Maison Law represents bicycle accident victims in Corcoran. If you were hit by a car, truck, bus, or other motorized vehicle, the guilty party must be held liable for their actions.
The Bicycle Accident Attorneys at Maison Law have years of experience dealing with all types of collisions in Corcoran and can help you get compensated for your injuries, financial losses, and mental trauma.
Contact Maison Law today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Bicycle Accident in Corcoran?
If you only suffered minor scrapes or bruises from a bicycle accident you may not need a lawyer. However, you should contact an attorney after a bicycle accident if:
- There were serious injuries: You will need compensation to cover your current and future medical bills if you’ve suffered serious injuries. An attorney can ensure both.
- Wrongful death: If a loved one has passed away due to a Fatal Bicycle Accident, you will need compensation for funeral expenses and damages related to the untimely loss.
- Fault: If you are blamed for the accident, but are not at fault, an attorney can protect and assign liability to the at-fault parties. Also, an attorney can reduce liability if you are liable to some extent.
- Multiple parties involved: Multiple parties make cases complex. An attorney can manage your case while protecting your best interests and right to compensation from all liable parties.
- False police report: If a police report places blame on you, and you disagree, an attorney will gather evidence to support your claim.
Get the legal support you need after a bicycle accident by contacting an experienced Bicycle Accident Attorney today to receive the maximum compensation for your damages.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries in Corcoran
Medical professionals are no strangers to bicycle accident injuries. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, bicycle injuries account for 1.2 million doctor visits and 580,000 emergency visits per year. Although collisions with motor vehicles only involve a minority of bicycle accidents, they’re most responsible for the majority of injuries and fatalities. The most common bicycle accident injuries include:
- Brain injury: brain injuries are far more likely when bicyclists fail to wear their helmets. Although a helmet will not entirely protect you against a 3,000-pound vehicle, it can still reduce the risk of serious brain injury. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 62% of all fatal bicycle accidents involved bikers without helmets.
- Facial injury: bicycle injuries typically involve facial injuries due to the lack of protection on a rider’s face. Common facial injuries include:
- Broken jaw bone
- Missing teeth
- Fractured cheekbones
- Damaged eye sockets
- Spinal cord injury: considered one of the most dangerous injuries, spinal cord damage can most likely become permanent, affecting the entire body. A blunt hit to the spinal cord can cause:
- Loss of movement
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of bladder control
- Difficulty breathing
- Trouble with balance and walking
How are Injuries Calculated in a Corcoran Bicycle Accident Settlement?
There are several factors used to calculate a bicycle accident settlement. Medical expenses, legal expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering will have a significant impact on the value of your settlement. However, those factors will all be decided by the severity of your injuries. When assessing the severity of injuries sustained from a car accident, they are typically placed into one of the following three tiers:
- Tier 1: This tier is for the most severe injuries. Severe injuries tend to have the largest payout. These injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Permanent disfigurement
- Wrongful death
- Tier 2: This tier is for moderate to severe injuries. These injuries typically require surgical intervention and deal with broken bones, fractures, and lacerations.
- Tier 3: This tier is for mild to moderate injuries. This generally includes injuries that do not require surgery such as strains, sprains, and contusions.
How Does Comparative Fault Work in a Corcoran Bicycle Accident?
California law covers liability through comparative fault, also known as comparative negligence. California is a pure comparative negligence state. Comparative negligence allows an injured party who shares fault for their injuries to receive compensation, a legal action covered by the Comparative Negligence Law, which states:
“Under the pure comparative negligence rule, the state allows the plaintiff to claim damages for the 1% they are not at fault even when they are 99% at fault.”
So, even if you were partially at fault for your injuries in a bicycle accident without a helmet on and suffered a head injury, you would still reserve the right to compensation.
What is the Typical Compensation for a Bicycle Accident in Corcoran?
There is no set dollar amount for the trauma and pain experienced by bicycle accident victims. However, a Bicycle Accident Lawyer will help you understand the value of your case by calculating your economic damages (such as lost wages and medical bills) and non-economic damages (emotional harm, depression, and anxiety). These damages combined include:
- Special Damages: medical bills, ongoing treatment, costs that accumulate when you’re unable to work, like rent or mortgage payments
- General Damages: these are non-economic hardships like pain and suffering, anxiety, depression, mental trauma
- Wrongful Death Damages: these damages may be sought by a spouse or close relative for funeral arrangements, burial expenses, and medical treatment before a loved one’s death
- Punitive Damages: these damages are rare, but if the driver engaged in reckless driving with the intention of hurting you, then you could sue for punitive damages
Contact a Corcoran Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one have been injured in a bicycle accident in Corcoran, Maison Law is standing by to help. Our firm has years of experience in bicycle accident law and will aggressively pursue fair compensation on your behalf. If you incurred damages as a result of another person’s careless act, then we will hold them responsible to the full extent of the law. Contact Maison Law today for a no-risk, no-obligation free case consultation.
