Yes, California vehicle codes don’t require adult cyclists to wear bicycle helmets. If you are struck by a motorist and you don’t have a helmet on, you can still file an accident claim and seek full support for your injuries. Don’t let an insurance company blame you for an injury caused by their negligent driver.
If you were hit by a vehicle while riding a bike in San Luis Obispo, contact us today for a free, confidential consultation. We are cyclists ourselves and during your consultation, we’ll provide you with your best legal options.
Do I Need a Lawyer After Getting Struck While on a Bicycle Without a Helmet?
If you are seriously hurt in a bicycle accident caused by a careless driver, you should talk to a skilled San Luis Obispo Bicycle Accident Lawyer. When medical bills go further than one trip to an emergency room, an at-fault driver’s car insurance provider will try even harder to avoid having to accept responsibility.
Insurance adjusters may attempt to blame you for what happened or downplay your injuries. If you weren’t wearing a helmet when you were hit, they may falsely claim that your injuries are your own fault.
Your lawyer is your safeguard against these shady tactics. Your lawyer fully investigates what happened and backs your injury claim with solid evidence. Then your lawyer makes sure you the reckless driver can’t wiggle out of liability. You must earn the most in compensation possible, regardless of whether you were wearing a helmet or not.
Do I Forfeit My Right to Seek Injury Support in a Collision if I’m Not Wearing a Bicycle Helmet?
No. You can still file an injury claim and demand compensation from a careless driver if you are struck while on a bike. In California, reckless motorists aren’t excused for their actions just because a victim wasn’t wearing a bicycle helmet.
If a driver’s mistake causes you to suffer injury, you are empowered to seek help in paying your medical bills and other damages. Your non-economic damages, such as the pain you endure and the emotional hardships you are put through are also the at-fault driver’s responsibility.
A car insurance adjuster may attempt to argue that your injuries wouldn’t have been as severe if you’d had a helmet on. This would be a tactic used to try to lessen the amount of support the insurer would provide to you.
However, your Maison Law Bicycle Accident Lawyer would fully investigate your case and use the evidence to keep the finger of blame firmly on the driver. Your attorney would seek the maximum in compensation available for your recovery and make sure you had the support to cover any medical care needed in the future.
Should I Wear a Bicycle Helmet?
While California Vehicle Code 21212 states that riders 18 and older don’t have to wear helmets, these safety devices are the best way to prevent major injuries in a bicycle accident.
Cyclists ride with very little protection when compared to car occupants. Some thin clothing may be all that protects their skin and limbs. A helmet is one easy way to protect the most vulnerable parts of the body, the head and brain. The U.S. DOT reports that bicycle helmets have proven around 85% effective at preventing head and brain injuries in crash victims.
Even though drivers are still liable for providing injury support to bicycle accident victims without helmets on, riders should take their safety into their own hands. If you wear a helmet you have a reduced chance of suffering a permanent injury or a life-threatening injury in a collision.
Compensation For Bicycle Accident Victims
Your bike accident attorney fights back when insurance companies try to downplay the seriousness of your injury or try to blame you for what happened.
Your lawyer is also an extra layer of security when checking over the settlement offers insurance companies make. Your lawyer makes sure you don’t accidentally sign away your rights for a “lowball” settlement. These inadequate settlements aren’t enough to cover all of your recovery costs and could leave you and your family to pay for some expenses out of pocket. That’s unacceptable.
Your lawyer demands compensation for every hardship you’ve endured, including support for some factors you may not have known could earn you more:
- Past and future medical bills.
- Past and future lost earnings.
- Any permanent disfigurement.
- Any permanent disability.
- Travel costs to doctor’s appointments.
- Pain and suffering.
- Emotional trauma.
- Repairs to Bicycle or Replacement.
Contact a Lawyer Serving San Luis Obispo Bicycle Accident Victims
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in a bike collision caused by a careless driver, discuss your case with a skilled San Luis Obispo Bicycle Accident Lawyer as soon as possible. Bicycle collision victims should never be left to face the costs of recovery alone, no matter if they were wearing a helmet or not.
Contact Maison Law to make sure you are clear on the rights you have as a victim and the benefits that are available to you and your family. We offer a free, no-obligation case evaluation to all bicycle accident victims and their families. We want to make sure victims get the support they need to recover and get back on their bikes again.
If you feel we can help you earn more for your injury, you won’t need any upfront money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement check an insurance company provides.
