Bicycle Accident Cases

Be a Pro-Active Cyclist

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common cause of bicycle accidents?

Visibility! Visibility! Visibility! A common factor in almost all bicycle accidents is a claim by the adverse driver that they simply did not see the bicyclist. The vast majority of travel upon the roadway is passenger automobiles. Drivers are most frequently on the lookout for hazards presented by other cars on the road. However, bicyclists, when complying with California law, have the right to ride in the roadway. Because bicycles and their riders are smaller and less common on the road, other drivers simply do not see them. Therefore, it is important that bicyclists ride with all appropriate reflectors, lights, and clothing to help others on the roadway see them. Additionally, bicyclists should ride “defensively.” Defensive driving, or in this case riding, requires being focused and alert to the road and traffic around you. It also includes anticipating what others on the road may do before they do it. The sooner you notice a potential problem, the sooner you can act to avoid the crash altogether.

How common are bicycle accidents?

There are over six million motor vehicle accidents per year in the United States. Approximately 2.2% of those accidents involve bicyclists. However, one out of every thirty-seven deaths in traffic accidents involves the death of a bicyclist. This means if you are involved in a vehicle accident while riding a bicycle you are 50% more likely to suffer fatal injuries in that accident. There are more bicyclists on the road now than ever before in the history of the United States and accidents, particularly serious accidents involving bicyclists, are on the rise. If you have been involved in an accident while riding a bicycle, contact the experienced personal injury attorneys at the Arthofer & Tonkin Law Offices today for a free consultation.

What is the most common bicycle injury?

Answering this question depends on one key factor: Was the bicyclist wearing a helmet? If the bicyclist is wearing a properly fitted and appropriately protective helmet, then the most common injury in bicycle accidents are orthopedic in nature and include breaks to the bones in the arms and legs. When a bicyclist is not wearing a helmet the most common injuries are to the face, skull, and brain. It is important when riding a bicycle to wear a helmet, especially when you are sharing a roadway in urban areas with passenger cars that are much heavier and faster.

How can we avoid bicycle accidents?

The best way to avoid bicycle accidents is to ride defensively. This includes making sure you are as visible as possible to others on the roadway including making sure your bike is equipped with appropriate lights and reflectors, and that you are wearing the appropriate clothing. It is also important to follow the rules of the road and pay close attention to what other drivers and riders are doing on the roadway. By being vigilant and observant, a bicyclist can anticipate the movement of others on the roadway and move to avoid a crash or other accident before it occurs. In order to maintain this level of focus on the roadway, it is important that bicyclists not be distracted. Leave your cell phone and earbuds in your backpack. Carry your gear in a backpack or have it appropriately strapped to the bicycle. The Arthofer & Tonkin Law Offices welcomes the opportunity to consult with you, at no charge for the initial consultation, about your personal injury accident. Contact us today.

Transcription

It’s a gorgeous day here in Northern California. The sky is blue, and the sun is shining. It’s a great day for a bike ride. Here at the Arthofer & Tonkin Law Offices, we’ve handled bike cases and bike accident cases for almost two decades. If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident, we walk on the opportunity to consult with you about your injuries. If that’s you’re case; consultation is free. You need to know some things when you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident. Three things, in particular, are common to all the bicycle cases we’ve handled over the years. One, bicycles are hard to see. You really can’t have too many lights on your bike, too many reflectors on your bike, or too much safety gear to warn the motoring public that you’re there. Out of the California vehicle code, you have a right to ride so long as you comply with the law.

In the roadway, drivers are on the lookout for other cars, don’t see pedestrians very well, and don’t particularly see bicyclists very well. So as a bicyclist, you’re hard to see on the roadway. So take extra care, make sure that if you have an opportunity, the other driver sees you, because what we hear almost inevitably in bicycle cases is the driver who hit our client who’s on the bike just simply didn’t see them, no matter how careful our client the bicyclist was being. Another common factor we find in bicycle accidents is severe injuries. This one sort of makes sense, right? Bicycles don’t enjoy as much protection as someone in a vehicle, and it’s important if you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident, you work with an attorney who’s familiar with the type of injuries that you’ve sustained and familiar with how litigation involving those injuries will progress.

This is exactly what we do here at our firm. Now, you’ll also find a third common element in bicycle accident cases: bicyclists are often blamed for the accident. We’ve seen innumerable traffic collision reports produced by law enforcement that the bicyclist is found to be either entirely or partially involved. We even had one insurance company take the position that our client was on a bike who was speeding. So if you’re involved in a bicycle accident, there’s a chance that you’re going to be blamed and that you’re going to need an attorney on your side who can properly assess what really happened in the case and the liability and provide the appropriate workup with your case to convince the adverse insurance company that this accident wasn’t your fault. If you’re a bicyclist and have been involved in an accident, give us a call at the Arthofer & Tonkin Law Offices today. We want to consult with you, and there’s no charge for our initial consultation.

Contact us. We'll be glad to help you.

At Arthofer & Tonkin Law Offices, we are dedicated to providing our clients with compassionate and experienced representation.

Making sure you receive proper compensation can be challenging and overwhelming after an accident, and we are here to help. Our law firm can provide you with the best personal injury attorney in Redding, California. Contact us now.

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Serving Redding, California, and Beyond.

We at Arthofer & Tonkin Law Offices offer our services to those in Redding, Northern California, and all of California.

We are dedicated to providing quality legal services to our clients and helping them through difficult times. If you aren’t sure if your case falls within our service area, don’t hesitate to reach out. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have and see how we can help.

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