Have you been injured in a bicycle accident in Encinitas, California? Call Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers. You may have the right to take legal action and demand compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other accident-related damages. Our Encinitas bicycle accident lawyers can help you work toward a maximum financial recovery.
At Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers, we have over 20 years of experience and a proven ability to make a genuine difference in the lives of the people we represent. Our compassionate, effective legal representation has helped us win $40 million (and counting) in settlements and jury awards.
Now our award-winning California trial attorneys are ready to go to bat for you after your bike accident. Contact our law office in Encinitas, CA at (619) 344-0360 to learn more. Your initial case evaluation is free.
How Our Encinitas Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After a Bike Accident
As a bicyclist, you don’t have a lot to protect you if you’re struck by a vehicle. There’s no steel frame and no airbags. Even if you are wearing a helmet, the chances that you’ll sustain a catastrophic injury are quite high. In turn, the costs and consequences of your bike accident can be quite high, too.
Someone else was negligent and put you in this position, and they should be held accountable. That’s where Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers can help.
Our Encinitas personal injury attorneys are known and respected litigators in Southern California. We know how much is riding on your bicycle injury claim, and we’re prepared to do everything we can to help you leverage the financial award you need and deserve.
We want you to focus on getting better, so we’ll step in and handle every aspect of your bike accident case for you.
Trust us to:
- Answer any questions you have about your legal rights and your bike accident case
- Enlist the guidance of experts and specialists as we build and value your claim
- Carefully analyze evidence that can be used to support your fight for compensation
- Be your most tenacious advocate as we negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf
- Reject unreasonably low settlement offers and bring your bike accident lawsuit to trial, if necessary
Don’t worry about the added cost of a lawyer when you choose Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers. Our bicycle accident attorneys in Encinitas work on a contingency fee basis. We only get paid when we win your bike accident case.
To get started, give our law office in Encinitas a call today to arrange a time for your free, no-obligation case evaluation.
How Common Are Bicycle Accidents in Encinitas, CA?
Despite the fact that Encinitas is known as a “somewhat bikeable” city, traffic accidents involving bicyclists happen fairly often.
According to data from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), 38 bicycle accidents were reported in Encinitas, California in 2022.
That’s roughly one bike accident every 1.3 weeks.
While none of the bicycle accidents reported in 2022 were fatal, all of them resulted in at least one injury. At least 7 of the reported injuries were classified as “severe.”
What Causes Most Encinitas Bicycle Accidents?
The city of Encinitas is taking steps to make its roads safer for bicyclists. Unfortunately, many people are still afraid that new bike lanes won’t be enough to keep riders safe.
Why?
Because most bicycle accidents in Encinitas are a result of driver negligence, including:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Fatigued driving
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Making unsafe or illegal turns
- Failing to check for bicyclists in a crosswalk before passing through an intersection
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Driving too close to a bicyclist
- Dooring
Adding bicycle lanes on the busiest roads in Encinitas might be an excellent start to improving rider safety. However, bicyclists will always be in harm’s way if motorists refuse to drive cautiously around them.
In the meantime, these negligent motorists can be held legally responsible for their careless and dangerous actions.
How Do I Prove Negligence to Win My Bicycle Accident Case?
If you were hit by a car while riding your bike in Encinitas, you may have the right to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit for damages.
Your claim would most likely be based on the legal tort of negligence. Negligence refers to another person’s failure to act reasonably, which, in turn, caused an injury or wrongful death.
In California, you’ll have the burden of proving each of the following elements in a negligence action:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care
- The defendant breached this duty of care
- The defendant’s conduct caused your bicycle accident, and
- You’ve suffered damages.
Ultimately, you have to prove that the bicycle accident (and your resulting injuries) only happened because the defendant was careless. Their behavior was the actual and proximate cause of the crash. As a result, they must be held fully accountable for the resulting consequences.
What Damages Are Available if I File a Bicycle Accident Claim or Lawsuit in Encinitas, California?
In California, bike accident victims reserve the right to seek compensatory damages from a negligent or otherwise liable party.
Compensatory damages can include:
- Economic damages, intended to make you financially whole after your bicycle crash, and
- Non-economic damages, intended to compensate for the personal trauma you experience as an injured cyclist
As a result, you may be able to secure compensation for:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Nursing care
- Medical devices and equipment
- Disability
- Lost earnings
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement
You’ll face adversity as you fight to get the maximum financial payout you deserve. The at-fault driver and their insurer will try to downplay your injuries and the impact the bike accident has had on your life.
Our Encinitas bicycle accident attorneys will be there to fight for you at every turn. We’ll use tried-and-true legal strategies to build a compelling case and force meaningful negotiations with the other side. Our goal: to ensure that you’re properly compensated for your life-changing bicycle accident.
Bicyclists Can Suffer Serious, Life-Threatening Injuries
Wearing a bicycle helmet can save your life. That’s one of the reasons that California law mandates the use of bike helmets for all cyclists under the age of 18. However, even if you’re wearing a helmet, you’re still susceptible to a host of potentially catastrophic injuries if your bike is hit by a car.
Some of the most common bicycle accident injuries in Encinitas include:
- Concussion
- Brain injury
- Dental injury
- Eye injury
- Hearing loss
- Sprains and strains
- Knee injury
- Nerve damage
- Broken bones
- Chest injury
- Burns
- Road rash
- Amputation
- Spinal cord injury
- Degloving injury
- Cuts, lacerations, and abrasions
- Wrongful death
Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you seek compensation for any injuries you’ve sustained in a recent Encinitas bicycle accident. Reach out to our compassionate legal team to discuss your legal rights and options today.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Getting Blamed For My California Bicycle Accident?
Yes, as long as you’re not 100 percent responsible for the bicycle accident
Under California’s pure comparative negligence system, your financial award will be adjusted based on your role in the bicycle crash.
If you’re assigned 50 percent of the blame for a recent bicycle accident, your settlement or jury award will be cut in half. If you’re assigned 25 percent of the blame, your damages will be reduced by 25 percent.
It’s important to fight back against allegations of contributory negligence. Left unchallenged, they can seriously hurt your opportunity to recover the compensation you need and deserve. When you choose Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers, our bicycle accident lawyers in Encinitas will be ready to defend you at every turn, working hard to protect your financial award.
How Long Do I Have to File a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit in California?
California’s two-year statute of limitations applies to most bicycle accident lawsuits.
The two-year deadline begins to run the date of your bicycle accident or the date of a loved one’s wrongful death.
Once time runs out, you will lose the ability to bring a legal claim and demand financial accountability from those responsible for your life-changing bike accident.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Encinitas Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Call Petrov Personal Injury Lawyers if you’ve recently been injured in a bicycle accident in Encinitas, California. We know your life has been turned on its head, and our award-winning Encinitas bicycle accident lawyers are here to help you navigate the difficult days ahead.
We’ve been fighting for bike accident victims in Encinitas and across San Diego County, CA for more than two decades. We’ve won over $40 million for our clients. We have the resources and experience you need to get the best results.
Call our Encinitas legal team to arrange your free consultation. We’re always here to help – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
