26+ Years of Experience as a Bike Accident Attorney Serving Fullerton

A negligent California car or truck driver who crashes into and injures a bicycle rider may or may not face a criminal charge, but if you are injured by a negligent driver while bicycling in the Fullerton area, promptly schedule a meeting to discuss your legal options with a Fullerton bicycle accident lawyer at The Paris Firm.

In every state, serious bike accidents occur far too frequently. In 2023, a record 1,166 bike riders died on U.S. streets and highways, and since 2023, the number of fatalities continues to exceed 1,000 a year. Most bicycling fatalities happen in three states: Texas, Florida, and California.

Thousands of bike riders suffer serious and catastrophic injuries every year in this state. The Paris Firm represents bicyclists injured by negligent drivers in Fullerton and throughout Orange County. Injured cyclists can call our offices at 909-325-6185 to schedule a free consultation.

What Safety Precautions Should Bike Riders Take?

Bicycles provide great recreation and practical transportation, but it only takes a moment for an enjoyable bike ride to become terrifying or tragic. Every bike rider should heed these basic safety recommendations:

1. As far as possible, keep your hands on the handlebars. Use a basket or backpack to carry items.

1. Follow traffic laws as if you were driving a motor vehicle. Bike riders are generally required to use designated bike lanes. Ride as close to the right curb as is practical and safe.

1. Whenever you ride, wear a bicycle helmet that is snug, stable, and comfortable. Adjust the handlebars and seat until you’re comfortable and feel in control.

1. Check your tire pressure and brakes weekly, and if you must ride your bike at night, check your lights. You can’t have too many lights and reflectors on a bicycle.

1. Do not use drugs or alcohol before riding a bike. Drugs and alcohol considerably increase the prospect of an accident, and if you’re impaired, you will likely be deemed at fault.

What is California’s Bicycle Helmet Law?

Bicycle helmets are required by law for minors but not for bike riders 18 and older in California (except when riding a Class 3 electric bike). But even when wearing a helmet, a bike rider has considerably less protection than someone inside a car or truck.

Bike helmets save lives. Smart bicyclists wear them. Still, bicycle helmets can’t prevent every head or brain injury.

What Injuries Do Bicyclists Sustain?

Bike riders lack most of the safety features cars and trucks have, such as enclosed cabins for drivers and passengers, airbags, and seat belts. Even when they take every possible precaution, bicyclists can sustain catastrophic injuries in accidents with cars, buses, motorcycles, or trucks.

The common injuries bicycle riders may sustain include traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), severe spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and limb injuries that require amputation. If you suffer a disabling or catastrophic injury in a bike accident, you may require lengthy or even lifelong medical care.

After such an accident, you will need the services and advice of a Fullerton bicycle accident attorney who understands how to recover the maximum available compensation amount. With your health and future at stake, you can’t take your case to an inexperienced or untested attorney.

At the Accident Scene, What Steps Should You Take?

After a bike accident, if you’ve been injured, summon medical and police assistance. Exchange contact information with the driver of the car or truck. Get the name, address, driver’s license number, license plate number, phone number, and details about the driver’s insurance company.

If you can, take photos of the damage to your bike and the car or truck, the crash site, and your own injuries. Ask for the names and contact information of anyone who witnessed the accident. Photos and witness statements can be key evidence in support of your personal injury claim.

Do not admit or confess any fault after a bicycle accident, and don’t even speak with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Instead, refer their questions to your bike accident attorney at The Paris Firm.

To File a Claim, You Must Have a Medical Exam

Some bicycle injuries may be latent or hard to detect, so after a bicycle accident, a full medical exam is strongly recommended. Without it, a latent or difficult-to-detect injury could emerge days or even weeks later as a serious medical condition.

And if a medical condition emerges and you seek compensation with a personal injury lawsuit, your medical examination provides a record of your injury. It proves that you were not injured in some other way. If you weren’t injured, the exam will give you peace of mind.

Whether or not you own a car, and whether or not you carry health or auto insurance, if you are injured by someone else’s negligence while you’re bicycling in the Fullerton area, it is imperative to put a Fullerton personal injury attorney on your case from the start.

How Does The Paris Firm Handle Bicycle Accident Claims?

A Fullerton bicycle accident attorney at The Paris Firm can immediately begin an investigation of your accident to establish the liability of the motorist who injured you. Your attorney can then prepare a strategy to recover the compensation you are entitled to as the injured victim of a negligent driver.

That driver’s insurance company may make a settlement offer that is far below the real value of your personal injury claim. If you are tempted to accept a first settlement offer, don’t. Your lawyer can negotiate for a fair and more generous settlement.

But if your personal injury claim is disputed or denied, a Fullerton bicycle accident lawyer at The Paris Firm can take your claim to trial and tell the jurors how your bicycle accident happened, how you were injured, and why they should order the at-fault driver to compensate you.

What Can Bicycle Accident Victims Recover?

Catastrophic bike accident victims who prevail with a personal injury lawsuit may recover compensation for their current medical bills and projected future medical costs, such as surgeries, physical therapy, and nursing care. They may also recover lost wages and projected future lost wages.

Victims can also recover compensation for pain, suffering, and emotional anguish. Those who sustain catastrophic and/or permanent injuries will need the maximum available compensation amount. The Paris Firm can help.

Punitive damages are available but rare in California bicycle accident cases. Punitive damages are awarded only to punish defendants for intentionally reckless or dangerous behavior and to deter reckless behavior in the future.

How Does Pure Comparative Negligence Work?

California is an at-fault auto insurance state. Whoever causes an accident is legally responsible for paying the damages, but California’s civil courts operate under the “pure” comparative negligence principle.

When two parties share the fault for an accident, an injured party may recover compensation even if that party is 99% percent at fault for the accident. A California court will reduce the compensation amount you may receive based on your percentage of fault.

If your damages total $50,000, but a jury finds you were 20 percent responsible for an accident, your damages will be reduced to $40,000. Even if a bicycle accident occurs, under the “pure” comparative negligence principle, obeying traffic laws and taking reasonable safety precautions can reduce your share of liability.

How is Fault Determined for Bike Accidents?

Under California law, liability and fault in bike accident cases depend on the details. If a bicyclist rides through a signal or stop sign and there’s an accident, the bike rider may be assigned full or partial liability.

If you pursue compensation after a bike accident, these questions must be answered:

1. Is there evidence that the car or truck driver was negligent?
2. Is there evidence that you were negligent?
3. At the time of the bike crash, were you wearing a helmet?
4. If the crash was at night, were you using reflectors and lights?
5. Are you unable to work? If so, when do you expect to return?

To negotiate effectively for your compensation, your attorney will need answers to these questions. The police accident report, medical records, and eyewitness statements are examined thoroughly in bike accident investigations. If there’s video of the crash, it is carefully scrutinized.

What is the Deadline for a Bicycle Accident Claim?

California’s statute of limitations gives an injured bike rider 2 years from the date of a bicycle crash to initiate a personal injury lawsuit. The two-year period begins on the date of the accident. These are the only exceptions:

1. If the victim’s injury was latent, the two-year period starts when the injury is discovered (or should have been discovered).

1. If the car or truck driver leaves the state, the two-year period pauses (or “tolls”) until they return.

1. If the injury victim was under 18, the two-year period starts when they turn 18.

You should not wait two years to take legal action. Over time, evidence can be contaminated, lost, or altered, and the witnesses may forget important details. It’s essential to put your lawyer on the case without delay. After you’ve been treated for a bicycling injury in the Fullerton area, schedule a consultation with a bike accident lawyer at The Paris Firm immediately.

Yes, You Can Afford an Attorney

How can you afford to retain legal counsel if you’ve been seriously injured, you are unable to work, and your bills are starting to pile up? Don’t let financial concerns keep you from seeking justice.

The Paris Firm can handle your Fullerton bicycle accident case on a contingency fee basis. Your first consultation with a personal injury lawyer at The Paris Firm is provided without cost or obligation to the injured victims of negligence.

Clients owe no attorney’s fee upfront or until we recover your compensation. If, for any reason, you do not recover compensation, you’ll owe no attorney’s fee to The Paris Firm.

Call to Schedule Your Free Consultation

Our record at The Paris Firm speaks for itself. Fullerton lawyer Eric Paris brings more than 26 years of personal injury experience in Southern California to every client and case. He leads an experienced legal team known for extraordinary client service.

If you are injured because of a car or truck driver’s negligence while riding a bicycle in the Fullerton area, you should be represented and advised by a Fullerton personal injury attorney who:

1. knows how to prove a car or truck was negligent
2. knows how insurance companies negotiate
3. advocates effectively for the injured victims of bike accidents

Learn more about your rights or start the personal injury process and call The Paris Firm at 909-325-6185 to schedule your free first legal consultation. If you’re injured on a bicycle, and it was another person’s fault, The Paris Firm can fight for the compensation and justice you need.