Maison Law represents grieving Fresno families who have lost a loved one in a tragic bicycle accident.
When a careless driver’s mistake is to blame for a fatal accident, those left behind should receive help in paying for a funeral and replacing any income the deceased will no longer provide for the family.
Please contact Maison Law of Fresno to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a real lawyer and find out about every benefit available to your family.
Should My Family Contact a Wrongful Death Lawyer?
In a deadly bicycle collision, there’s usually a reckless driver to blame. Sadly, insurance companies don’t always accept the facts. They want to protect their profits and try to limit the support given to the family members left behind. Insurance adjusters may be instructed to look for ways to blame an innocent victim for what happened.
Insurers may also pressure families to accept a quick settlement before beneficiaries realize all of the benefits they can demand. A Fresno Fatal Bicycle Accident lawyer is a shield against this type of inexcusable behavior. Our lawyers protect the facts of the case and then aggressively negotiate for families to get the most possible in a wrongful death settlement.
These are just a few of the ways a family can benefit from having a skilled attorney filing and litigating their case:
- A full investigation into the fatal accident and gathering all evidence.
- Filing a wrongful death claim
- Handling all communication with insurance companies, giving families time to grieve in peace
- Powerful negotiation skills to make sure your family receives the most in a settlement agreement
- Checking over settlement offers to make sure they cover everything the family needs now and in the years ahead
- Filing a lawsuit on behalf of the family if an insurance company refuses to accept responsibility for a tragic death
- Often securing much more on behalf of the family than they could secure by handling a wrongful death claim themselves.
Why Do Fatal Bicycle Accidents Happen In Fresno?
Unfortunately, fatal bicycle accidents are caused by many of the same factors as other car accidents. Like these other accidents, negligent and inattentive driving factors heavily into the equation. The other part of the equation is the vast difference in size and speed between a vehicle and a person on a bicycle, coupled with the relative lack of protection that a bicycle offers. Even if you’re wearing a helmet and other protective equipment, there’s little that can be done when another driver fails to pay attention or drives under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causes an accident.
While there isn’t a singular cause of fatal bicycle accidents in Fresno, many of them involve the following:
- Negligent driving – Negligent driving encompasses a wide range of different maneuvers and actions that a person can take behind the wheel, but when they are involved in an accident with a bicycle, they can often be even more dangerous and fatal. Such actions like tailgating, shifting lanes erratically to try to get around a bicyclist, or speeding can all cause fatal accidents, especially if the person on the bike is on a major roadway. In some cases, these drivers will act recklessly or react angrily when they have to share the road with a bicycle, and this added speed or violence can also result in a fatal accident.
- Impaired driving – Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is extremely dangerous, no matter what situation you’re in. Unfortunately, this danger is increased in bicycle accidents. When driving under the influence, drivers are typically moving at much higher speeds and their reaction time is much slower, which means that they won’t be able to properly adjust to and maneuver around bicyclists on the road.
- Low visibility – A lack of visibility is among the most common causes of bicycle accidents. First, a bicycle is much smaller than a normal passenger vehicle, and often is in a driver’s blind spot near the back side of the vehicle. Also, not every bicyclist opts for reflective or high-visibility clothing and equipment to make it easier for them to be seen. There’s also the issue of distracted driving or failing to yield, which often causes drivers to collide with bicyclists. Even in low-speed collisions, fatal injuries can occur when the bicyclist is thrown headfirst off their bike or their head or chest is contacted by parts of the moving car.
- Poor weather – While Fresno has an excellent climate and weather conditions for riding a bicycle, it can also change quickly. The spring and summer months in the Central Valley can bring storms and heavy rain instantaneously, making visibility and maneuverability much more difficult for both cars and bicycles. When cars can’t adjust to these difficulties or bicyclists get caught in poor weather and don’t have the proper equipment, fatal accidents can happen.
While injuries are certainly probable in bicycle accidents, sometimes the worst case scenario happens and the injuries or accident is fatal. With that, the situation changes into something that is much more dire, and requires a shifting of responsibilities and strategy to make sure that your or your loved one’s affairs are handled in the right way.
How Common Are Fatal Bicycle Accidents in Fresno?
Anytime a bicycle accident ends up being fatal, it is an unthinkable tragedy. While Fresno’s population isn’t as large as other California cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco, there are still a number of these accidents every year.
California’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) monitors bicycle accidents across the state and in Fresno. Fresno, unfortunately, ranks higher than it should among the state’s major cities for rider deaths.
According to the data, California recorded 162 tragic bicycle accident deaths in 2024. Fresno documented 9 lives lost to bicycle collisions from January to December. Over the past five years (2020-2024), Fresno has averaged 7.8 bicycle fatalities a year.
What’s more, in 2024, Fresno was tied for 6th on a list of the California cities with the most fatalities for the year.
Such data underlies the importance of bicyclists in Fresno to stay alert and cognizant of other drivers on the road. Doing so will at least reduce the risk of fatal accidents, although they can still happen.
Fatal Injuries in Fresno Bicycle Accidents
Fatalities in bicycle accidents are caused by a number of different injuries. The nature of riding a bicycle means that there is simply not much protection in the event of an accident, especially if you are thrown from the bicycle headfirst or if the vehicle collides with your upper body and damages your chest, ribs, lungs, or spine. Further, both younger and older riders are at further risk for fatal bicycle accidents.
Often, fatal injuries in a fatal bicycle accident include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Severe skull fractures
- Severe spinal injuries
- Chest injuries
- Lower abdominal injuries
- Organ failure
Fatal injuries in a bicycle accident represents the worst case scenario for you and your loved ones. While this situation is difficult to think about, the fact that they can happen is reason enough to at least be prepared should your loved ones have to file a claim for damages on your behalf.
What Type of Claims Are There In a Fresno Fatal Bike Accident?
Fatal bicycle accidents in Fresno are classified as “wrongful death” claims. In California, a wrongful death must result from:
- Another person or entity’s wrongful act or negligence.
Thus, in fatal bicycle accidents, the driver that was negligent and caused the accident will likely be found liable your surviving family’s damages, which can include the following:
- Medical bills prior to and up until death
- Funeral expenses
- Lost wages
- Loss of future income
- Loss of companionship
- Any pain and suffering felt by the deceased before death
- Property damage
Like other claims in California, there is a statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit. For any wrongful death lawsuit, your family would need to file the lawsuit within two years of your death in order to be able to recover damages.
How Can My Family Collect Evidence After a Fatal Bicycle Accident?
If an unhelpful car insurance company tries to shift blame in a bicycle accident away from the driver, you’ll want to have the strongest evidence available to fight back.
A police collision report can serve as powerful evidence to show what really happened. If your family has turned a wrongful death case over to an attorney, the attorney will gather these documents. If not, visit our page on how to get a Traffic Accident Report from Fresno Police or the CHP.
Family members might also require the results of an autopsy to back their claim against a giant car insurance company. Families will also need a death certificate to help settle the affairs of a loved one.
Instructions for obtaining documents from the Fresno County Coroner and the Fresno County Health Department.
Mental Health Support for Family Members in Mourning
Families may get news of a tragic accident and the next day be worrying about funeral arrangements, finding deeds to properties, and the titles to cars. They often get little time to truly process what has happened.
Their mental wellness can suffer. A wrongful death lawsuit can address these needs and provide money for those left behind to get professional help with their emotional struggles.
Family members can trust that Maison Law will be seeking money for them to pay for any mental health care they require during such a difficult time. But the Fresno community also provides many wellness groups that those in mourning can take advantage of. These groups are often free to everyone or come with a small cost. These are just a few of the options available for those in mourning:
- Fresno’s Community Regional Medical Center provides Palliative Care. You can contact the Palliative Care Services at (559) 459-7210 to find out about Bereavement Support Groups in the area.
- Saint Agnes Medical Center holds a meeting on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of every month. It’s held at the Saint Agnes Administrative Center. Visit their site here for more information.
- GriefShare groups meet at several local churches each month. They include Northwest Church, The Bridge, and Campus Bible Church near Fresno State.
Work With Experienced and Compassionate Fresno Fatal Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Losing a loved one or your own life to a fatal bicycle accident is an unthinkable tragedy.
At Maison Law, our team of experienced, thoughtful Fresno bicycle accident lawyers will be with your family every step of the way as you try to gain some measure of support in this extremely difficult time.
For more information about how our firm can help your family, contact us today for a free and confidential consultation.
