Los Angeles cyclists can hop on Venice Boulevard to reach downtown destinations or to find a relaxing view of the coastline. Riders may pedal to get to work or pedal to feel that burn in the leg muscles on an exercise run.
The long east/west route takes riders from Venice Beach, through Culver City and along Freeway 10, ending up just south of the Fashion District. The route features several miles of bike lanes and protected lanes, but drivers can still become reckless and put riders at risk of a terrible collision at any point.
Negligent drivers too often knock cyclists from their bikes and leave them with serious injuries. The focus must then be on obtaining the best medical care for victims and making sure they are never left to face their bicycle accident recovery bills.
A Free Consultation for Venice Boulevard Bicycle Accident Victims
If you or a loved one are hurt by the actions of a careless driver along Venice Boulevard, don’t trust an insurance company to automatically provide the support you need. Insurance adjusters won’t tell you about every benefit available to you and your family after a serious bicycle accident.
Talk over your case with a skilled Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Lawyer at Maison Law in a free consultation. It’s a critical step in determining what you’ll need to rebuild your life and get back on your bike again. And if you decide Maison Law can help you get the most out of your bicycle accident claim, you won’t need any money upfront. We don’t get paid unless we win your case and earn compensation for you.
Bicycle Accident Dangers on Venice Boulevard
Venice Boulevard is one of the few streets in Los Angeles to feature protected bike lanes. It’s a stretch around a mile-long in Mar Vista extending from Inglewood Boulevard to Beethoven Street. Protected bike lanes are set apart by plastic pylons or parking spaces. The protected lanes alternate along the east and westbound lanes. On the sides without protected lanes, riders will find regular bike lanes or separated bike lanes offered.
Separated bike lanes are like normal bike lanes, marked off with painted lines only. However, separated lanes have extra space lined off to hopefully keep drivers further away from cyclists. Traditional bike lanes extend to Arlington Avenue, but then for the rest of the trip into downtown Los Angeles, riders are forced to share the lanes with motorists.
These added precautions are helpful where they exist but relying on Los Angeles drivers to monitor lane boundaries and respect the cyclist’s right to the road is always iffy. Motorists can cut over bike lanes to make a right turn without checking mirrors and blind spots. They may accelerate into left turns after checking for cars, but not looking long enough to spot bicycles approaching. Parked motorists can swing a door open across a bike lane to cause a devastating impact.
Common Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Injuries
Other than pedestrians, cyclists are the least protected people using Los Angeles streets. Even wearing a helmet is no guarantee of avoiding a traumatic injury in a bicycle crash. But make no mistake, wearing a helmet is a powerful defense in a crash involving a 6-thousand-pound SUV.
Emergency rooms see a common line-up of frightening injuries when Venice Boulevard bicycle accident victims arrive. These are just a few of the most common diagnoses for collision victims:
- Head and Brain Injury – Skulls can fracture, especially when riders aren’t wearing a helmet. This can send pieces of bone into the brain. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is also a possibility after taking a blow to the head against the metal of a car body or the pavement.
- 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.
Getting the Most Out of Your Venice Boulevard Bicycle Accident Injury Claim
After becoming the victim of a Los Angeles bicycle crash caused by a careless driver, you’ll want to retain as much evidence as possible from the scene. But first, call for an ambulance and the LAPD.
Then if you are feeling up to it, take photos of the scene and get contact information from witnesses. This evidence can be the very thing that forces an insurance company to give up its efforts to avoid taking responsibility.
You’ll also work with your Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Attorney to submit a full list of every damage you suffer and every bill you receive. Anything left off this list when you file a bicycle injury claim won’t earn compensation.
These hardships and others should factor into any insurance settlement offer you receive:
- Totals for your medical bills now and estimates on any potential medical care expected to be needed in the months ahead.
- The estimated cost of care and trauma experienced over a permanent disfigurement suffered as a result of a bicycle collision.
- The estimated cost of a permanent disability over a lifetime.
- Pain and suffering. This includes the emotional trauma a cyclist will be put through. Victims may battle severe anxiety about getting back on a bike again. Victims might also face depression, especially if they can’t enjoy bike rides like they used to.
- Past and future lost paychecks and benefits while you are unable to work.
- Repairs to bicycle or replacement.
- Wrongful death benefits for families who lose a loved one to a careless driver’s mistake that leads to a bike accident. This can include economic help for funeral costs and money to replace the steady income the deceased can no longer provide.
Contact a Venice Boulevard Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Contact Maison Law of Los Angeles for a free, no-obligation consultation after a serious bicycle accident on Venice Boulevard. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your bicycle accident injury is worth and what you should be holding an insurance company to. Don’t depend on an insurance adjuster to tell you about your rights and every benefit available to you and your family.
Maison Law is a strong advocate for ride safety for all cyclists. We are also proud sponsors of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. We strive to see injured cyclists get the support they need to get back on their bikes and also recover financially.
