A devastating California bicycle accident caused by a motorist can put riders at risk of devastating chest injuries. Many victims end up with broken collarbones and spend several months in pain and with limited mobility in their upper bodies.
Bicycle crash victims may spend weeks out of work and off their bikes. A California bicycle accident lawyer safeguards cyclists as they heal. A cyclist can focus on recovery while a skilled lawyer works to get the most in compensation for the victim.
Contact a California Bicycle Accident Collarbone Fracture Attorney for a Free Consultation
When a driver’s carelessness is responsible for your collarbone injury, you’ll have one chance to secure the compensation you’ll need now and possibly in the future. You are encouraged to file a bicycle accident claim against the at-fault motorist’s insurance company.
Your lawyer collects evidence and files this claim for you. Your lawyer also protects you during settlement negotiations to make sure you and your family receive everything required to pay hospital and physical therapy bills.
To discuss how much your bicycle injury is worth and how to hold a car insurance company liable, schedule a free consultation with a California Bicycle Accident Traumatic Injury Lawyer. There’s no obligation for your free case review.
California Bicycle Accident Collarbone Injury Hazards
Cyclists don’t have to ride long to have some close calls with careless drivers. Motorists can forget to check a mirror and can run the bicyclist in the next lane off the road. They can veer into a bike lane while trying to make a right turn and forget to check for a cyclist.
When these mistakes lead to injuries, cyclists commonly end up breaking their collarbones, also known as clavicles. These are the two bones that connect the breastbone (sternum) with the shoulders on either side.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOC) describes how bicyclists can break their collarbones when they are sent off their bikes. They extend their arms to slow their fall only to put too much pressure on the clavicle bones. The impact of a shoulder on the pavement can also carry enough force to break a collarbone.
Prognosis for Bicyclists with Broken Collarbones
Patients will be rushed to a California emergency room to have their fracture or suspected fracture subjected to an X-Ray. Patients with a normal break, usually in the middle of the collarbone, will often be put in a sling and sent home. It might take patients three months to regain a full range of motion in their shoulders and chest. But cyclists can also lose strength in the upper chest and need to restore their muscles before riding again.
The care for a normal collarbone injury might cost $1,000 or less. The price will vary widely depending on the hospital providing the care.
Complications only increase the physical risks and the financial obligations patients will find themselves under. If a collarbone breaks into several pieces or a piece of bone is moved far out of line, surgery will be necessary.
Screws and metal pins are often used to secure the bone in place so it can heal. A clavicle injury requiring surgery could cost families $12,000 or more.
A California Bicycle Accident Lawyer asks for support for clients for their current hardships, but they also factor in the difficulties that may arise down the road. Additional surgeries could be needed and pain may return for riders. A California bicycle accident settlement needs to include money for medical care expected to be necessary in the future.
What Kind of Things Earn Compensation in a Bicycle Accident Broken Collarbone Settlement?
The financial costs for a broken collarbone can be enormous, but the physical and emotional toll can also be considerable. When riders are forced from their bikes for weeks or months, their wellbeing can be affected. Victims often used to active lifestyles are asked to remain stationary as they heal.
A claim for damages filed against at-fault drivers would ask for all medical expenses to be fully covered along with some of these non-economic hardships:
- All costs for medical care, medical equipment, and physical therapy.
- Future medical costs associated with a permanent physical disability or long-term injury.
- Compensation for the physical pain endured. This should include support for chronic pain and the development of arthritis for bicycle accident victims.
- Compensation for the emotional anguish bicyclists have suffered. This can include the anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms experienced in recovery.
- Earnings and benefits victims have lost from missing work. The loss of the ability to support your family if you are out of work for months or years.
- Money for a new bike and equipment.
- Money for transportation back and forth from doctor and surgeon visits.
Contact a California Bicycle Accident Broken Collar Bone Injury Lawyer
Collarbone injury victims and their families have up to two years to file an accident claim. However, it’s critical to bring your injury case to a California Bicycle Traumatic Injury Attorney as soon as you can. The longer you wait the more difficult it gets to track down evidence and locate witnesses.
Contact Maison Law of California for a free, no-obligation consultation. It’s a no-risk way to find out what your bicycle accident injury is worth and what you should demand from an insurance company. Don’t depend on an insurance adjuster to tell you about every benefit available to you and your family.
If you decide we can help you earn more for your bicycle accident clavicle fracture, you won’t need to have any money now. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you, and then our fee comes out of the settlement you receive.
