Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Few experiences are more pleasant than riding a bicycle around the Newport Beach waterfront area on a sunny day. It goes without saying, however, that bicycle riding on area roadways comes with certain risks, including the risk of becoming involved in a traffic accident. Bicycle accidents can happen anywhere motor vehicles are present, including near traffic intersections on main roads (even those with bicycle lanes), on the open road, and in parking lots and garages.
Unlike motor vehicle occupants, bicyclists do not have the benefit of an outer covering that protects them during an accident. Instead, they experience direct exposure to their surrounding environment, often causing them to strike the ground and suffer severe injuries if another vehicle hits their bicycle.
Even cyclists who wear sturdy helmets and other protective gear may suffer debilitating injuries in a crash. When a significant amount of force is involved, a helmet may crack, and a bicyclist can still suffer a severe head injury, like a concussion.
Many bicycle accidents happen because of driver negligence, while others occur because of defective roadway conditions. If you suffered injuries in a recent bicycle accident, you should talk to a personal injury lawyer right away who can explain your legal rights and review your options with you.
The experienced Newport Beach bicycle accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP have significant experience successfully resolving and litigating bicycle accident cases in the California Court System.
Our legal team has recovered millions of dollars on behalf of our clients from favorable out-of-court settlements, jury verdicts, and binding arbitration awards. We can review the circumstances of your bicycle accident with you and determine if you can file a personal injury claim for monetary compensation. If so, we can help you negotiate that claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company.
If the insurance company refuses to offer you the fair monetary damages you need for your bicycle accident injuries, we can file a lawsuit on your behalf in the state court system and litigate your case to a prompt, efficient, and favorable resolution.
Our legal team handles primarily catastrophic injury cases, which makes us ready to take on complex and high-value claims. Other injury firms that do not have adequate resources often refer challenging injury matters to our firm, as they trust our ability to succeed.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Newport Beach bicycle accident attorney, please call us or contact us online to learn more.
Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Injuries
When a cyclist falls off their bike and onto the ground during an accident, they are very likely to suffer debilitating, permanent, and sometimes deadly injuries. Since every bicycle crash is different, not all bicyclists will suffer the same types of injuries.
Factors that may affect the injuries a cyclist suffers include:
- The size of the vehicle that hit the bicycle
- The respective speeds of the vehicles
- The amount of force involved in the collision
- Whether the bicyclist fell off their bike and struck the ground
- The body part or parts that the bicyclist struck on the ground
- The amount of force with which the bicyclist hit the ground
- Whether the bicyclist was wearing a helmet and other protective gear at the time of the crash
Cyclists regularly suffer multiple injuries in a single crash, as there might be multiple points of trauma. They might hit the vehicle, the ground, or any objects nearby.
Some of the most common injuries that bicyclists suffer in accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Facial fractures
- Jaw fractures
- Dental damage
- Road rash and burns
- Deep cuts and abrasions
- Crush injuries
- Broken bones and compound fractures
- Internal bleeding
- Internal organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Death
All of these injuries require prompt medical treatment at a hospital emergency room as quickly as possible after a bicycle accident. Taking that step helps ensure that your injuries begin recovering speedily and do not worsen. Moreover, seeking immediate medical treatment shows the at-fault driver’s insurance company that you sustained severe injuries—and that you are taking your medical care seriously. This may help to increase the total value of your personal injury claim or lawsuit later on.
While you focus on fully recovering from your bicycle accident injuries, the knowledgeable Newport Beach bicycle accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP can start advocating for your legal interests. Specifically, our team can obtain copies of the police report, witness statements, property damage photographs, injury photographs, camera footage (if any), medical records, medical bills, and lost income documentation from the appropriate parties. We can then begin assembling a settlement demand package that we will use to help negotiate a fair settlement in your case.
Potential Monetary Damages in Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Cases
Just as different bicycle accident victims may suffer various injuries in a crash, bicyclists may recover different types and amounts of monetary compensation, depending upon their individual circumstances.
Numerous factors will influence the financial recovery that an accident victim obtains, including:
- The specific events leading up to the bicycle accident
- The particular injuries the bicyclist suffered in their accident
- Whether the accident victim suffered permanent injuries
- Whether the accident victim had to miss time from work after their accident
- The cost of the accident victim’s medical bills and whether or not they may require additional procedures or treatment
- The accident victim’s past and anticipated pain and suffering levels
The skilled Newport Beach bicycle accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP will do everything possible to highlight the most substantial aspects of your personal injury claim in pursuit of the highest monetary recovery available.
First and foremost, injured bicycle accident victims can recover monetary compensation for their related medical bills. Following a bicycle crash, an accident victim may need to undergo one or more surgeries, attend physical therapy sessions, go to the hospital, or seek ongoing medical care of one type or another. Those treatment bills can mount up quickly, especially if an accident victim does not have medical insurance readily available.
For a bicycle crash victim to recover monetary damages for their related medical care, a medical provider will need to establish, to a reasonable degree of medical probability, that the claimed injuries and treatment directly resulted from the accident. A healthcare provider might also demonstrate that the bicycle accident victim suffered one or more permanent injuries in the crash.
If a medical provider determines that a bike accident victim may need to undergo a procedure in the future, those anticipated medical costs may become a part of the accident victim’s total damage award.
Next, if the accident victim had to miss time from work due to their injuries and medical appointments, they may be eligible to recover lost income damages. To prove entitlement to lost income, a bicycle accident victim must normally introduce documentation from their employer showing the total number of work days/hours they missed, as well as the total compensation amount they lost.
Some bicycle accident victims suffer permanent injuries that affect their ability to lift or move heavy objects. If an accident victim has to switch to light-duty work or is otherwise incapable of performing their former job duties—and they have to switch to a lower-paying job—they may be eligible to pursue a claim for loss of earning capacity.
In addition to these out-of-pocket losses, bicycle accident victims can recover various types of non-economic damages for everything they endured after their accident.
Non-economic damages often consist of monetary compensation for their:
- Physical pain and suffering (both past and future)
- Mental anguish
- Loss of the ability to use a body part (such as from a paralysis injury or spinal cord injury)
- Permanent disfigurement or impairment
- Loss of life enjoyment
- Inconvenience
- Loss of spousal companionship and consortium
Our legal team will help you maximize the monetary recovery you receive by aggressively advocating for your legal interests during all settlement negotiations—or at your civil jury trial or binding arbitration hearing.
What Are Some Common Causes of Bicycle Crashes in Newport Beach?
Bicycle crashes in Newport Beach typically result from driver negligence. When a driver violates traffic laws, such as by speeding or driving while intoxicated, they significantly increase their chances of causing an accident with a cyclist.
One cause of bicycle accidents is California traffic law violations. Common traffic violations that lead to bicycle crashes include failing to use turn signals, tailgating cyclists, speeding, and failing to yield the right-of-way to cyclists when drivers are supposed to do so.
At other times, bicycle accidents occur when drivers exhibit road rage and other aggressive driving maneuvers. A driver might be in a hurry to get ahead in busy traffic conditions, and they resort to tailgating, weaving in and out of heavy traffic, or cutting a cyclist off in traffic. Unfortunately, these reckless maneuvers might cause a driver to negligently hit a cyclist in the process.
Next, some bicycle accidents are dooring accidents. These accidents happen when a parked driver inadvertently opens their car door into the path of an oncoming cyclist. In many instances, the cyclist is lawfully operating their bicycle in a designated bicycle lane. The force of the dooring collision may knock a cyclist off their bike and onto the ground, causing them to suffer severe injuries. These collisions are prevalent in beachfront parking areas since many car drivers are in vacation mode at that time.
Moreover, some bicycle crashes result from distracted driving. A driver becomes distracted when they pay attention to something in their vehicle instead of watching the road attentively. For example, a distracted driver might program a GPS navigation system, talk on a cellular phone without using Bluetooth, or roughhouse with vehicle passengers. When a driver focuses on something in their vehicle instead of the road, they might fail to see a cyclist in front of them or in an adjacent travel lane, negligently causing a collision.
Finally, some bicycle accidents happen when drivers are under the illegal influence of alcohol or drugs. A passenger vehicle driver is legally intoxicated if they have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) level that measures at least 0.08 percent. The legal cutoff for commercial vehicle drivers, on the other hand, is 0.04 percent, while minor drivers must not have a BAC of 0.01 percent or higher.
Drunk driving is hazardous because these drivers have limited faculties. For example, an intoxicated driver might experience delayed reaction time, delayed reflexes, and limited concentration. They may also suffer from blurred vision, dizziness, or nausea while driving. All of these negative consequences may cause a drunk driver to hit a cyclist and bring about serious injuries.
If you or someone you love sustained injuries in a bicycle crash resulting from another driver’s negligence, our trusted Newport Beach bicycle accident attorneys at Bentley & More LLP are here to help. Our legal team can promptly evaluate your claim, gather the necessary documents, and present your claim to the insurance company on your behalf.
Contact a Newport Beach Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
Greg Bentley & Keith More, Bicycle Accident Lawyers
If you or a person you care about recently sustained injuries in a bicycle accident, time is of the essence in your case. In California, bicycle accident victims, absent exceptional circumstances, only have two years from their accident date to seek monetary compensation for their injuries and other losses.
Filing a lawsuit even one day after the deadline expires prevents a bike accident victim from recovering any monetary damages for their injuries. Therefore, you should not delay when it comes to finding legal representation after your Newport Beach bicycle accident. Reach out to a Newport Beach personal injury lawyer.
At Bentley & More LLP, our legal team is ready to help you recover the monetary damages you deserve for your injuries. We can assist you during settlement negotiations and, if necessary, aggressively litigate your case in the court system. If your case must go to a civil jury trial or binding arbitration hearing, we can attend those proceedings and introduce helpful evidence on your behalf. Our goal is to help you achieve the highest monetary award available in your case.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a Newport Beach bicycle accident lawyer, please call us at (949) 870-3800 or contact us online.
Client Testimonial
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bentley & More for the past 5-6 years. Their drive and compassion to earn great results for their clients is obvious to everyone who works with them.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with the firm to help serve their clients.” – Nicole S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read more of our Google reviews.
Bentley & More LLP – Newport Beach Office
4931 Birch Street
Newport Beach, CA 92660
Phone: (949) 870-3800