Bicycle Accidents in California
Bicycles are an inexpensive mode of transportation and are used in almost all the areas around the world. There are also many advanced bicycles such as Bike Nation, B-Cycle and Metrobike which have made the roads a less congested space. With many people travelling on bikes, there are less traffic accidents and congestions and people can reach their destination faster. However, that doesn’t mean that the bicycles are without a single issue.
Statistics of Bicycle Accidents in California
It has been estimated that California is one of the most dangerous States when it comes to bicycle accidents. Since many people opt for bicycles as their mode of transportation and exercise in the streets, the chances of accidents increase drastically. It was mostly noticed during the study of bicycle accidents when it was shown that almost 455 riders were killed during accidents between 2016 and 2018. Another study also showed that together California, Texas, and Florida accounted for almost 41 percent of bicycle accidents and fatalities in America between 2014 and 2017. This number has drastically doubled since 2008. At first the number of deaths due to bicycle accidents was 74 but then it doubled to 106. This shows that the amount of damages incurred due to bicycle accidents is very high.
The demographic studies have also shown that the number of male driver accidents are different from female drivers. Almost 719 male bicyclists were involved in traffic accidents in 2019 which was a number greater than female bicyclists. In the same year, it was also studied that almost 90 percent of bicycle accident victims were aged 20 years and older. Almost 791 riders involved in accidents were kids older than 16 years who had illegally consumed alcohol and were under the influence.
Major Reasons of Bicycle Accidents
There are many reasons for bicycle accidents in the streets and roads of California. Sometimes it may be the negligence of the rider and sometimes the fault of the vehicle driver or pedestrian. In the case of riders, there are some cases that are normally seen due to which the accidents seem to occur. The first reason why such accidents become deadly is because the bicyclists do not wear proper helmets and protective gear. Some people ignore this because they don’t consider it important but the nation-wide statistics say something different. It has been proved that there are many adults with an age higher than 18 years who do not wear helmets. Because of this, almost 17 percent of riders face serious injuries while in bicycle accidents. In 2019, it was found that 62 percent of bicyclists that died while riding were not wearing helmets.
The second cause of bicycle accidents is determined to be intoxicated driving. Many people think that driving bicycles under the influence of alcohol and drugs is better than driving cars drunk, but it is not true. Drunk bicycling is dangerous for not only the driver but also the other vehicles. It was seen that in 2017, almost 33 percent of bicycle accidents were because of intoxicated drivers.
Types of Damages Caused By Bicycle Accidents
When the biker is involved in an accident, it may or may not be his fault. In either case, the one without fault has the opportunity to claim damages from the assailant. You can claim these damages directly and if the assailant is not agreeing, you can take help from the court to get your compensations. There are three types of damages that can be claimed in the court in case of bicycle accidents. If your claim is proved to be true in the court, then you will get monetary compensation.
The details of these three types are given below.
1. Economic Damages: these damages include the compensation for physical losses that the victim has suffered from. They include losses of property, damages to the property, and paying medical bills for the injuries sustained. The assailant is also liable to pay for compensation if the accident has resulted in permanent injury and you are unable to provide for your family. If the injury has resulted in loss of the victim’s job or he has difficulty fulfilling his duty, then the assailant has to be responsible for that too.
2. Non-Economic Damages: these include emotional distress and pain caused by the accident. This type of damage does not have any fixed monetary value and is paid according to the financial situation and condition of the victim. If the victim had scheduled any fun activities and was not able to enjoy because of the accident, the assailant has to pay for that too.
3. Punitive Damages: This type of damage is the least common and the assailant is only charged for such damages if he had caused the accident on purpose and it has been proved in the court.
Attorneys for Bicycle Accidents in California
According to the statistics given above, California is very infamous for its bicycle accidents. Because of this, there are many law firms who have specialized lawyers and attorneys for such matters. If you are involved in a bicycle accident, the first thing you should do is to get the contact information of the person you have collided with so that you can get compensation for it. If you can, you should get the nearest traffic police officer so that he can write up a report. Even if there are no physical injuries, going to the hospital for a checkup is a must so that there are no complications later and even if they are, you can get compensated for it. After collecting such evidence, you should contact a lawyer. He will help in preparing a good case for the court so that you can support your claim. In California, Colony Law provides the best lawyers and attorneys for your cases. You can contact them through their official website or just call them on 310-882-6336.
FAQ
According to statistics, how many bicycle accidents are there in a year?
Different studies from different states has shown that there are almost 144 bike accidents per year. This number has continued to be like this for the past 6 years.