San Diego Bicycle Accident Attorney

If you or your loved one has suffered from a bicycle accident, call The Law Office of Elliott Kanter at 619-231-1883 today.

With sunny weather year-round and stunning scenery with a choice of beach, mountain, and desert rides, San Diego is a great place to ride a bike. But if you’re involved in an accident with an automobile, the results can be severe. A bicyclist may suffer from a brain or spinal cord injury as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle.

The Law Office of Elliott Kanter can help get you the compensation you deserve after a crash. Insurance defense lawyers will do everything to prove that you, the victim, are the ones at fault. You need to call an experienced bicycle accident lawyer at our law firm right away. The longer you wait to contact a personal injury attorney, the harder it is to prove your case and protect your rights.

What are the Most Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in San Diego?

The cause of collisions can be attributed to many reasons. Maybe a car or motorcycle passed a bicycle illegally. Maybe unsafe guardrails, poorly maintained road surfaces or a faulty traffic signal contributed to the accident.

Who is Responsible for Bicycle Accidents?

Share the road. That’s something that bicycle advocacy groups preach all the time. But many drivers don’t understand the rules of the road involving a bicycle. So when a 3,600-pound car runs into a 30-pound bicycle, the results can be catastrophic. Some motorists tailgate bicycles, pass bicycles at dangerous speeds or don’t give them enough room. When a motorist violates safe driving laws, they can be held responsible.

Cyclist Responsibilities

As a cyclist, you are expected to follow safety regulations. You should always use hand signals to let while riding in the street to let drivers know you are turning left or right. Cyclists should always ride carefully and be sure to wear the proper safety equipment, including a helmet. If you are carrying a passenger or a child, they should be wearing helmets as well.  While safety equipment can’t completely protect a bicyclist should an accident occur, it can make the difference between life and death for you and your loved ones.

What to do if You are in a Bike Accident

If you are involved in a bicycle accident, you may initially be in shock, and it may take a few minutes to calm down and pull yourself together–this is normal. But, it’s important you remember what you need to do after a bicycle accident so you can protect yourself if you need to file a personal injury claim.

Your first priority after being in a bicycle accident should be to seek medical attention if you are injured or if the other party is injured and cannot call for medical attention. If you do not believe your injuries are serious enough to warrant medical attention, stay on the scene of the accident. But, if you do end up seeking medical attention, be sure to keep all of the documentation related to your treatment. This will be very useful if you do have to file a personal injury claim against the negligent party. Also, make sure you follow the doctor’s orders carefully. If the doctor tells you to return for a follow-up visit or take certain medications, it is essential that you do so. If you don’t follow the doctor’s orders, the at-fault party can argue your injuries are not as serious as you are claiming.

While on the scene of the accident, call for a law enforcement officer to come to the scene and take a police report. This will ensure there is an official legal document that states exactly what happened and who was at fault. Even though a police officer is filing a report, you should still try to gather evidence on your own to support your case. Use your cell phone to take pictures of the scene of the accident. Try to capture any property damage to your bicycle, the vehicle or your surroundings. If there are any traffic signs or signals in the area, take a picture of these as well so you can set the scene later on in your case. If you have suffered any injuries, document these with photos as well. It may help to take pictures for the next few days or weeks, depending on the severity of your injuries, to show how you have healed.

Next, exchange contact information with both the other party involved in the accident and any witnesses that may have seen it happen. Although you will have to ask these people for their contact information, try to keep conversation to a bare minimum. You do not want to engage in conversation about the accident until you have spoken with an attorney, otherwise, your words may be twisted around and someone may claim you took responsibility for the accident. It may help to ask the witnesses for a brief description of what they saw. After all, their memories may become fuzzy after a few days or even weeks have passed, so if you ask them for a statement now, you will get a more reliable story.

Negotiating with Insurance Companies After a Bicycle Accident

Finally, be sure to call an experienced San Diego bike accident lawyer. While a skilled attorney can’t make your injuries go away, they can provide you with legal resources that will help you recover damages for:

• Your current and future medical expenses
• Your lost wages
• Your pain and suffering

The at-fault party’s insurance company may try to settle with you quickly if you have been injured. Do not speak to their insurance company until you have talked to a lawyer. Insurance companies are not interested in protecting your rights and making sure you are taken care of, they are concerned with increasing their bottom line. Bicyclists should not accept any compensation settlement or sign any paperwork without a lawyer present to defend their rights.

If you have been injured in a bike accident, contact San Diego bicycle accident lawyer Elliott N. Kanter as soon as possible. Call today or visit our website to fill out a contact form to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options.

Seek Counsel from a San Diego Bicycle Accident Attorney Today

Our bicycle accident attorneys have decades of experience representing clients in personal injury cases. Some of our firm’s practice areas include auto accidents, bicycle accidents, motorcycle accidents, truck accidents, dog bites, wrongful death, defective products, pedestrian accidents, slip and fall accidents, and other accidents caused by negligence. Bicycle riders have suffered enough if they’ve been involved in an accident with a driver. Recovery can be long and challenging. Don’t suffer alone–tell us your story, what happened, and we’ll get started recovering compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, and more together.

Call us today at 619-231-1883 to receive a free consultation from one of our experienced San Diego bicycle accident attorneys.