Bicycle Accident Injury Lawyers in Orange County, CA

There are many things we suggest to help keep you safe while biking. Some of the important things to keep in mind include:

• Make sure that you and your family wear helmets.
  • Brain injuries can cause extreme loss of quality of life.
• Use lights, reflectors, and color choices that help you and your bike to stand out.
  • Don’t go out in conditions of poor visibility wearing dark colors and lacking proper lighting. This will undoubtedly cause drivers to be unable to see you and lead to a potential accident.
• Always be aware of your surroundings when biking.
  • Be sure that you aren’t becoming too engrossed in your thoughts, music, or other distractions that take your mind off the road.
• Try to always establish eye contact with drivers before crossing their path at intersections, driveways, or other such dangerous crossings.
  • This is the only way to be positive that a driver has really seen you and won’t run into you.

Along the Orange County coastline, you will increasingly see riders everywhere. Many people in Southern California that have a short commute choose to cycle as their means of transportation in order to avoid traffic. In many cities, the popularity of riding a bicycle to work is so great that special bike lanes are set aside.

Cycling becomes very dangerous when bike riders share the road with cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Even with bike lanes and right-of-way laws, many motorists are careless around bicycles. Since bicycles are fast, fragile and inconspicuous by comparison, some drivers have a hard time noticing them. Every year, cyclists are involved in serious crashes with motorists.

Silverthorne Attorneys knows that any accident can result in serious injuries. Damage that could affect a person for the rest of their life. Similar to motorcycle accidents, bicycle accident victims have very little to protect them during a crash. After impact with a vehicle, there isn’t much guarding a cyclist from the possible crushing force of other vehicles, pavement, curbs, trees, and mailboxes.

People who are involved in bicycle accidents tend to suffer from broken bones, head trauma, internal injuries, spinal cord injuries, crushed limbs, and road rash. Serious injuries usually entail costly medical procedures, therapy, and even long-term care. Permanent disability and even death may result from a minor collision. A bicycle injury lawyer from Silverthorne Attorneys will take control of your case and situation to make sure you receive the medical attention needed. As a bicycle injury attorney we will fight to get you fair compensation to pay for expenses resulting from your injuries.

According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• In 2009 the average age of bicyclists killed in crashes with motor vehicles was 41, up from 32 in 1998, and 24 in 1988;
  • 87% of those killed were male;
  • 64% of those killed were between the ages of 25 and 64;
  • 13% of those killed in 2008 were under the age of 16, down from 30% of those killed in 1998;
• The average age of bicyclists injured in crashes with motor vehicles was 31, up from 24 in 1998;
  • 80% of those injured were male;
  • 51% of those injured were between the ages of 25 and 64;
  • 20% of those injured were under the age of 16.

Every year in the United States, half a million bicyclists suffer from injuries resulting from accidents. Many of these accidents result from negligent motorists, and at Silverthorne Attorneys, we make it our goal to hold these negligent drivers responsible for their actions. If you or someone you love has suffered injuries in a bicycle accident and believe another person to be responsible, consult with a bike crash lawyer at our firm.

Most people don’t realize that bicyclists endure an astonishing percentage of deaths or permanent injuries resulting accidents. These include passenger cars running over riders, etc. Of course, this figure also includes big trucks and other large vehicles. The NHSTA verifies that the bicycle rider is not the person responsible for the wreck. In fact, just the opposite is true. In 2011, the NHTSA reported that of the 677 deaths and 48,000 bicycle rider injuries in the U.S., the motorists, more often than not, were at fault.

Silverthorne Attorneys understands that bicyclists are often targets of road rage by drivers. Some are run off the road, ending up in the gutter with serious wounds. It was so bad in the Inland Empire, that there is now a law that lets riders use the sidewalk in some metro areas. The fact is, people don’t look out for bikers. And this is a threat to life and limb that does not get enough attention in the news. In fact, bicycle operators have the same rights, duties and obligations as any other operator of a motorized conveyance, except where as provided by law (bike lanes, sidewalk riding ordinances, etc.)

Most cycling accidents happen in urban areas where most cycling takes place. Almost two thirds of cyclists killed or seriously injured were involved in collisions at, or near, a road junction, with T junctions being the most commonly involved. Roundabouts are particularly dangerous junctions for cyclists. Not surprisingly, the severity of injuries suffered by cyclists increases with the speed limit, meaning that riders are more likely to suffer serious or fatal injuries on higher speed roads. Almost half of cyclist deaths occur on rural roads.

• Children are more likely to die from bicycle crashes at non-intersection locations (66%), during the months of May to August (55%), and between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. (39%);
• Nearly 60% of all childhood bicycle-related deaths occur on minor roads;
  • The typical bicycle/motor vehicle crash occurs within one mile of the bicyclist’s home;
• Children ages 4 and under are more likely to be injured in non-street locations around the home (driveway, garage, yard) than are children ages 5 to 14;
• Among children ages 14 and under, more than 80% of bicycle-related fatalities are associated with the bicyclist’s behavior including:
  • riding into a street without stopping;
  • turning left or swerving into traffic that is coming from behind;
  • running a stop sign;
  • and riding against the flow of traffic;
• Injuries related to the use of bicycle-mounted child seats typically occur when the bicycle crashes or tips over and when the child falls out of the seat.
  • Falls account for 80% of these injuries.

Silverthorne Attorneys is headed by an experienced bike rider with years of technical and legal expertise in taking on insurance companies as a champion of consumer rights in Orange County, California. We are aggressive, trusted professionals. If you were hurt, have gravel stuck in your elbows and knees, a split lip or skull, even though you were wearing your helmet, do not hesitate to contact a skilled bicycle accident lawyer in our office.

We know the local municipal codes, as well as the bicycle sections of the California Vehicle Code and how to use them to get leverage over your legal adversaries. You need a highly assertive, respectful and honest representative pursuing recovery for your cause; both in and out of court. We aggressively pursue compensation for your accident.

If our attorneys take your claim on, we will leave no stone unturned. Accordingly, it is our policy, if need be, to seek out non-retained medical experts. Get you a work-up on your future, past and present pain and suffering; get a bio mechanic or accident re-constructionist; and get even a life care planner. This is how we mitigate your losses and make sure the responsible party pays.

We have professional investigators our side. Since we are local, we already know the streets very well. And we have no problem going to the traffic collision site to see it for ourselves. This way, we can put ourselves in your shoes and give you the assurance that you have an empathetic, compassionate bicycle injury lawyer in your corner.