WHAT KINDS OF DAMAGES AM I ENTITLED TO?
If another person can be held liable for your injuries, you may be able to pursue a claim for damages. Your damages will include any accident-related losses. The losses can be either economic (out-of-pocket and easily calculated) or non-economic (such as pain and suffering).
Damages you may receive after a bicycle accident:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Loss of future earnings
- Future medical care and treatment
- Pain and suffering
To determine the exact value of your claim or how much you should ask for in damages, you need to consult with a Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney.
HOW LONG DO I HAVE TO FILE A BICYCLE ACCIDENT?
With all personal injury cases, you only have a limited amount of time to file a claim for damages. California law requires that you file a case within two years of the bicycle accident. Failure to file a claim within the statute of limitations may result in your claim being denied.
WHAT IF I WAS PARTIALLY TO BLAME FOR THE ACCIDENT?
Even if you were partially responsible for the accident, you may still be able to collect compensation after a bicycle accident. Under state law, an injured party is still entitled to damages if they were partially at fault. Their recovery, however, is reduced in proportion to their percentage of negligence.
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON INJURIES AFTER A BICYCLE ACCIDENT?
Because bicyclists have little protection, accidents generally result in severe injuries. It is important to get treated by a medical professional immediately after an accident since some injuries may not be readily apparent after a crash.
Common injuries after a bicycle accident include:
If you are involved in a bicycle accident in Los Angeles, your best course of action is to speak to an attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can help ensure that you receive the largest possible recovery based on your case.
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in Los Angeles
In the immediate aftermath of a serious bicycle wreck, there are several things you can do to protect yourself physically, legally, and financially in the months and years to come. First and foremost, going to a hospital emergency room or urgent care clinic for immediate professional medical care should be your number-one priority as soon as you can safely leave the scene of your crash. On top of ensuring your injuries are diagnosed and properly treated, seeking medical attention will also produce court-admissible documentation of your injuries in the form of reports and records kept by your treating physician.
If possible, you should also try to get contact and insurance information from every other person involved in your accident before leaving the scene, including people whose personal property was damaged while they themselves were not present. If you need emergency medical treatment for a serious injury and have to leave the scene of your bike crash right away in an ambulance, our Los Angeles attorneys can help you track down these details later on.
Finally, it can be helpful to take some preliminary evidence-gathering steps as soon as possible after a bike crash. This does not need to be anything complicated or in-depth; just taking some photos of the accident scene and preserving the clothes you were wearing at the time of your accident can be enough to counter certain arguments that the person at fault for your injuries may try to make as a means of minimizing their financial liability.
Evidence Collection and Insurance Tips
When it comes to collecting evidence to use later as support for a bicycle accident lawsuit, original is always best, but official copies can suffice in a pinch. For example, if you want to seek restitution for a specific medical bill related to a bike crash injury but cannot find the original paper invoice you received from your hospital’s billing department, you should be able to contact that billing department and get an official copy from them of your invoice, or otherwise get some kind of statement from them affirming that you did in fact receive the treatment you claim to have.
Primary-source evidence along these lines can also be crucial to negotiating effectively with insurance adjusters, many of whom are skilled at asking leading questions and getting you to inadvertently imply that you are not hurt as badly as you claim or that you are partly to blame for causing the accident in the first place. You should be wary about accepting a quick settlement offer made to you by an insurance company without first reviewing it with legal counsel. Early offers like this often may not provide enough compensation to make up for all your long-term losses.
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