Maison Law of Bakersfield protects the victims of bicycle accidents caused by uninsured motorists and makes sure they receive the support they need to recover. Injury compensation is available even when a driver is breaking the law by traveling Bakersfield roads without insurance coverage.
You can discuss your options to secure support in a free case consultation with a real Bakersfield bicycle accident lawyer. Our free case reviews are confidential, and they come with no obligation. Contact us today to find out how to secure the maximum in support for your recovery.
Bicycle Accident Hazards Caused by Uninsured Drivers
Bakersfield cyclists can use bike lanes provided across the city on busy roads like Hughes Lane, but they don’t guarantee complete safety. Careless drivers can still veer into a bike lane and make turns without checking for cyclists beside them.
At some points along Ming Avenue, cyclists must merge with traffic and share the lanes with large SUVs and trucks. Reckless drivers can strike a rider while trying to pass when there’s no room to do so. Distracted motorists may also strike a child on a bike in a devastating accident in a quiet neighborhood.
A bicyclist suffering injuries will often need days or weeks of medical care and victims can face a lot of shock and frustration when they are told at-fault drivers weren’t carrying insurance.
The thoughtless decision to travel without coverage can leave victims and their families to face the prospect of paying every hospital bill, co-pay, and deductible themselves. This responsibility can quickly bankrupt a family, all over an accident they didn’t cause.
Thankfully, a Bakersfield bicycle accident lawyer can guide victims to the compensation they need, even if an uninsured driver can’t contribute any support.
How Can I Earn Compensation if I’m Hit by an Uninsured Motorist?
Bakersfield drivers can fail to use mirrors and check blind spots as they make turns and put nearby riders in danger. They can also ignore a cyclist’s right to the lane and push a rider off the road. And, unfortunately, there’s a decent chance that an at-fault driver who causes a bicycle collision will also be uninsured.
Unfortunately, if you are seriously hurt, you may be stuck with massive medical costs, with seemingly no way to earn support from the at-fault party.
But there are types of protections on your own insurance policy that can help in the event you or a family member become the victims of an uninsured driver. You may frequently drive a vehicle when you are not on your bike, and the car insurance you pay for each month can be used as support after a bicycle crash.
These are a few of your options:
- Uninsured Motorist Coverage — One way you can seek support after a collision involving an uninsured driver is through a claim against your car insurance policy. This claim would call upon your Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage. You aren’t required to have UM coverage in California, but most car insurance policies include this coverage unless you reject it in writing. It’s important to note that many UM policies only help with medical bills and don’t cover the damage to your property, like a bicycle.
- Med-Pay Coverage – Med-Pay isn’t required by California Law, but some drivers purchase it with their policies as an add-on. It can provide support for your family’s medical bills after a bicycle crash, no matter who was at fault. Some policies also cover funeral costs in case you or a loved one were tragically killed in a cycling accident.
- Health Insurance – Your health insurance would usually be the first place you go to get help with paying hospital bills. Your insurer would usually pay everything and then go to the at-fault driver’s car insurance company to try to get the money reimbursed. If the other driver is uninsured, you could get hit with the deductibles and co-pays for your care soon afterward.
- Lawsuit Against the Uninsured Driver – Your lawyer can help you build a strong case and sue the uninsured motorist. But be aware that filing a lawsuit may still leave you without any compensation. A motorist who can’t afford car insurance may not have a lot of savings or assets to pay you, even if a judge awards you a substantial judgment. You may still be left paying your own recovery bills.
Be warned that going through your own insurance company for support might seem like you’ll be guaranteed fair treatment, but your provider can still try to limit your compensation. You might get far less than you should to pay your bills and to fully recover financially from missing paychecks at work. A Bakersfield bicycle accident lawyer would help you negotiate with your insurance provider to make sure you received everything you needed.
When you must involve your own auto insurance provider there is some good news. In California, car insurance companies aren’t permitted to raise your rates if you file a bicycle accident injury claim over a collision that you didn’t cause.
Compensation Available to Bakersfield Uninsured Motorist Accident Victims
At Maison Law, we are advocates for bicycle safety and we want to help victims earn justice when they are struck by careless drivers. We fight to make sure riders get the care they need to fully heal and return to a bike again. That can mean helping victims file effective claims against an at-fault driver’s insurer or their own.
If we represent your case, we’ll fully investigate your accident and collect evidence to show that you were an innocent victim. Your Bakersfield Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer builds a strong case to present to your uninsured motorist coverage provider.
Our skilled attorneys will be listing each and every hardship you endure in recovery so they are all the financial responsibility of the insurer. These are just a few of the things that factor into your bicycle accident injury settlement:
- Totals on medical bills and physical therapy expenses.
- Estimated costs for a lifetime of care and support for a permanent physical disability.
- Compensation for the physical pain endured in recovery and perhaps bouts of chronic pain in the future.
- Emotional trauma. Depression and anxiety can affect victims who may suffer a loss of enjoyment of life in recovery. Riders may be off their bikes for weeks, months, or years.
- Past and future lost earnings and benefits while victims are forced to miss work hours.
- Wrongful death benefits. Families who have lost a close relative in a bicycle accident can file a wrongful death claim with the loved one’s insurer They could secure support for funeral expenses and leftover medical bills. They’ll also seek help with making up the income the victim can no longer provide close relatives.
Contact a Bakersfield Bicycle Accident Lawyer
After a bicycle accident caused by an uninsured driver, there’s a free and easy way to figure out your best options for getting support in recovery.
Speak with a Bakersfield Bicycle Accident Lawyer to find out what your injury is worth and how to hold an insurance company and others fully accountable.
Schedule a free case consultation with Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law. This evaluation comes with no obligation to you or your family. If you do feel we can help you earn more, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement you are awarded.
