Long Beach is a great place for a bike ride. The city features vehicle-free routes like the Shoreline Pedestrian Bikepath. These paths allow riders to enjoy the sand, sun, and attractions without worrying about careless drivers and exhaust fumes.
There are also bike lanes on many of Long Beach’s major thoroughfares. Unfortunately, bike lanes along busy roads like Bellflower Boulevard can’t offer complete protection from the whims of reckless drivers.
Cyclists face the hazards that unfocused motorists create daily, and riders often end up with severe injuries after a collision with a vehicle. The hope is that the bicyclist gets the best care available and is able to get back on a bike soon. However, even with a full physical recovery, injured cyclists face the costs of that medical care and could be in need of financial recovery as well.
Schedule a Free Consultation with a Long Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one has been the victim of a bicycle accident due to the negligence of a driver, please speak with a Long Beach Bike Accident Lawyer before talking to any insurance representative. Insurance adjusters like to downplay the injuries riders receive and shortchange them on compensation when hospital bills come due.
Contact Maison Law for a free case evaluation for victims and their families. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your injury is worth and what you should be demanding from an at-fault driver’s car insurance provider. Allow us to fight for your fair compensation while you focus on recovery and returning to your bike as soon as possible.
Bicycle Accident Dangers in Long Beach
Long Beach cyclists enjoy the freedom of riding on protected routes like the Los Angeles River Bikeway (LARIO) in Long Beach. Plenty of cyclists also take advantage of the bike lanes provided on many Long Beach roads. They try to avoid careless drivers when having to cross dangerous intersections like Atlantic Avenue and Anaheim Street.
Local cyclists have learned to be as safe as possible, but riders still face dangers on every trip. The California Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) recorded 195 bicycle accidents involving injury in Long Beach in 2021. That number was slightly down from the 216 bicycle collisions reported in 2020 in the city.
The blame for many of these accidents can be laid at the feet of careless drivers who don’t check mirrors and blind spots to see the cyclists traveling beside them. They are motorists who don’t show care when they share the lane with a rider on road without bike lanes. They are drivers who make left and right turns in front of cyclists to cause life-threatening impacts.
When drivers cause devastating collisions, the victims and their families must not face unfair financial harm during a difficult recovery. A Long Beach Personal Injury Lawyer works to allow a victim to focus on healing without the worry of the medical bills that will follow.
What To Do After a Long Beach Bicycle Accident
Victims will have medical bills arriving daily in the mailbox and they could also be out of work for an extended period. It’s a vulnerable time and when dealing with an uncaring insurance adjuster, the situation can get worse.
That’s why it’s vital that Long Beach bicycle accident victims get the most out of any injury claim they file. Bringing plenty of evidence of what happened to the negotiating table is the best way to force an insurance company to do the right thing.
Try to collect these key details from your Long Beach bicycle accident scene:
- Contact 911 even if you think your injury is minor. You may not notice all injuries until the shock of your accident has worn off. Let paramedics check every pain. Tell Long Beach Police officers everything you remember of the moments leading up to the crash. They’ll create a collision report that will serve as evidence for your bicycle accident injury claim.
- Use your phone to take photos of the scene. If you aren’t physically able to take pictures, ask someone with you or a helpful witness to assist you. Document the scene, your bike damage and damage to the car, street signs, and lane markings. Get pics of any injuries that are visible and any damage to clothing. If you have a helmet on, make sure your photos show that.
- Check for security cameras nearby. Businesses or homes might have captured how your accident occurred.
- Obtain contact information from witnesses so your Long Beach Bicycle Accident Attorney can reach out to them for testimony later.
- Exchange information with everyone involved but don’t make any statements about the fault in the accident or how bad your injuries are. Insurance adjusters can use these statements against you later.
- Schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. Follow the doctor’s orders and see specialists if needed. Keep all invoices for your care.
- Keep any damaged clothing and personal items, including your damaged bicycle. Preserve all evidence.
What Kind of Compensation Can Injured Long Beach Cyclists Earn?
After suffering broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, or even damage to internal organs, victims will need to maximize any insurance settlement they receive. This not only ensures that current emergency room and hospital bills are paid, but a settlement should also provide enough support to cover medical care needed in the future.
This could include an injury relapse, additional surgeries, and additional physical therapy needed. A settlement check should factor in all of these concerns and the possibility that a much longer care plan is required.
These are just some of the hardships that your Long Beach bicycle accident lawyer will make sure are clearly listed when you file your insurance claim:
- Past and future medical care expenses.
- Physical therapy and the costs of required medical equipment.
- Estimates on expenses for any permanent disfigurement or disability resulting from your cycling accident. These estimates have to consider medical care, home care, and the inability to work over a lifetime.
- Pain and suffering. This pain you endure in a crash and during recovery. Emotional trauma suffered in recovery and the anxiety and depression caused by the changes in your lifestyle. The inability to participate in family activities and perhaps being off a bike for months or a year should earn additional compensation.
- Past and future lost paychecks while you are unable to perform your job duties.
- Personal property and bike replacement.
Do I Need a Long Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
If your injuries only involve a few minor scrapes and cuts, you may not need the help of a personal injury lawyer. But in cases involving serious injuries, you will need a bicycle accident lawyer to make sure you receive every benefit available to you and your family during recovery.
But when insurance adjusters realize you don’t have legal representation, they will use their well-rehearsed tactics to try to limit the support you receive. They can delay responding to your injury claim to allow you to experience some desperation as your bills pile up and you miss more time at work. Then they extend a “lowball” offer that may not cover even half of the true cost of your physical and financial recovery.
Once you sign off on an unfair settlement you can never return to the insurance company to ask for more in support. It’s your attorney’s job to alert you when to reject these unfair settlement offers and demand more. Your lawyer also builds a strong case backed by evidence in the event an insurance adjuster attempts to blame you for an accident that wasn’t your fault.
Other Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to wear a bicycle helmet in Long Beach?
If you are 18 or older, you aren’t required to wear a bicycle helmet in Long Beach. Teens and children under 18 are required to wear one. Helmets are highly recommended for the safety of all riders.
Can you still earn compensation for bicycle accident injuries if you weren’t wearing a helmet?
Yes. It may be ruled that your injuries would have been less severe if you’d worn a helmet. But your share of blame in a crash would likely be much less than the drivers. The driver would still owe you a percentage of support.
What kind of support can the family of the victim of a fatal bike accident ask for?
Benefits for families who have lost a loved one in a cycling accident can include help with funeral costs and leftover medical fees. Close relatives should receive support for the income the deceased will no longer provide in the future.
Contact a Long Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one are hurt in a Long Beach bicycle accident, speak with a local cycling accident attorney about your options. Insurance companies aren’t required to alert you of your rights and of the benefits available to victims. Taking advantage of a free consultation is the best way to ensure that you don’t forfeit valuable compensation as you look for ways to pay for your recovery.
If you end up hiring us to maximize your potential Long Beach bicycle accident settlement, you won’t need to worry about paying us up front. We only get paid if we earn a settlement for you and your family.
Martin Gasparian founded Maison Law to provide accident victims with the best chance of securing the support they need to recover. Mr. Gasparian fights for a cyclist’s right to the lanes and aggressively goes after insurance companies who like to keep injured riders waiting on support.
