal, riding a bike can be dangerous. In the blink of an eye, a negligent driver can cause a collision that leaves the bicyclist with serious injuries. From head, neck and back injuries to broken bones, the consequences resulting from a bicycle accident can be life-altering. Knowing what to do in the moments, weeks and months following an accident is crucial.

Immediate Steps After a Bicycle Accident in Irvine, CA

The turmoil and disorientation immediately following an accident with a motor vehicle can leave a bicyclist shocked and confused as to the next step. Your first step should be to call the local Irvine police, regardless of your pain level or immediate assessment of your injuries. Filing a report and reporting damages is essential, especially because your injuries and pain may grow more severe over time. As you wait for the police, begin to document the accident with photos and notes if you are capable. You are likely to see damage to your bicycle and may feel some pain.

Once the Irvine police have arrived, be sure to speak with them directly, get your story written down and included in the police report. This is also the time to gather the contact information of witnesses and the driver involved with the accident.

Following Up: Legal Steps Days After Your Irvine Bicycle Accident

First and foremost, you need to contact your lawyer immediately. You will want to write down any physical symptoms on paper along with dates and times. Your memory of the events is sharpest directly following the accident.

The personal injury attorneys at Duque Law Group may recommend that you seek medical attention as evidence of the damage caused. Documenting your injuries, no matter how small you think they are, is an important step.

Retain as much evidence as possible. Do not fix your bike, leave it in the same condition as it was when you left the accident. If you have any other damaged property from the accident (including clothing or a helmet), keep that available as well as our attorneys may request photos of the pieces.

Long-Term Legal Considerations Following an Irvine Bike Accident

By this time, you have hopefully already met with your attorney and discussed the accident and which factors will allow you to earn the compensation that you deserve.

If you are contacted by the insurance company, direct them to your lawyer to discuss the issue. Your attorney may wish to hire an independent expert to step in and analyze the situation before you communicate with insurance agents.

Why Choose an Irvine Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Personal injury cases are difficult and require a skilled attorney. Do not try to take on the insurance company lawyers by yourself. The Irvine lawyers at Duque Law Group want to get to the bottom of the case and help you receive any compensation for injuries, damage or pain and suffering that you may deserve.

Contact our Irvine Personal Injury Attorneys at 1-877-241-9554 to learn more about your legal options. A free consultation is just a phone call away. You can even use our online contact form, and we’ll reply to you quickly.

Understanding Irvine Bicycle Accident Claims

Hiring an Irvine bicycle accident attorney should be in your best interest after having any kind of bike accident. Even if the injuries weren’t severe, you should seek compensation to cover any expenses you may have in the future.

Driving a bike often exposes the person to potential facial injuries, bruises, fractures, and more. In cases of distracted driving, for example, a bike rider could experience severe injuries if a distracted driver veers into their bike lane. With enough speed, a bicycle accident can lead to more than broken bones.

Getting legal assistance when going through these hard times is essential, especially if you’re dealing with your own or the other person’s insurance company. 

Typically, an insurance company will try to lowball you, and if you accept the initial offer, you may not be able to seek medical treatment as you should.

A bicycle injury attorney in Irvine, however, will be able to gather all the evidence necessary to prove liability in the case, allowing you to get the compensation you deserve to cover present and future medical expenses.

Compensation for Irvine Bicycle Accidents

One of the most crucial aspects of navigating a bicycle accident in southern Orange County is understanding the law. Once you get a legal team on your side that can give you advice on what you can and can’t do, you will be more likely to fight back with a stronger case.

Technically, you don’t have to file your bicycle accident claims with the help of an attorney, but it’s strongly recommended if you want to increase your chances of getting compensated.

The first thing you need to do to get started with your bicycle accident claim is talk to one of our experts at the Duque Law Group. We offer free case evaluations to all bicycle accident victims in Irvine, so don’t hesitate to walk us through your case.

Once we get all the details of your bicycle accident case, we will build a strategy to prove liability, gather evidence, and create a powerful and compelling case that will get you the money you need to cover medical expenses, lost wages, mental anguish, and other issues.

We want to take the stress of managing your bicycle accident claim off your shoulders, so rest assured that our legal team will do everything in its power to win and give you peace of mind.

There’s no ‘standard’ or ‘fixed’ settlement amount for bicycle accidents in Irvine, as most accidents are unique and can get affected by different factors.

Depending on the case, however, you can expect to get a settlement ranging from $21,000 up to hundreds of thousands of dollars. If you want to know how much money you can potentially get from your bicycle accident, make sure you talk to our Irvine bicycle accident attorney.

Proving Liability in Irvine Bicycle Accident

Proving liability can often be the most complicated part of any bike accident in Irvine. Your goal, most of the time, will be to prove that the person who crashed into your bike and caused the accident did it because of negligence.

Not being able to prove the other driver was negligent could lead to lower compensation amounts (or no compensation at all), which is why you need a strong team of bike accident attorneys to represent you.

Regardless of the case, our bicycle accident attorney must be able to prove the following elements:

• Duty of Care
• Breach of Care
• Causation
• Damages

By gathering the right evidence and working with the right Irvine bicycle accident attorney, you will be more likely to get the best compensation possible for your case.

Common Causes of Irvine Bicycle Accidents

Due to the nature of bicycles, people are more exposed to accidents than car drivers, for example. Even if you’re careful, you will always be exposed to external factors that can cause a bike accident.

Here’s a list of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in Irvine:

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Weaving through traffic
• Not leaving enough space between vehicles
• Improper lane changes
• Running stop signs or red lights
• Not yielding
• Impaired driving
• Turning without looking
• Driver fatigue

Regardless of what caused your accident, you will benefit from having a professional bicycle injury lawyer in Irvine by your side at all times. They will be able to prove that someone else was at fault for the accident and that you deserve to get compensated accordingly.

Common Injuries from an Irvine Bicycle Accident

The severity of a bike accident will always depend on several factors, including the vehicle the other driver was using, how fast the person was going, and how they hit the bicycle driver.

Bicycle accident victims can experience any of the following injuries:

• Head injuries
• Knee pain
• Back or neck pain
• Foot numbness
• Forearm or wrist pain
• Lacerations/abrasions/strains
• Bruising

However, severe bike accidents can lead to any of the following:

• Skull fractures
• Cranial hemorrhages
• Contusions
• Facial, dental, or rib fractures
• Ruptured spleens
• Hernias
• Death
• Spinal cord injuries

Don’t wait! Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with one of our Irvine Bike Accident Attorneys. We can help you get the compensation you deserve.