Proficient, Personalized & Compassionate Representation
When an accident leaves you injured and overwhelmed, trying to recoup your losses on your own can just make everything worse. An experienced San Francisco bicycle accident attorney can pursue compensation while you focus on recovery. Contact Delfino, Green & Green for a free consultation.
If you live in the Bay Area, you know how congested the roads can get. By opting to ride a bicycle instead of driving, you can save time and money and reduce your carbon footprint—all while getting a great workout. With so many benefits to offer our city, you’d think that cyclists would be safe on the road, but that isn’t always the case. Rushed or inattentive drivers present a huge danger to cyclists, and San Francisco’s notoriously hilly streets don’t help the situation. As a result, drivers injure and kill cyclists every year, many of whom weren’t breaking any bicycle laws. As experienced personal injury lawyers, we think that’s unacceptable. If your bicycle accident was caused by someone else’s negligence, you deserve compensation. The lawyers at Delfino, Green & Green may be able to help you find it. Keep reading to learn who is liable for your losses and whether you’re eligible to file a bicycle accident lawsuit.
Free Bicycle Injury Consultation
If you were injured by someone’s reckless actions, why should you have to foot the bill for your recovery? The answer’s simple: You shouldn’t. Give us a call at 415-442-4646 to request a free consultation with a bicycle accident lawyer.
What to Do Immediately after a Bicycle Accident
Even if you don’t know anything about bikes, you know they don’t fare well in collisions with cars. With nothing to shield them, cyclists are extremely vulnerable in any type of accident, and wrecks involving motor vehicles can be catastrophic, if not deadly. If you regularly bike around the city, it’s important to have a plan laid out in the event of an accident. Here are some important actions to take immediately after a bike accident;
- Get to safety. If you’re able to move, get off the road and out of the way of traffic.
- Call 911. When someone is in a serious accident, their body may flood with adrenaline, which temporarily reduces pain. Even if you’re not convinced you need medical attention, you may still want to call 911 to request an ambulance and the police.
- Take pictures. If you’re able to, take pictures of the scene while you wait for your ambulance to arrive. This includes pictures of your bike, injuries and the driver’s car.
- Gather evidence. Make sure to gather any other information that might be relevant to your case, like the driver’s insurance information. Take mental note of anything that seems out of place or suspicious.
- Get a police incident report. This will be a crucial piece of documentation when making a case for your compensation. You can request a free incident report through the San Francisco Police Department’s website.
- Seek medical care. Prioritize your recovery and make sure you receive the necessary treatments. Ask your healthcare professional for documentation of your injuries and treatments.
- Contact a personal injury attorney. Although you may get some compensation through the driver’s insurance company, it may not be enough. An experienced personal injury attorney can help you calculate and pursue the settlement you deserve.
The most important thing to remember in the event of a bicycle accident is that your health is paramount. Once you’ve taken the necessary steps to ensure your safety, gather any evidence you can from the scene, as it may prove invaluable to your lawsuit.
Get In Touch
Call us today at 415-442-4646 to learn more about our services and speak with one of our bicycle accident lawyers in San Francisco.
Who Caused My Bike Accident?
Figuring out who’s at fault in a bike accident isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Some bike accidents aren’t caused by the driver or the cyclist, and some cases have multiple at-fault parties. Police incident reports sometimes oversimplify and may not shed much light on the matter. So how do you figure it out? A San Francisco bicycle attorney can help you investigate and ultimately pinpoint the at-fault party or parties. The party responsible for your accident may simply be the driver, or it could be an entity behind the scenes, like the driver’s brake manufacturer or the construction company that left a mess in the street. An experienced lawyer will investigate the incident and discover the root cause.
California Statute of Limitations
If you suffered serious injuries in a bike wreck, starting a lawsuit is probably the last thing on your mind. Although it’s important not to jeopardize your recovery, you need to understand that there is a time limit for filing. In California, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is generally two years from the date of the incident, after which you probably won’t be eligible to sue for compensation.
Why Do I Need a Bicycle Accident Attorney?
There’s a misconception that people who file lawsuits are just out to make a fast buck; this couldn’t be further from the truth. The reality is that most injury victims don’t want to sue, but medical bills, lost wages and other losses add up. Filing a lawsuit against the negligent party is often the only way for them to salvage the situation. A lawyer can make this process much, much easier.
Calculating a Settlement
After identifying the at-fault party, your personal injury lawyer will want to calculate a settlement amount. Rather than strictly monetary losses, this figure may also reflect non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. Your lawyer may be able to help you recover compensation for the following damages:
- Lost wages and work-related benefits
- Lost earning capability
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Permanent disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Medical bills, treatments and therapies
- Possible punitive damages in the case of gross negligence
This is by no means a comprehensive list, but they are damages to consider when discussing a fair settlement with your lawyer.
Contact a San Francisco Bike Accident Lawyer Today!
If you were involved in a serious bicycle accident caused by someone else, you shouldn’t be bearing the financial burden of that person’s negligence. Unfortunately, insurance companies rarely compensate injury victims fairly (if they pay out at all), so you could be left dealing with tremendous debt.
Secure The Compensation You Deserve
With an experienced bicycle accident lawyer on your side, you may be able to secure the compensation you deserve after your traumatic wreck. So don’t wait! Contact the trusted Bay Area personal injury attorneys at Delfino, Green & Green to schedule your free consultation today.
Words of Praise from Our Clients
“I had the pleasure of working with Sharon Delfino on my workmens comp case. She definitely had my best interest at hand. She was able to find me a great doctor and help me resolve my case. The staff there are always polite and friendly, never had an issue. It was a pleasure working with Delfino Green & Green !”
– Tabitha W“I’ve known the firm’s founder, Bill Green, for many years and I can say that he is one of the best attorneys I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He and his associates at Delfino Green & Green are hard-working, highly responsive, and very professional, and they get the job done, without excuses. Bill is a great communicator, both with clients, and in Court, and invests time and money to include visual storytelling in his trials and mediations. You won’t find an attorney who cares more about you, and getting you an outstanding result for your case. Bill is one of the “good guys” in the legal profession…a great person to have on your side when dealing with the craziness of litigation.”
– Tim M“A few years ago, I referred a friend of mine to the attorneys at Delfino Green & Green. He was extremely happy with the job they did on his case. He was severely injured when a car hit him when he was crossing a street and this event had the potential to ruin him in a number of ways – financially, physically, emotionally, etc. We kept in close contact during the lawsuit and he told me how great his lawyer and his assistant were throughout the process. Caring, compassionate and very knowledgeable. My friend ended up with a great result – fair financial compensation and great treatment for his injuries. Little did I know when I referred my friend that a few years later, I would need a lawyer for injuries I suffered, but I did. Based on my friend’s experience, I knew that Delfino Green & Green would be the right attorneys for me. So I hired Bill Green and his team to help and they jumped right into action. Now I can saw that I too have firsthand knowledge of just how great these guys are. They knew the law, they knew just how to handle my particular case, and they helped me get my life back after the horrible events that lead to my injury. I can’t imagine that you could do any better than hiring these folks. I’m so grateful for all they did for both me and my friend.”
– Evelyn A“The work Delfino Green & Green did on my case was beyond excellent. The final result was superb, but I also truly appreciated how Mr. Green and the team kept me up-to-date at every stage of the case. I was able to reach someone whenever I needed something or had something important to report and the firm always let me know what was going on in my case. That was very important to me because I hadn’t found that to be true with other attorneys. In short, really top flight work, great people and results that met all of my expectations above and beyond.”
– Byron HRequest Your Free Consultation Now
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