The year-round temperate climate in Southern California makes walking or riding a bike a popular activity for thousands of people. Every day, you’ll see people walking through parks for exercise or leaving their car at home and walking to work instead. Although choosing to walk or bike rather than drive has significant benefits ranging from reducing emissions to staying physically active, it also exposes people to a risk of significant injury.
In Southern California, the number of pedestrian fatalities in LA increased dramatically between 2015 and 2017. Now, new legislation called Zero Vision has acknowledged the issue of pedestrian and bicycle safety with efforts to reduce the number of accidents substantially by 2025. Already these efforts are working, with a six percent decline in pedestrian accidents reported at the end of 2017.
The Benefits of Working with a Personal Injury Attorney
When you’re injured in a pedestrian or bike accident, you might be tempted to try and manage the claims process yourself. The insurance companies are hoping that you won’t hire an attorney, as it makes their job easier. In order to secure the best chance of getting a fair settlement to cover the cost of your injuries, it is always advisable to hire an experienced Riverside bicycle accident lawyer. Some of the benefits of working with a skilled legal team include:
- Your attorney can collect important documents such as medical records and the official police report in order to support your claim.
- Your lawyer can speak with the insurance company on your behalf so you don’t have to worry about saying something that could hurt the value of your settlement.
- An experienced lawyer can put together a comprehensive list of current and future damages. These could include both economic and non-economic damages. This can have a significant impact on the amount of your settlement or award.
- If necessary, your lawyer can file a lawsuit on your behalf to make sure you recover the compensation you deserve
After an accident, you should focus on much as possible on following your doctor’s advice and healing, both physically and emotionally. When you retain a trusted personal injury attorney to handle the legal part of your case, it allows you to do so without taking time to deal with insurance company representatives, paperwork, and the other issues that are associated with recovering compensation.
Call a California Pedestrian and Bike Accident Lawyer Today
If you’ve been in an accident while walking or riding your bike, you know how difficult the aftermath can be. At the JLF firm, we are committed to helping accident victims obtain the compensation to which they are entitled under California law. We offer all prospective clients a free initial consultation to discuss the details of your case and will never collect legal fees unless we successfully recover compensation on your behalf. We can put together a thorough action plan and help you determine your next steps. Call us today at 949-432-6676 or contact us online to learn how we can support you through this process.
