Cycling Crash Injuries and How A Team Of Riverside Accident Lawyers Can Help

One of the most challenging cases that a team of experienced Riverside accident lawyers have to deal with is a cycling crash injuries claim. The reason for this is that although in general cyclists are mainly the innocent party, motorists see them as a nuisance on the roads and very often when an accident occurs, they tend to not want to admit liability.

There is no getting away from it; the use of cycles to get from A to B is on the increase. People are turning more to pedal power because of the rise in gas prices and also from an environmental point of view. On top of this, cycling is also a healthy way to get about. Because there has been a steady increase in the number of people who use cycles, there has also been an increase in the number of cycling related accidents. In fact in 2009 (the most recent year for any data) the number of bicycle accident fatalities on America's roads was 630. It doesn't take a genius to work out that it equates to just fewer than 2 people every single day.

For a team of Riverside County accident lawyers, cases such as cycling injury claims can at first seem tricky because as already mentioned liability is not something that any motorist is going to be quick to admit. It is true that there are a handful of cyclists who feel that they are above the law, or feel that the laws of the road do not apply to them. For example, not waiting at intersections for the traffic signals to change, or turning in front of a vehicle causing it to break sharply are just two common manoeuvres that cycles make. On the public roadways, state codes mandate that cycles should follow the rules of the road just as cars are required to. Motorists should allow at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist on the road and should watch out for them when making a turn. This should also apply to cyclists, who should also allow space and look before turning.

Another issue that causes bicycle accident injury is the failure to wear a safety helmet. Surprisingly there are still 14 states in the US where there is no cycle safety helmet law. Statistics have shown that a person who is involved in an accident is around 80% more likely to suffer severe head trauma when they do not wear a helmet. So it is clear that safety helmets do work.

So what happens if you have been involved in an accident with a motorist through no fault of your own?

Well clearly the first thing that you should do is to seek medical assistance. Even if you believe that you are not injured, it is worth getting yourself checked over because you may have internal injuries. The next step to take is to try to document as many details as you can regarding the accident whilst it is still fresh in your mind. Try to write down what happened, how many vehicles or people were involved, whether there were any witnesses to the accident, any underlying issues that may have caused the accident such as bad street lighting, faulty traffic signals, slippery or icy roads, potholes etc. All of this information will be needed. It is vital at this stage that you call an experienced team of Riverside accident attorneys, they can not only give you important information about where you stand from a legal stand point, but they can also ascertain as to whether you have a case to answer.

In many instances there is often a dispute regarding who is at fault. A skilled representing attorney will have the financial backing behind then to be able to call upon the services of a number of independent experts who can examine the evidence. People such as crash investigators, specialist safety equipment experts, road design and defect experts, and medical professionals can all help to seek where the blame lie. From their findings your attorney can look to build a case.

In a number of bicycle accident cases it may be deemed from the findings that the cyclist is partially to blame for the incident. This doesn't mean that they aren't entitled to claim compensation. On the contrary, under 'comparative law' the blame doesn't have to lie with one person. For example if a cyclist was deemed to be 30% responsible for the accident, then they would receive 70% of the overall amount of damages available for this type of case. This is because the pay out is 'comparative' to the percentage of responsibility.

As you can see, it is always best to consult a team of Riverside accident lawyers who are well versed in dealing with such a case. They will know the exact avenues to go down to deliver a full and fair compensation package and will do this quickly and efficiently, leaving you to be able to put the incident behind you and to move on with your life.