Downtown Los Angeles has always been a hub for activity, but rapid growth and construction in recent years have made travelling by bicycle more and more dangerous. There has been a steep increase in the number of bicycle accidents city-wide, and downtown Los Angeles is one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the county for bicyclists.
There are a number of possible reasons for this increase, but anyone who has spent time in DTLA in recent years can see that there are simply more and more cars and trucks squeezing into fewer lanes, as construction crews and trucks cut off the lanes of traffic, with bike lanes often being blocked or simply ignored by careless drivers.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in downtown Los Angeles, you may however be able to sue for your injuries to win a significant financial recovery against a number of defendants.
What to Do After Your DTLA Bicycle Accident
Clearly your first and most important priority after an accident is to get the emergency and ongoing medical services that you need to avoid further injury. If possible, however, you should attempt to take pictures with your phone (ask a bystander to take pictures and send them to you if your phone is not present or damaged) to document the accident scene and your injuries.
In addition – and again only if possible through your efforts or those of any bystanders – collect the identifying information for the drivers involved with the accident, as well as contact information for those who can act as witnesses in recounting what happened.
You should reach out to an experienced bicycle attorney as soon as possible after the accident occurs, ideally within the immediate days following the accident. It costs you nothing to have a free consultation with an attorney (and you will owe no legal fee unless and until an attorney recovers on your behalf), and, the sooner you contact you him or her (regardless of whether you do decide to pursue legal action), the easier it will be for that lawyer to build a strong case on your behalf by collecting physical, medical, and eyewitness evidence.
Potential Defendants in Your Bicycle Accident Claim
If a driver acted carelessly in causing your accident, then he or she will be liable to you for your injuries. Acting carelessly could include: driving in the bike lane, distracted driving (texting while driving), drunk or drugged driving, not stopping at red lights or stop signs, and so on.
In addition, the driver’s employer could be financially liable if the driver was working at the time. Other parties that might liable could be building landlords or construction companies that acted negligently in putting obstructions in the road, or even government authorities in some cases.
Financial Recovery in Your Los Angeles Bike Accident
If a defendant or multiple defendants are indeed liable for causing your downtown Los Angeles bicycle accident, they may each be liable to pay the full costs associated with:
- Any medical bills you will incur due to your accident over your lifetime, including medication, rehabilitation, hospital bills, doctor bills, etc.
- The lost wages or income you suffer due to the accident
- The pain and suffering you will endure over your life due to the accident
- Property damage to your bicycle and other belongings
Contact a Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
If you have been the victim of a bicycle accident with a car, truck, motorcyclist, or scooter in California, the personal injury team at LawPLA who can help you assess your situation and understand what legal options are available to you for financial recovery. Contact LawPLA today to schedule a consultation to discuss your bicycle accident, and what we may be able to do on your behalf.
