ORANGE COUNTY BICYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYER
In orange county, many roads have inadequate bike lanes or shoulders, and drivers often ignore these protected spaces even when they are present. If you or a loved one has been injured – or even killed – in a bicycle-vehicle accident, you need the services of an orange county bicycle accident lawyer – you have the right to take the responsible party to court.
Especially in collisions with automobiles, cyclists are vulnerable to serious injuries such as broken bones, head trauma, spinal cord injury, and lacerations even when wearing the proper safety gear.
However, some bike accidents are not due to careless driving but stem from the rider’s irresponsibility. Bicyclists must follow many of the same laws as car drivers. At Gracia & Phan we encourage bicyclists to follow all California bicycle laws.
What Causes Bicycle Accidents?
There are as many different causes for bicycle accidents as there are for motor vehicle accidents – but because bikers are less protected, they face a far greater risk of sustaining catastrophic injuries or fatal injuries than either drivers or passengers. There can also be multiple factors involved in a bicycle accident: A collision with a pedestrian or a car door may not cause serious injuries on its own, for example, but it could send the cyclist into the path of oncoming cars or trucks.
Some of the most common ways that bicycle crashes occur in L.A.:
Collisions at
intersections
Left-turn
collisions
right hook
collisions
Collisions with
doors
What Is The California Bicycle and Bicycle Accident Law?
California Vehicle Code VC 21201 deals with bicycle requirements.
- Functional brakes – It is illegal (and dangerous) to ride a bike with faulty brakes.
- Handlebars must be appropriately sized for the rider, and not above the rider’s shoulder height.
- LA Bike has a city by city breakdown of the vehicle codes in all L.A. County cities.
There are additional requirements for nighttime riding.
- Bikes must be equipped with a lamp or headlight that can be seen from 300 feet to the front or either side of the bicycle.
- The rear of the bike must be equipped with a red reflector that can be seen from at least 500 feet away.
- The bike pedals must be equipped with white or yellow reflectors.
Don't Lose Your Right To Collect Damages
In California, bicyclists have a specific time frame for filing a claim for damages after being involved in a bicycle accident. This is known as the statute of limitations, and it is a two-year period that begins on the date of your injury. However, if you discover your injuries later on down the road, it is sometimes possible to extend the statutory period. Another exception to this is for injured minors; the statute of limitations begins at age 18 instead of the date of injury.
Proving Your Bicycle Accident Claim
Although many bicycle accident claims involve a negligent party, identifying and proving acts of negligence can present challenges. As a bicycle accident law firm at Garcia & Phan, our bicycle accident lawyers are diligent about thoroughly investigating our bicycle accident cases because we need to prove to an insurer that our client deserves the compensation for which we are asking – or to prove to a jury that our client was not at fault.
Many forms of negligence can lead to bicycle accidents, and some of our cases have involved:
- Careless driving
- Aggressive driving and road rage
- Improperly designed bicycles or components and defective bike helmets
- Opening vehicle doors in a cyclist’s path
- Impaired driving
- Improperly designed bike lanes or other dangerous road conditions
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Take a look at common questions
Yes. In most instances, we quickly arrange for a rental car for you so you can get on with your normal activities, and we make sure you get the car you need. Do you have a case?
Like any other profession, the quality of legal services varies tremendously from one lawyer to the next. Some top attorneys are barely competent others are outstanding leaders of the legal community. These days, clients can use the internet to obtain information about a prospective lawyer. Internet searches can provide information on the attorney’s experience and trial results. I provide information about my actual results on this website so prospective clients can make the best decisions when hiring a lawyer and feel comfortable that the Garcia & Phan Law Firm has proven experience and results.
NO! Our office policy is straightforward and clear: We Don’t Get Paid Unless You Get Money from the Insurance Company! This means that if we don’t get you some monetary recovery, you will not owe us any fees. It’s as simple as that. No money upfront, and no hourly fees. This policy allows us to aggressively fight for the maximum recovery for you and your loved ones. No matter how long the case takes, we will be there fighting for your rights.
Yes. If you have lost earnings or have lost the ability to earn money in the future as a result of your accident, our trusted attorneys fight aggressively to get all of the money you have lost back for you.
