Don't Blame The Cyclist! Cycling accidents And How A Riverside Injury Attorney Can Help

It is fair to say that in recent years due to the recent upsurge in gas prices and the continuing awareness of our environment, more and more people are taking to pedal power. An injury lawyer Riverside explains that according to the US Census, data has come to light that shows that there are around 106,000 bicycle commuters in California alone. This is all well and good but unfortunately they have to share already heavily congested streets of this State. As a result, accidents happen.

How accidents happen

Although California is working hard to constantly improve an already extensive cycle network system, bicycle accidents still occur in heavily trafficked areas with a large population density. The main causes of cycle related casualties are complete recklessness or inattentiveness of a motor vehicle driver. This may mean turning left when not seeing a cyclist, driving directly in front of a cyclist because they failed to keep a look out at the intersection, failure to yield at a stop sign or cutting a cyclist up when overtaking. Also drink and drugs play a big part in cycle accidents caused by drivers of motor vehicles. If you have been a victim of a cycle related accident then an experienced team of Riverside injury lawyers can explain your rights.

Other causes of cycle accidents can be down to badly lit areas, poorly maintained roads, bad visibility and treacherous roads due to poor weather conditions. On top of this it is fair to say that some cyclists do ride without disregard for traffic by riding up on the inside when in traffic, not adhering to stop signs, not wearing reflective safety gear when in poor light, or not having electric lights on the cycle.

Disputes

In some cases disputes over negligence between cyclists and motor vehicle drivers are fairly commonplace and if this happens to you then you need to contact an experienced team of Riverside injury attorneys who can help. The right lawyer will have the financial backing in place to be able to investigate an accident dispute thoroughly. They will do this by calling upon a team of independent experts who can help with the case. People such as accident investigators, defective road specialists, expert mechanics, forensic scientists and even medical experts can all be asked to look into the root cause of the accident. From this the representing attorney can look to pinpoint negligence and build a case. Even if your insurance company suggest that you are to blame, a good Riverside County injury attorney will be able to get to the bottom of it.

At fault

Although you should never admit liability for any accident, as a cyclist you may feel that you are partially to blame. With this being the case, you may naturally think that you haven't got a chance of making a claim. On the contrary a skilled lawyer can still file a claim for their client under 'comparative negligence'. This is where the possible financial reward gained in compensation is 'comparative' to the cyclist's part in the accident. This is decided by either settling out of court, or alternatively by a judge or jury in a court of law. For example, if a person was found or agreed to be 30 percent at fault for the incident, then they would be awarded 70 percent of the total amount that is possible for such a claim.

In essence, until cyclists and motorists learn to respect each other and learn to share the nation's roads, then accidents will continue to happen. Cyclist aren't going to go away any time soon, nor is the notion that riding a bike will not only save you money and soften the impact on the planet, but it is also a great form of exercise in that it gives an awesome cardio vascular workout. On top of this increased traffic on the freeways of Los Angeles are some of the busiest and indeed heavily congested roads in the country. This means that cycling to work may even be quicker too. If you have been involved in a cycle related accident and have suffered an injury through the negligence of others then feel confident that a highly skilled Riverside injury attorney is on hand to maximize your compensation.