Turlock Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Cycling is an incredibly popular form of transportation and exercise for all of the active people in Turlock. Our often sunny weather and mild temperatures make for ideal riding weather most of the year.
Unfortunately, bicycle accidents are common in the Turlock area. In many cases, bicycle accident victims suffer extremely serious injuries, including those that can leave them with life-long disabilities.
If you have suffered injuries in a bicycle crash, contact Silva Injury Law as soon as possible. Our skilled bicycle accident lawyers in Turlock will review how your wreck occurred and let you know if you have a claim.
Bicycle accidents and injuries are costly and stressful. While you deal with serious injuries, the bills start piling up, and your financial stress starts rising. When you do not know your rights or where to turn, look no further than Silva Injury Law. Our Turlock bicycle accident attorneys can advise you of your rights and protect you. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
Cycling Accidents In The Turlock Area
There are ample opportunities to get your bike out in and around Turlock. The Turlock Lake State Recreation Area is actually in LaGrange, but it is bounded on the north by the Tuolumne River and on the south by Turlock Lake, with 26 miles of shoreline. Smith Peak is another trail in the Central Valley in Buck Meadows.
Buck Meadows, Lumsden Bridge, and the Tuolumne River take you along the Tuolumne Canyon Ridge. Mary Laveroni Community Park offers a quick ride in Groveland. Buckridge at Lake Hensley offers a figure-eight and rolling hills. Glory Hole Loop Ride combines four trails: the Frontier Trail, the Angel’s Crest Trail, the Tower Climb Trail, and the Carson Creek Trail.
TMTA and Lehigh Trails require a daily fee of $5 or a $35 annual family membership to ride the trails. Clovis Shady Out-and-Back is in the Central Valley in Fresno.
Other popular bike trails in the greater Central Valley area include Great Valley Grasslands State Park, Caswell Memorial State Park, Pacheco State Park, Henry W. Coe State Park, Lake Del Valle State Recreation Area, Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area, and Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
Turlock cites a few examples of cities promoting bike-friendly events. Loopalooza in Davis was a family-oriented ride that introduced participants to the Davis Bike Loop, a 12-mile route connecting 11 of the 13 schools in the city.
Unfortunately, the California Active Transportation Safety Information Pages (CATSIP) from the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) show that Stanislaus County had 719 bicycle crashes in five.
What Causes Bicycle Accidents In Turlock?
While it is certainly possible for cyclists to be at fault for accidents, the reality is that the negligence of motorists causes many bicycle accidents. Drivers often do not yield to cyclists or give them the space they deserve, and this attitude can result in serious, life-altering accidents.
Some examples of driver negligence that can lead to bicycle accidents include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Failing to yield
- Drunk or drugged driving
- Ignoring stop signs or stoplights
Some bicycle accidents may also result from the negligence of a person or party responsible for maintaining a property. For example, the property owner may be liable for your injuries if you are riding in a parking lot and go over your handlebars because of an unmarked hazard. Similarly, the agency responsible for the road may be at fault if you are on a public roadway and a road defect causes an accident.
Choosing The Right Turlock Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Silva Injury Law has a wealth of experience assisting injured bicyclists. You can trust our team to handle your case with the attention it deserves and work hard to get you the full value of your claim.
If you retain us to represent you, our firm’s first step is to commence our independent investigation into your accident. We can examine all relevant evidence and also work to secure other forms of evidence if necessary. We will communicate with you throughout the entire process, so you never feel like you are out of the loop, and we will regularly update you on the progress made in your case.
Many people hurt in bicycle accidents consider trying to negotiate directly with the insurance company handling their case. Doing so is almost always a bad idea. Car insurance companies know how to minimize settlements and deny claims, and they are under no obligation to treat you fairly or even tell you what your case is really worth. The best way to protect your rights is to retain a Turlock bicycle accident attorney as soon as possible.
The most crucial concern after any bicycle accident is your health, and you can experience hardships obtaining medical care if you cannot pay your bills. Our lawyers can work with your medical providers to ensure you continue to receive care by having those providers place a medical lien on your future settlement or award.
Cyclists Can Suffer Severe Injuries
Bicycle accidents can result in many kinds of injuries. These injuries can range in severity depending on many factors relating to a crash. Many bicyclist accident victims suffer severe injuries that require several months or even years of care and rehabilitation. Bicycle accident victims should receive medical attention immediately after an accident, even when they do not think they suffered an injury.
Common kinds of injuries in bicycle accident cases often include, but are not limited to:
- Fractures or broken bones
- Concussions
- Closed head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crush injuries
- Back injuries
- Knee injuries
- Leg injuries
- Neck injuries
- Arm injuries
- Internal injuries
- Skull fractures
- Permanent nerve injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Severe burn injuries
How Bicycle Accident Injuries Can Affect Your Life
Bicycle accident injuries can affect nearly every aspect of your life. You may experience significant pain and be unable to engage in activities you once enjoyed. In fact, you may even be so traumatized by your experience that you cannot ride without having flashbacks. In some instances, your injuries may be so severe as to prevent you from going to work for months or even years.
Fortunately, victims can often recover these and other bicycle accident losses in a personal injury claim.
Cyclists commonly seek damages for:
- Medical expenses
- Lost income
- Property damage
- Lost quality of life
- Physical and emotional pain and suffering
Never rely on the other side’s insurance company to tell you what your case is worth. Instead, retain an experienced attorney as soon as you can. A lawyer will evaluate your losses and determine how much compensation the law entitles you to.
Seeking Justice From Drivers
Careless or reckless drivers cause many bicycle accidents. At Silva Injury Law, we are dedicated to holding negligent cyclists accountable for their actions. Below, we explore some specific ways that driver negligence can injure cyclists.
Failing to Yield to Cyclists Can Cause Accidents
One of the most common causes of bicycle accidents is a driver failing to yield the right of way. Failure to yield often involves vehicles entering areas with stop signs or intersections where they are required to yield or failure to yield the right-of-way to bicyclists at crosswalks.
We Hold Drunk Drivers Accountable
People driving under the influence (DUI) of drugs or alcohol is an extremely common cause of bicycle accidents. Many drunk drivers do not have the coordination to avoid hitting cyclists or may not even have the situational awareness to know a cyclist is in the vicinity.
DUI is also a common reason why people commit hit-and-run violations. Many drivers fleeing the scenes of bicycle accidents do not want to be arrested for DUI but can become more willing to turn themselves in after they become sober.
Negligent Turns Can Cause Accidents
Left-hand turns are another common cause of bicycle accidents because many drivers performing such turns are more focused on surrounding traffic that ignores bicyclists in the area.
Distracted driving is another common cause of bicycle accidents because drivers preoccupied with cell phones, tablets, or other mobile devices simply do not see bicyclists.
Drivers Must Check Before Opening their Doors
Of particular concern to bicyclists are “dooring accidents.” These accidents occur when a driver parks on the right side of the street and opens their door directly in the path of an oncoming cyclist.
In many cases, these accidents occur so suddenly that the cyclist cannot slow down, causing an extremely forceful collision. Dooring accidents can cause severe injuries, including broken bones, spinal cord injuries, severe lacerations, and even traumatic brain injuries.
Protecting Your Rights With The Insurance Company
Injured victims should be aware that insurance companies often like to conclude that bicyclists were at fault for their accidents to deny them any compensation. As a result, you will need an attorney to protect your rights and ensure that the insurance company treats you fairly.
Even when insurance companies admit their customer was at fault, they will do everything they can to settle claims for as little as possible. Actually, they will completely deny your claim if they can figure out any way to do so. As a result, you should retain an attorney before starting your claim.
Some of the specific ways that an attorney can protect your rights during a bicycle accident claim include the following:
- Identify all potentially liable parties. An attorney can identify all parties that may be liable for your losses. The more liable parties there are, the better the chances you will obtain the compensation you deserve.
- Evaluate all of your losses. Determining the value of a bicycle claim is a complicated matter. While looking at your medical bills and adding them up is fairly simple, what about your pain and suffering? Your lost quality of life? Your future medical expenses? Any settlement you accept should include all of these. A skilled lawyer can evaluate your situation and determine how much compensation you deserve.
- Communicate with the insurance company on your behalf. Your lawyer will handle all communications with the insurance company for you and be present if they decide to depose you. This is extremely important, as insurance companies often try to get accident victims to say things they can use against them. For example, if the insurance company representative asks how you are and you respond “Fine,” they may use this as evidence that you are uninjured or in no pain.
- Negotiate a fair settlement agreement. Most bicycle accident cases settle. That said, insurance companies do not want to pay a cent more than they have to and will actually take affirmative steps to settle cases for less than they are worth. Our attorneys are skilled negotiators who know how to get insurance companies to pay our clients for all of their losses.
- File a lawsuit. In some cases, the insurance company simply refuses to make a fair settlement offer. If this happens, your lawyer can file a personal injury claim in the appropriate court to put further pressure on the insurance company. In some cases, just filing the lawsuit is enough to get the other side to make a reasonable settlement amount. If they still refuse to settle, your lawyer will try your case and represent you in court.
Consult An Experienced Turlock Bicycle Accident Attorney For Free
Did you sustain catastrophic injuries, or was your loved one killed in a bicycle accident in the greater Turlock area of California? You should not wait another moment to get in touch with Silva Injury Law because you can get the legal representation you will need to achieve the most desirable outcome for your case.
Our firm assists residents and visitors to Turlock. We work tirelessly to help people hold negligent parties accountable in these cases so a real sense of justice can ultimately prevail. Call (209) 308-8924 or contact our Turlock bicycle accident lawyer online for your free consultation.