Santa Monica Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Santa Monica has a lot to see and do and the city wants to make it as easy as possible for tourists and locals to reach every destination safely. The city particularly wants visitors and residents to feel comfortable embarking on bike tours, rides for exercise, and bike commutes to work.

Santa Monica offers vehicle-free routes like the Expo Bike Path. They’ve also installed protected bike lanes along busy stretches like Colorado Esplanade. Due to these and other safety features for cyclists, Santa Monica ranks high as a destination for riders. Yet, even the strongest barriers aren’t enough to protect bicyclists from every reckless move by drivers.

One careless lane change or right turn in a bike lane can leave a cyclist badly hurt and in the hospital for weeks. When these devastating Santa Monica bike collisions occur, it’s critical that victims earn the support they need to rebound physically and financially.

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Santa Monica Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a bicycle accident in Santa Monica, don’t allow a car insurance company to decide what you’ll need in support. Insurance adjusters work for the benefit of their companies, and they’ll provide you with far less than you need in recovery if you let them.

Contact Maison Law for a free case evaluation for victims and their families. It’s a no-risk way to speak with an experienced Santa Monica bicycle accident lawyer. You’ll learn what your bicycle injury is worth and how to avoid forfeiting compensation that should be provided to you and your family.

Santa Monica Bicycle Accident Dangers

Santa Monica features 19 miles of green bike lanes and over 100 miles of other types of bikeways. Many of the lanes are painted green to help grab the attention of drivers and keep them out of bike lanes. Protected bike lanes on Ocean Avenue and Broadway also give Santa Monica cyclists safe options. The expanded Marvin Braude Beach Bike Path is one route that leaves riders able to focus on pedaling and not on reckless drivers.

These features should be celebrated, but, unfortunately, there are still bike accident dangers lurking when cyclists must ride alongside cars, SUVs, and big rigs.

The California Transportation Injury Mapping System (TIMS) recorded 46 bicycle accidents involving injury in Santa Monica in 2021. Each accident meant a potential long stay in a hospital bed, physical therapy, and valuable time missed at work.

Each of these hardships must factor in a claim for damages filed against an at-fault driver’s car insurance policy. A Santa Monica Bicycle Accident Lawyer negotiates to maximize the settlement check an insurance company provides and rejects any offers that don’t cover every damage a bicycle injury victim faces.

What to Do After a Santa Monica Bicycle Accident

After a serious bicycle crash, you may be unable to move about until medical help arrives. However, if you are able, it’s a good time to gather some powerful evidence that likely won’t be available later.

There are some things you’ll want to set out to accomplish on the scene. There are also a few typical mistakes you’ll want to avoid making at the accident site and in the days that follow:

DO’S

• Dial 911. Alert paramedics to every pain you have. Tell Santa Monica Police everything you can remember about the circumstances leading up to the accident..
• Take out your cellphone and get pictures. Take photos your mangled bike and show the damage the collision did to the car’s windshield or body. Take photos of any visible injuries you have.
• Check around for any nearby homes or businesses that may have had doorbell cams or mounted security cameras up. Jot down the address on these places so your Santa Monica Bicycle Accident Lawyer can request the footage.
• Find out what witnesses observed and get their contact information.
• Get checked out by your physician as soon as possible. Tell your doctor what happened and make your doctor aware of any new pain. Follow our doctor’s orders.

DON’TS

• Swap information with the at-fault driver, but don’t comment on who was at fault or how badly you are hurt. Let the police and your doctors handle the details of what exactly occurred. If you make statements on the scene, these comments can be used to hurt your bicycle accident injury claim later.
• Don’t throw out the evidence. Store your damaged bike and don’t repair it. Keep ripped or bloody clothing from the scene. This is all key evidence to save until your Santa Monica bicycle accident attorney alerts you that you don’t need it anymore.
• Don’t wait to call a lawyer. You may have an injury that disappears in a day or two. But there’s no harm in talking to a Santa Monica Personal Injury Lawyer about what happened. You could be forfeiting thousands of dollars in compensation that you’ll need later when your injury returns and you find you can’t hop on your bike without pain. A skilled attorney negotiates to secure the most out of your injury claim so that you don’t have to dip into your own savings months down the road.

What Determines How Much Bicycle Accident Compensation I’ll Receive?

When you have a strong case prepared with the help of your skilled cycling accident attorney, you’ll submit a list of every hardship you and your family have endured.

This list will include some economic damages and some non-economic damages. Your Santa Monica Bike Accident Lawyer will fight to make sure everything on this list earns fair compensation. But beware, anything left off this list won’t be the insurance company’s responsibility.

These factors and others will all play a role in how much you’ll see on a bicycle accident settlement check:

• Totals on medical bills you’ve received and estimates on the care you could continue to require.
• Totals on estimated costs associated with a permanent disability. The anticipated price of medical equipment, home renovation, and full compensation if you can’t work to support your family ever again.
• Pain and emotional suffering. These are non-economic damages, but they affect your life just as much as any physical injury. You may suffer from anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms after an accident and while living with a debilitating injury.
• Loss of enjoyment of life due to an injury.
• Loss of consortium (intimacy with a spouse.)
• Travel costs while making doctor visits and trips to see specialists. Shuttles and drivers while you are off your feet.
• Totals on the income and benefits forfeited while you’ve had to miss work.
• The cost of purchasing a new bike.
• Wrongful death benefits. Families will earn support to help pay for a memorial service and burial. The loss of weekly income the deceased can no longer provide the family should also be a big part of any settlement.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to submit my bicycle accident injury claim?

California extends the deadline to file an injury claim to two years from the date of the accident. You’ll want to act as quickly as possible though, to give your lawyer the best chance to gather evidence and keep track of witnesses.

Can I receive compensation if I was partially at fault for my Santa Monica bike accident?

Yes. California follows the concept of comparative negligence. It means a rider and a driver can share blame in an accident. Cyclists could secure injury support minus the percentage of blame they were assigned.

Should I talk to the car insurance representatives for the at-fault driver in my bike crash?

No. Basic details are okay but don’t provide a recorded statement when an insurance adjuster calls you. They’ll try to get you to say something they can twist to damage your claim later. Refer them to your bike accident lawyer.

Contact a Santa Monica Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Martin Gasparian, the founder of Maison Law, is a proud sponsor of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. Mr. Gasparian is a strong advocate for safe rides in every corner of Santa Monica.

When riders get hurt, Maison Law steps in to make sure they have what they need to pay for the best medical care available. Victims must also be provided everything they require to rebuild their lives and get back to enjoying bike rides again.

After a serious bicycle accident in Santa Monica, talk over your case with a skilled Bicycle Accident Lawyer in a free consultation. It’s a critical step in determining what your injury is worth and how to keep unhelpful car insurance companies from wriggling out of responsibility for your pain.