BICYCLE ACCIDENTS
Bicycling has increased dramatically over the past three decades, especially in California, due mostly to congested roads, the high cost of gas and parking restrictions. In response to this increase in use, special bike lanes and park trails accessible to bicycles have been constructed by most Californian cities and town. Unfortunately, many automobile drivers do not respect the bicyclists' rights to share the roads and, more importantly, young bike riders haven't been educated on how to legally and safely share the roads with automobiles, resulting in a rise in serious, and sometimes fatal, injuries to bicyclists.
Motor vehicle operators and bicyclists must obey the same traffic laws and there are many "new" traffic laws concerning bicycles. Ignorance of the laws does not alleviate a motor vehicle operator's fault in an accident if they injure a bicyclist. In addition, beyond the applicable laws, each bicycle case is different. Negligence in these type of cases is often dependent on the particular facts of each accident, which make these cases more complex than those involving automobile collisions. Collisions with automobiles only account for 1/3 of the accidents. However they account for the majority of the catastrophic injuries.
Hiring an attorney with experience and expertise in these types of cases is advisable. Mann & Elias partner Imad Elias has that experience and expertise, having successfully prosecuted and settled numerous bicycle cases involving complex and challenging fact scenarios. You can contact Mr. Elias at mylaw1999@aol.com for a free consultation.