Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer: What Injured Cyclists Should Know
A bicycle accident in Los Angeles can cause serious injuries because cyclists have little physical protection when they are struck by a car, truck, rideshare vehicle, or other motorist. Even a collision at a relatively low speed can result in emergency treatment, rehabilitation, missed work, bicycle damage, and insurance questions.
Los Angeles includes Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, Hollywood, Westlake, South Los Angeles, the Westside, and neighborhoods throughout the San Fernando Valley. Cyclists share roads such as Sunset Boulevard, Wilshire Boulevard, Venice Boulevard, Figueroa Street, Vermont Avenue, Western Avenue, Sepulveda Boulevard, and other major corridors with cars, buses, delivery vehicles, and parked traffic. These locations provide useful local context, but the location of a collision alone does not establish why it happened or who was responsible.
After a Los Angeles bicycle accident, questions may involve the driver’s actions, bicycle rules, bike lanes, right-of-way, distracted driving, dooring, hit-and-run issues, medical treatment, insurance, and available evidence. Understanding these issues can help injured cyclists identify information that may deserve closer review.
DAG Law Firm, APC represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents in Los Angeles and throughout California. We handle qualifying personal injury matters on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no upfront attorney fees and you do not pay attorney fees unless we win your case. If you or a loved one was injured in a bicycle collision, call (323) 930-2020 or contact DAG Law Firm today to discuss your situation.
Bicycle Accidents Across Los Angeles Streets And Neighborhoods
Bicycle collisions can happen on major boulevards, neighborhood streets, intersections, bike lanes, commercial corridors, and areas with parked vehicles. Downtown, Hollywood, Koreatown, and other dense areas may involve frequent turning vehicles and curbside activity, while longer routes through the Valley or Westside can involve wider arterial streets and higher traffic volumes.
Nearby businesses, apartment properties, residences, parking facilities, and vehicles may have cameras that captured part of a collision. The surrounding location can therefore help identify possible evidence without determining responsibility.
Common Causes Of Los Angeles Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents may involve unsafe turns, failure to yield, improper lane changes, distracted driving, following too closely, unsafe speed, opening a vehicle door into a cyclist’s path, or failing to recognize a bicycle before entering or crossing a roadway. Some collisions involve several contributing factors.
The circumstances should be evaluated from the available evidence rather than assumptions about the cyclist or driver. DAG Law Firm provides practical guidance through its resource on what to do after a bicycle accident in California.
California Bicycle Laws, Road Position And Driver Interactions
California bicycle rules can affect how cyclists and motorists share streets, intersections, and other roadways. Questions may involve where a cyclist was riding, traffic signals and signs, turns, bike lanes, passing, and how the involved vehicles were moving immediately before the collision.
A violation by either a cyclist or motorist does not automatically answer every responsibility question. DAG Law Firm provides additional information in its guide to California bicycle laws every cyclist should know.
Distracted Drivers, Dooring And Hit-And-Run Bicycle Accidents
Cyclists can be especially vulnerable when drivers look at phones, navigation systems, or other distractions instead of the road. A moment of inattention can become significant when a motorist is turning, changing lanes, crossing a bike lane, or approaching a cyclist from behind.
Dooring accidents can occur when someone opens a parked vehicle door into a cyclist’s path, while hit-and-run crashes create additional questions about identifying the responsible driver and available insurance. DAG Law Firm provides separate resources on bicycle accidents caused by distracted drivers, dooring bicycle accidents, and hit-and-run bicycle accidents.
Common Injuries, Medical Care And Recovery
Bicycle accidents can cause head injuries, fractures, spinal injuries, shoulder injuries, wrist and hand injuries, leg and knee trauma, internal injuries, road rash, nerve damage, and scarring. Cyclists may be injured during the initial vehicle impact and again when they strike the pavement or another object.
Medical care should focus on diagnosing and treating the injuries. Medical records, rehabilitation records, work restrictions, and related documents may also help show how the collision affected the injured cyclist. DAG Law Firm provides additional information about common injuries in California bicycle accident cases.
Who May Be Responsible For A Los Angeles Bicycle Accident
Potential responsibility may involve a driver who made an unsafe turn, changed lanes improperly, opened a vehicle door, failed to yield, or otherwise contributed to the collision. Depending on the circumstances, a rideshare driver, delivery driver, commercial vehicle operator, vehicle owner, employer, or another party may also become relevant.
Responsibility depends on the specific facts and evidence rather than the fact that one person was riding a bicycle. DAG Law Firm provides more information about who may be liable in a California bicycle accident.
Photos, Video, Witnesses And Bicycle Evidence
Evidence may include photographs of the bicycle, vehicle damage, lane markings, bike lanes, traffic controls, debris, skid marks, visible injuries, and the surrounding roadway. Witness information, surveillance footage, dash-camera recordings, collision reports, and nearby vehicle cameras may provide additional context.
The bicycle, helmet, clothing, lights, and other equipment may also preserve physical evidence from the collision. Keeping those items available may be useful when there is disagreement about how the crash happened.
Case Value, Partial Responsibility And Insurance
There is no standard value for a Los Angeles bicycle accident claim. Injury severity, medical treatment, lost income, bicycle damage, scarring, permanent limitations, available insurance, responsibility, and the effect on everyday life may all influence the evaluation.
An insurance company may argue that the cyclist’s position, speed, visibility, or actions contributed to the crash. Those arguments should be evaluated against photographs, video, witness information, road conditions, vehicle damage, and other available evidence.
DAG Law Firm provides additional information about how much a California bicycle accident case may be worth.
Filing Deadlines And Local Issues In Los Angeles
In California, a person injured in a bicycle accident generally has two years from the date of the injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. That is a general deadline, and exceptions or different circumstances can change how much time is available.
Much shorter requirements can apply when a government agency or public entity may be involved. In some personal injury matters involving a public entity, a claim may need to be presented within six months, so those situations can require earlier attention.
Surveillance footage, damaged bicycles, witness information, and other evidence may also become harder to obtain before a legal deadline arrives. DAG Law Firm provides additional guidance about how long you have to file a bicycle accident claim in California.
Deadlines depend on the specific facts of each case. The time periods above are general information and should not be relied on to calculate the deadline for a particular claim.
Bicycle Accident Resources And How DAG Law Firm Can Help
DAG Law Firm provides California bicycle accident resources covering what to do after a bicycle accident, who may be liable, case value, common injuries, and California bicycle laws. Additional resources address distracted-driver bicycle accidents, dooring accidents, hit-and-run bicycle crashes, and filing deadlines.
DAG Law Firm, APC represents cyclists injured in Los Angeles bicycle accidents and serious cycling collisions throughout California. Depending on the circumstances, our attorneys may review the accident location, photographs, video, witnesses, bicycle and vehicle damage, insurance coverage, medical injuries, and potentially responsible parties.
You do not pay attorney fees unless we win your case. DAG Law Firm handles qualifying personal injury matters on a contingency fee basis with no upfront attorney fees. If you or a loved one was injured in a Los Angeles bicycle accident, call (323) 930-2020 or contact DAG Law Firm today to discuss your situation.
