Maison Law is an advocate for safe bicycle rides for all Ceres bicyclists, and we represent riders when they are injured by the carelessness of local drivers. Our bicycle accident attorneys are dedicated to helping victims secure the support necessary to fully recover. Schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation with a real lawyer. To find out what you should demand from an at-fault driver’s car insurance, talk to a skilled, local lawyer and schedule a free consultation.
Do I Need to Speak with a Lawyer After a Bicycle Accident?
If you are forced off your bike by a careless driver, but somehow only come away with very minor injuries or simply some damage to your bike, you may not require the help of a Ceres Bicycle Accident Lawyer. You could probably recover fair support from a car insurance company on your own.
But when a serious accident is involved, you’ll suddenly find car insurance adjusters acting differently. They’ll do anything to avoid having to pay the higher medical bills that come along with something like a broken ankle or a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
If your injuries are serious, it’s a good idea to speak to a lawyer about how to get the full benefits available to you. These are a few other reasons you do better by allowing a lawyer to handle your case:
- If the accident was completely or partially the fault of a driver
- Your injuries required a hospital stay or took a long time to heal
- You continue to miss days at work due to your injuries
- Your daily routine has been changed due to injuries caused by the collision
- An insurance company is trying to blame you for what happened
- An insurance company is downplaying how badly you are hurt
- An insurance company is offering you a far smaller settlement than you’ll need to pay your medical bills and recover physically and emotionally
A skilled attorney will be fully investigating what happened to you to make sure a reckless driver and the insurance company can’t avoid blame. Your attorney works with your doctors to determine what you’ll need in the months and years ahead and then demands that full amount in a bicycle accident settlement. Your attorney acts as a shield and handles all communication with insurers so that you can focus on getting better and getting back to your rides.
Bicycle Accident Dangers in Stanislaus County
Ceres bicyclists have a few bike lanes to take advantage of, like those on Whitmore Avenue. They may also enjoy rides away from traffic at Ceres River Bluff Park.
Unfortunately, along routes without bike lanes or greenways, victims may have to get out in the traffic lane with cars and SUVS. Riders have the right to take a lane, just like any driver, according to California Vehicle Code (CVC) 21200. But there’s no guarantee that careless drivers know the law and are showing caution when they come upon a cyclist using a lane.
Drivers can veer into a cyclist as they try to pass in a dangerous spot. They can make turns in front of cyclists, making their vehicles giant obstacles for riders traveling at full speed. Families and children riding in neighborhoods are in danger when a speeding motorist doesn’t slow down in order to avoid a collision.
The Ceres community suffers the devastating consequences of reckless drivers every year. California’s Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) counted 20 bicycle accidents involving injury in Ceres in 2024, leading to at least one tragic death. The total accident number was up from number was up from just 7 serious accidents recorded in 2023.
When motor vehicles strike vulnerable cyclists, major injuries are often the end result. These types of wounds require weeks and months of hospital care and physical therapy. Those who caused the accident should be fully liable for the recovery costs. Having Maison Law on a personal injury case can bring victims the assurance that an insurance company will pay for each and every damage they’ve suffered.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicyclists travel Ceres streets with little protection against the full speed and weight of a normal vehicle in the city. Victims can end up at Memorial Medical Center with devastating injuries. In life-threatening situations, cyclists who suffer traumatic injuries may be rushed to a trauma center in Modesto.
These are just a few of the most common diagnoses for collision victims:
Skull Fracture – Skulls can suffer cracks, especially when riders aren’t wearing a helmet. This can send pieces of bone into the brain. UCLA Health reports that the symptoms of a skull fracture can include nerve damage that causes weakness of the face. Victims might also experience a loss of hearing, smell, or vision.
Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) – A serious brain injury is a possibility after taking a blow to the head against the metal of a car body or the pavement. Victims can suffer minor or major concussions. They may endure seizures and memory loss.
Broken Bones – Broken bones in the arms, hands, and wrists occur as victims flail their arms instinctively to try to catch themselves in a fall. Chest injuries affecting the ribs, breastbone, and collarbone are also common.
Loss of Limbs – Arms, legs, and digits could be sheared off in an impact or if a victim ends up under a vehicle. Surgical amputation could be necessary if a bad bone break is discovered.
Facial and Dental Injury – Failing to put the arms out in front of the head in a fall from a bike can mean the face absorbs a powerful impact. The nose or cheekbones might fracture. Teeth may be loosened or knocked out. A very visible permanent disfigurement could also be suffered.
Road Rash – Deep skin abrasions caused by sliding across pavement or the ground. These injuries can lead to severe infections and may require a skin graft to heal.
Paralysis – A spine, neck, back, or brain injury might cause a loss of control of limbs and other body parts. Paraplegia is a loss of control in the lower half of the body, and quadriplegia is a loss of function in both the upper and lower regions.
What Can I Earn Compensation for After a Ceres Bicycle Accident?
Your lawyer will conduct a full investigation into what happened to you. But before a claim is submitted to insurers, a full list must be prepared of every hardship you’ve faced since the accident and every hardship that may await you in the future.
Your lawyer will include every bill and non-economic damage you’ve suffered during recovery. Anything that gets left off could end up as a cost you must cover out of your own savings.
These and other hardships will contribute to the amount you see in a bicycle accident injury settlement:
- Costs of medical bills now and those expected in the future.
- Estimates for care over a lifetime for permanent disfigurement or permanent disability.
- Pain and suffering. This includes the non-economic damage you endure emotionally in the accident and during recovery. You may suffer from anxiety after a major collision. Depression may arise in recovery as you experience a loss of enjoyment of life. Being off your bike for an extended time can contribute greatly to emotional trauma.
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Repairs to the bicycle or replacement.
- Bicycle accident wrongful death benefits. Families who receive the tragic news that a loved one has been taken in a bicycle accident must act to protect themselves financially. They’ll require support to pay for funeral costs and leftover medical costs, and help with replacing the income the deceased can no longer provide to the family in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
What support should my child receive after getting hit by a driver?
Young bicycle accident victims require additional support for injuries now and in the future. An injury during the formative years can affect a child’s growth and development in the years ahead. Settlement money must be secured to pay for any health issues that arise. Compensation must factor in the possibility of surgeries and additional physical therapy if victims begin to see symptoms of a past injury in their teen years.
How long do I have to file a bicycle accident injury claim?
Two years. You’ll have to file your injury claim before two years have passed since the accident date or risk having your case rejected. You should take action sooner rather than later, before important evidence disappears.
What if I can’t afford to pay a bicycle accident lawyer?
Bicyclists don’t need to worry about finding the money to hire Maison Law while they are down with an injury. Our bicycle accident attorneys don’t accept any payment unless they win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money that a car insurance company is forced to provide.
Contact a Ceres Bicycle Accident Lawyer
After a bicycle accident, please rely on an experienced Ceres bicycle accident attorney to handle your case and protect your interests. Insurance companies aren’t required to tell you about every benefit available to you. When you aren’t informed of your rights, you can lose out on valuable resources and end up paying for some of your bicycle accident recovery costs out of pocket.
That should never be the case when you are put through such a traumatic accident through no fault of your own. Take advantage of a free case review that comes with no obligation to you or your family.
