Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont support victims injured in dooring bicycle accidents. If you or a loved one are suffering from injuries you received in a dooring bicycle accident, the experienced accident attorneys of Fremont are here to help you get the maximum amount of compensation for your injuries. Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Fremont Bicycle Dooring Accident?
Dooring accident victims are covered by California Vehicle Law. According to California Vehicle Code 22517, no one is permitted to open a car or truck door on the side of the road next to moving traffic, except when it is reasonably safe to open the door, and the person may do so without interfering with traffic.
If you are involved in a dooring bicycle accident, it is advisable to seek the counsel of a personal injury attorney. However, you most likely won’t need an attorney if:
- The bicycle accident is minor with no apparent damage
- Your injuries are minor scrapes or small bruises
- The other party admits fault and pays for damages
If you’ve sustained verifiable injuries from a bicycle dooring accident, an attorney can file a lawsuit on your behalf. Verifiable injuries are injuries proven through medical records, police reports, or photographs. If a lawsuit is filed against the potentially liable party’s insurance, an attorney will:
- Manage the legal side of your accident by speaking with insurance adjusters on your behalf
- Put you in touch with the proper medical professionals to treat your injuries
- Investigate the accident and gather concrete evidence such as traffic footage and eyewitness statements to back up your claim
- Assign fault to all liable parties in the accident
- Negotiate a fair settlement
- Represent you in court if a settlement cannot be reached
Dealing with Insurers After a Fremont Bicycle Dooring Accident
When it comes to bicycle dooring accidents, insurance companies will not hesitate to shift blame onto the bicyclist for causing the accident. So, for example, let’s say you’re biking through Fremont’s Central District, and all of a sudden a driver swings open their car door in your path without checking the bike lane. You try to swerve, but you end up colliding with the door at a high speed and suffer a serious head injury.
A representative from the vehicle owner’s insurance company will most likely contact you shortly after the accident. While they may seem concerned, they will be looking to get you to give a statement that accepts some liability for the accident. They will even try to use your words against you, or get you to admit that your injuries are not that serious.
In these situations, it is recommended to NEVER admit fault. In fact, you do not have to speak with any insurance company representative if you do not want to. Our firm can do that for you. Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont today if you’ve been involved in a Fremont bicycle dooring accident.
How Bicycle Dooring Accidents Cause Injuries
When a driver or passenger opens the door of a vehicle in the immediate path of an oncoming cyclist, it provides the opportunity for significant injuries to occur in several ways:
- The bicyclist collides directly with the door without being able to stop or redirect
- The impact catapults the cyclist over the handlebars, causing a horrific fall against the cement
- The bicyclist manages to swerve out of the way but rides out into open traffic, causing a horrific accident with multiple drivers
- The bicyclist loses control of their bike attempting to avoid the open door and skids across the pavement
Common Bicycle Dooring Accident Injuries in Fremont
Medical professionals are no strangers to bicycle accident injuries. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, bicycle injuries account for 1.2 million doctor visits and 580,000 emergency visits per year. Although collisions with motor vehicles only involve a minority of bicycle accidents, they’re most responsible for the majority of injuries and fatalities. The most common dooring accident injuries in Fremont include:
- Brain injury: brain injuries are far more likely when bicyclists fail to wear their helmets. Although a helmet will not entirely protect you against a 3,000-pound vehicle, it can still reduce the risk of serious brain injury. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 62% of all fatal bicycle accidents involved bikers without helmets.
- Facial injury: bicycle injuries typically involve facial injuries due to the lack of protection on a rider’s face. Common facial injuries include:
- Broken jaw bone
- Missing teeth
- Fractured cheekbones
- Damaged eye sockets
- Spinal cord injury: considered one of the most dangerous injuries, spinal cord damage can most likely become permanent, affecting the entire body. A blunt hit to the spinal cord can cause:
- Loss of movement
- Loss of sensation
- Loss of bladder control
- Difficulty breathing
- Trouble with balance and walking
What is the Typical Compensation for a Fremont Bicycle Dooring Accident?
There is no set dollar amount for the trauma and pain experienced by bicycle accident victims. However, an experienced accident attorney will help you understand the value of your case by calculating your economic damages (such as lost wages and medical bills) and non-economic damages (emotional harm, depression, and anxiety). These damages combined include:
- Special Damages: medical bills, ongoing treatment, costs that accumulate when you’re unable to work, like rent or mortgage payments
- General Damages: these are non-economic hardships like pain and suffering, anxiety, depression, mental trauma
- Wrongful Death Damages: these damages may be sought by a spouse or close relative for funeral arrangements, burial expenses, and medical treatment before a loved one’s death
- Punitive Damages: these damages are rare, but if the driver engaged in reckless driving with the intention of hurting you, then you could sue for punitive damages
Contact a Fremont Bicycle Dooring Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one have suffered injuries in a bicycle dooring accident, the Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont can help you obtain the compensation you need to get your life back. We know how traumatic and overwhelming a bicycle accident can be, but our team of experienced personal injury lawyers will be here to support you through every step of the legal process.
Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Fremont today for a free consultation and case evaluation. There is no upfront fee for our services and we won’t charge you a dime until we’ve won your case.