Bicycle riders face unique hazards when they ride near busy Orange County roadways. The drivers of passenger vehicles, buses, and commercial trucks commonly fail to notice cyclists when they are sharing a traffic lane or even while they are riding in a designated bike lane.

The most recent statistics for Orange County show that an average of one bike rider is killed every single month in a collision with a motor vehicle. In fact, deadly Orange County bike accidents have increased more than 50% over the last two years. Some of this can be attributed to more people choosing to ride bikes for health or environmental reasons or possibly the rising cost of both public and private transportation.

While drivers and passengers are protected by roll cages, airbags, seat belts, and thousands of pounds of metal, bicycle riders tend to rely on nothing more than a helmet as protection if they should be involved in an accident. With this in mind, it isn’t surprising to learn that, every year, roughly 500,000 emergency room patients and hundreds of fatalities are bicycle accident victims.

The law in California recognizes bicycles as vehicles. This means that riders are obligated to act the same as they would behind the wheel of a car. They are required to follow the rules of the road, such as coming to a full and complete stop at a red light and riding their bike with the flow of traffic.

Bicycle riders also enjoy the same rights as drivers. They are entitled to ride in a travel lane if there is no designated bike lane available. They are also permitted to ride two abreast in a single lane. Many drivers cause bicycle accidents by choosing to disregard cyclists’ rights by failing to give them enough room or attempting to pass a rider when it is not safe to do so. This disregard for rights often results in death or serious injuries for cyclists.

Recent statistics make it clear that California leads the United States in the total number of annual bicycle accidents and fatalities. Most of these accidents take place in metropolitan areas, where riders and motor vehicles often interact. Drivers hitting cyclists is the foremost cause of injuries and fatalities to bicycle riders statewide.

The majority of these cases involve a driver who did not look for a bike rider before pulling out, failed to yield the right of way, ran a traffic light or stop sign, or was not paying attention to their surroundings. Texting while behind the wheel, driving under the influence, and reckless driving are all frequent contributors to serious bicycle accident cases.

Sadly, drivers usually escape unharmed while riders endure catastrophic or even deadly injuries. As a bicycle rider in Orange County, it is essential to exercise caution and prudence when navigating the roadways. Never assume that a driver is going to yield the right of way or come to a stop for you. You should always practice defensive riding for your best chance of avoiding serious or fatal bicycle accidents.

Unfortunately, it isn’t always possible for a cyclist to avoid a bike accident when a driver is behaving recklessly or negligently. Following a collision, bicycle accident victims should not wait to speak to a bicycle accident attorney. Regardless of the nature and severity of your injuries, you deserve to have your questions adequately answered and at least learn if you are eligible for financial compensation from a qualified professional.

By no stretch of the imagination is riding a bike, a new method of getting ones self from Point A to Point B. The part that is new is its increasing popularity among people who are searching for a healthier or more eco-friendly mode of transportation. Throughout California, designated bike lanes are popping up, and bike-sharing platforms are suddenly en vogue, making it possible for would-be riders to rent a bike by the minute. With this rise in bicycle favor and accessibility has come a rise in accidents involving cyclists.

In an attempt to quell the problem, California has passed a succession of new laws that pertain to where cyclists are allowed to ride and how drivers should interact with them. These regulations dictate the responsibilities of both drivers and cyclists and are designed to protect riders in the event of an accident. These new regulations can be found under California’s Vehicle Code.

Section 21200 of the Code states that bicycle riders have the same responsibilities and rights as automobile drivers. This means that riders are subject to the same laws when it comes to yielding the right of way to pedestrians, driving while intoxicated, and obeying all traffic signs and signals as the driver of a car.

In terms of a driver’s interactions with a bicyclist on the road, there are some special rules that apply. Since 2014, the state has required all drivers to give bicycle riders no less than three feet of room when passing or driving alongside them. Additionally, no one is allowed to block a designated bike lane by coming to a stop or by parking their bicycle or motor vehicle in it.

Many bicycle accidents involve a hit-and-run driver. A hit-and-run accident occurs when a driver strikes another driver, a pedestrian, or a bicycle rider and then leaves the scene. Despite the fact that this is illegal, it happens on a daily basis due to the fact that drivers feel like if they flee the scene quickly enough, they won’t be caught and, therefore, won’t be held liable.

Not only do the police have a number of ways of locating a hit-and-run driver, even if you did not get their license plate, but a bicycle accident attorney can also help. Eyewitnesses like bystanders, other drivers, and pedestrians often notice useful little details. A local shopkeep could have outdoor security cameras that caught part or all of the accident. Surveillance footage from nearby areas or along the fleeing driver’s path might pick up their license plate and even capture an image of their face.

If you were injured in a bike crash due to a driver’s negligence, the law in California entitles you to file a suit against the driver in civil court to recover compensation for your injuries and other damages. This type of lawsuit is commonly referred to as a personal injury lawsuit.

Almost all personal injury suits stem from a claim of negligence. In a legal context, negligence occurs when a person fails to act with the same level of care and consideration that a rational person would have exhibited under the same or similar conditions.

If you are able to prove that the driver’s negligence was the proximate cause of your injuries and other damages, like time away from work, you could obtain a court order that instructs the driver and/or their insurance company to pay you an amount of money that appropriately compensates you for the personal and financial harm you have endured. An experienced bike accident attorney with an excellent understanding of the nuances of California civil law can guide you through the legal

As mentioned earlier, negligence is characterized as the failure to act with a level of care that a prudent person would have shown under the same or similar circumstances. If the driver who caused your bike accident and injuries was issued a citation or charged with a criminal offense associated with the accident, this will serve as important proof of negligence.

According to the legal theory of negligence per se, you are not required to show that the driver should have conducted themselves differently under the circumstances. This is because California courts consider any breach of a law that is designed to ensure the public’s safety, including traffic laws, as automatic negligence. This usually makes it much simpler for injured victims to prove fault for their damages.

Anytime a motor vehicle strikes a bicycle rider and results in serious injuries, it is usually assumed that the driver is to blame and the rider must be the innocent victim. This, however, is not always true, and in some cases, the cyclist could be the one who acted negligently and caused the crash. This is why a thorough investigation should always be performed and vital evidence should always be collected by an experienced bicycle accident lawyer to help support your claim that the driver was liable for the accident.

After determining that the driver was responsible for the accident, you might be confused as to the best way to seek financial compensation from them. Fortunately, cyclists are eligible to file a third-party claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company in much the same way that other drivers are eligible to file a claim after a collision involving two vehicles. Bicycle accident cases are, however, notoriously complicated. This is just one of the many reasons you should always seek legal guidance from experienced bicycle accident attorneys before you file a bicycle accident lawsuit.

The value of a bike injury claim will vary greatly from case to case. There are several factors that can help you calculate the approximate dollar value of your case, such as:

• The nature and scope of your physical injuries
• The expense of the medical treatments your injuries required and how much any future or ongoing medical care and treatments are going to cost
• If your injuries were serious enough that you were unable to work and, as a result, you lost income
• If your injuries resulted in any permanent or long-term disabilities, disfigurement, or impairments
• The degree to which you experienced any physical pain and/or mental anguish due to your accident-related injuries

A seasoned bicycle accident attorney will be able to examine the circumstances surrounding your unique California personal injury case and accurately determine what your claim might be worth.