Bicycling can be an enjoyable, green way to commute, spend recreational time, and live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, a serious bicycle accident can end up with far-reaching, serious, injurious consequences that have the exact opposite effect on your health and on your life. In cities like Menifee, driven towards attracting residential expansion from more urban areas such as Los Angeles, where bicycling is becoming a more common part of life, dangerous conditions exist that increase your risk of suffering bicycle accidents and being injured. If you were injured in a bicycle accident you may be entitled to compensation for your damages and should speak to an experienced Menifee bicycle accident attorney to learn more today.
How Do Bicycle Accidents Happen?
California is the deadliest state in the country for bicyclists. Over 300 cyclists are killed each year and thousands injured. Though accidents involving motorists are the most common reason for bicycle accident injuries at nearly 30 percent, many other situations may result in injury to cyclists. Common causes of injury often include:
- Loose animals,
- Poorly maintained roadways,
- Drunk or distracted drivers,
- Other bicyclists, and
- Defective parts on either a bicycle or an automobile resulting in a collision or a crash.
Any of these and other situations can result in catastrophic injuries for a bicyclist and often are the result of another party’s negligence. No matter how your accident occurred, you should check with a Menifee bicycle accident attorney to understand if you may have legal options to recover for your injuries.
Why Is Bicycling So Dangerous in Menifee?
Menifee, in the heart of Southern California, is a growing community of over 93,000 residents that has seen a population explosion in recent years as people from Los Angeles and the Inland Empire move further away from these densely populated urban areas. With warm weather and only 35 days of measurable precipitation on average a year, the climate is ideal for people to bicycle to work, for exercise, and recreationally. Additionally, Menifee boasts tourist attractions such as:
- Funhouse Escape,
- DropZone Waterpark,
- Sun City Library, and
- The Motte Family Museum
that bring more people into town. This increasing population and tourist population driving into and around Menifee, in addition to other common factors, increases bicyclist risk of accidents and injuries.
What Is My Case Worth in Menifee?
It is normal to wonder how much you could receive for your bicycle accident injuries. In California, the most common argument for recovery in personal injury law is that another party’s negligence caused your injuries. You must prove the alleged wrongdoer had a duty of care to you, breached that duty, and that breach caused your injury or loss. Proving the party breached their duty and subsequently tying that breach to your injuries can be tricky, so it is advisable to consult with an experienced Menifee bicycle accident attorney to avoid legal pitfalls and proceed in a strategic manner most advantageous for your case.
Damage Awards
If you can prove the other party was negligent, they are liable for damages you can prove unless they can raise a valid legal defense. You may be entitled to an award of economic and noneconomic compensatory damages. Economic compensatory damages are quantifiable, concrete harms you can demonstrate you can substantiate through records such as receipts and paystubs. This type of damages may include:
- Medical bills,
- Lost wages,
- Lost future earning potential, and
- Funeral expenses.
Noneconomic compensatory damages, on the other hand, are awarded for more abstract harms that do not have a fixed price such as mental anguish, emotional distress, pain and suffering, disfigurement or scarring, disability, and loss of consortium.
Additionally, if you can show the conduct of the party that caused your injuries was vile or reprehensible, you may be eligible for an additional damage award intended to punish their bad behavior and deter them and others from acting similarly in the future. Punitive damages are awarded at the discretion of a judge or jury when it can be proven the injuring party acted with malice, oppression, or fraud. These damage awards are usually substantially higher than compensatory damage awards in order to serve their intended purpose.
The standards of proof differ for different types of damages, so it is advisable to seek out legal counsel with experience handling personal injury cases and bicycle accidents in particular that can help determine the best way to proceed.
What If I Am Partially Responsible for The Accident?
Even if the accident that caused your injuries was partly your fault, you may still recover damages in Menifee. California applies the doctrine of comparative negligence in these cases, meaning that the amount of damages you are can recover is in proportion to the amount of fault you are assigned in the injury-causing incident. Based on the facts presented, a judge or jury will assign all the parties involved a percentage of fault in the accident, and that party’s respective percentage dictates the percentage of any award they will receive as the victim or must pay as the negligent party. Comparative negligence is a complex theory best asserted by knowledgeable attorneys who have experience in this area.
Contact a Menifee Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident Menifee, contact the knowledgeable attorneys at Walton Law today. Time is not on your side, so it is important you move quickly to protect your legal rights and preserve your ability to recover for your injuries. The skilled attorneys at Walton Law have years of experience delivering personalized representation for clients like you and have secured millions of dollars in awards for deserving individuals and their families. You can contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (866)-338-7079 or through our online Contact Page to set up your initial, risk free case evaluation. There is no obligation and you will pay nothing unless we win your case. Our attorneys will review your unique case and help you understand the options available to you as well as the best way to proceed. We will advocate for you to achieve the best possible outcome and the maximum possible recovery for your injuries.