Navigating Bicycle Accidents in Southern California: Insights from Expert Attorneys

Southern California is a perfect storm for bicyclists. Year-round mild weather and heavy traffic encourage people to pedal to work, school, or for fun. Furthermore, because traffic is so heavy, most roads have wide lanes and high-speed limits. Finally, California has the highest daily hospital rates in the country. Therefore, in simple terms, more people are at higher risk for expensive injuries. But worry not when the best team of Bicycle Accident Attorneys California is by your side. 

Head injuries might be the most common bicycle crash injuries. The stress and fear of a bicycle accident often alter brain chemistry. This imbalance causes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. STBIs (Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries) occur when victims fall off their bikes and their brains violently slam against the insides of their skulls. A bicycle crash could also cause an MTBI (moderate traumatic brain injury), a/k/a a concussion. 

All these brain injuries involve high medical bills, as mentioned above. Most group health insurance plans exclude injury-related costs. So, even if they have insurance, most victims cannot pay these bills. A Bicycle Accident Attorney in Los Angeles obtains the compensation these families need to not only pay accident-related expenses but also move forward with the rest of their lives.

Many bicycle crashes, like speed-related crashes, are unintentional torts. These tortfeasors (negligent drivers) intentionally speed, but they don’t intentionally hurt anyone. Many other bicycle crashes are intentional in both senses (unintentional conduct and result). These victims have the same legal and financial rights as all other victims.

Using Bright Headlights

Most parts of Southern California are very well-lit at night. So, vehicle headlights serve more of a safety purpose, as opposed to a visibility purpose. Nevertheless, many people fail to dim their headlights, and they drive with lights that are visible from the Space Shuttle.

Powerful, moving headlights blind and disorient riders. Bicycles are hard enough to control at night. Bright lights make them even harder to control.

Alternatively, riders take their eyes off the road to avoid this effect. The result is often the same. When they take their eyes off the road, even for a moment, they could hit anything or anyone.

Littering

Throwing trash onto the street isn’t just unsightly and illegal. It’s also dangerous, especially for bicycle riders.

Many non-cyclists remember riding dirt bikes as children. Their wide tires, which were designed for off-road riding, made it relatively easy to navigate city streets. Adult bicycles are much different. The thin tires on these vehicles reduce weight. Thin tires also transform discarded beer cans into speed bumps. 

In fact, a discarded beer can could cause a bicycle accident several hours or days after it was thrown from a vehicle.

Honking

Vehicle engineers make horns loud enough to penetrate vehicle cabs and still be audible over whatever music the driver is playing. So, to a bicycle rider, a car horn is really loud. Vehicle horns are also surprising and unexpected, maximizing this effect. That’s especially true if a passing motorist was honking at someone other than the bicycle rider.

Such non-contact negligence is still negligence. A tortfeasor doesn’t have to knock over a bicycle, or even bump into a bicycle, to cause a crash. So, the aforementioned compensation is still available, In fact, non-contact negligence matters often have higher settlement values. To many jurors, these motorists appear not only negligent, but also careless, reckless, and downright mean.

Bicycle Blindness

When they get behind the wheel, most drivers mentally put their cars on auto-pilot. They react to large, slow-moving vehicles and changing traffic light colors, but that’s about it. They don’t react to bicycle riders, partially because, as mentioned above, they’re common in Southern California.

There’s a psychological issue as well. Deep down, many drivers resent bicyclists, especially if engineers narrowed vehicle lanes to create designated bicycle lanes, reduced the speed limit to protect them, or took other such measures.

The combination creates bicycle blindness. Many drivers don’t watch for bicyclists and, quite frankly, don’t care if they get hurt. But, in this case, a good Bicycle Accidents Lawyer can help you get the desired compensation and stand for your rights.

Turning Left Carelessly

We end this post with what may be the granddaddy of them all. Unsafe left turns cause about a third of the bicycle wrecks in California.

When tortfeasors turn left against traffic, they monitor vehicle traffic, not bicycle traffic. So, when motor vehicle traffic eases, they accelerate into left turns, whether or not bicyclists are directly in their paths. As a result, when the two vehicles collide, the motor vehicle is moving almost at full speed.

Granted, it’s hard to see small bicycles in a sea of approaching pickup trucks and SUVs, especially if environmental conditions are less than ideal. But that’s no excuse for negligence. In fact, such conditions require drivers to slow down and use additional caution.

Seek Advice From Our Bicycle Accident Attorneys in California

Many drivers cause many bicycle crashes in unexpected ways. If you or a loved one has been involved in a bicycle accident or suffered injuries due to someone else’s negligence, you have the right to compensation. Our team is here to help you navigate the legal complexities and seek the justice you deserve.

For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, contact the Law Offices of Eslamboly Hakim. The sooner you reach out to us, the sooner we start fighting for you.