Modesto has hundreds of miles of paved and unpaved bike paths used by thousands of cyclists every week. With such a bike-friendly city, it’s no wonder that bicycle accidents are a frequent occurrence.
Has a bicycle accident injured you or someone you love in Modesto? Did someone else’s negligence cause this accident? If so, you may be eligible for compensation for your losses through a personal injury claim or lawsuit. The Modesto personal injury attorneys at OnderLaw can assist you in filing a claim and help you get the financial compensation you deserve after a bicycle accident. Call today for a free, no-obligation consultation and let us help you get back in the saddle. Call OnderLaw today.
Obtaining compensation through a personal injury claim usually means dealing with the responsible party’s insurance company. This can be more difficult than it sounds and is best left to a qualified attorney.
Insurance companies make money by denying payment on claims whenever possible. They look for any reason to protect their customer from liability and will act quickly to have you sign a form that does just that, provided you accept the settlement offer they propose. A good lawyer can help make sure that the insurance company doesn’t short-change you and will fight for a settlement amount that covers all your losses.
First, your attorney will help you understand how damages work. You can be compensated for a variety of losses related to your bicycle accident. Knowing what these losses are and how to assess them is vital. We will use our experience with previous case law to help you determine precisely how much compensation is needed to cover your losses. Without the help of a lawyer, you may not receive the total amount of compensation you’re owed.
Second, your attorney will act as your negotiator. We take point on any communication or settlement negotiations with the insurance company. This has a double effect: it lets the insurance company know that you’re serious about obtaining fair compensation, and it gives you the time you need to recover from your injuries or help a family member to do the same without worrying about your claim.
Third, we will take on the work of building your claim, so you don’t have to. We will interview witnesses, gather documents, and compile all the evidence needed to support your claim, so you don’t have to.
Hiring an attorney provides you with options you don’t have otherwise, like filing a lawsuit. If the insurance company investigates your accident and determines their customer was not at fault, you could be on the hook for out-of-pocket medical expenses or lost wages. With the help of a lawyer, you can move forward with a lawsuit against the negligent party and let a judge or jury decide whether you deserve compensation, not the insurance company.
Hiring a lawyer isn’t essential for your injury claim, but it certainly helps.
We have the experience and knowledge to get the results our clients demand. We’ve been helping accident victims get compensation for their injuries for almost two decades, and we’ve developed a reputation as a firm that gets the job done while putting our clients’ needs first.
You won’t find a “settlement farm” at OnderLaw. You’ll find a staff of committed, passionate legal professionals who understand the claims process and how to make it work for our clients. We handle claims of all sizes, from bicycle accidents to multi-million dollar lawsuits, but the care and attention with which we treat our clients are just as important to us as the amount of compensation we may obtain for you.
There’s no escaping the fact that good legal help is expensive, but we don’t want cost to be a barrier for our clients, so we work on contingency. We don’t take any up-front payment for our services. There is nothing due at signing, and we charge no fees upfront. We get paid by taking a percentage of any settlement or award we obtain for you. If we aren’t successful in getting you compensation, we don’t charge a fee. You only pay for our services if we get you the help you need.
We take pride in providing support to charitable organizations and causes through donations of time and money. We regularly support groups like MADD, the Lupus Foundation of America, and Toys for Tots.
The primary reason we’re still growing after nearly two decades is that we’re good at what we do. Our results speak for themselves, and we’ve obtained over $3.5 billion in settlements and awards for our clients since 2002. We didn’t achieve these results by accident. We apply our skills, knowledge, and determination to each of our client’s cases to get them the best results possible.
Head to our Testimonials page to hear from some of our satisfied past clients.
Here’s a brief outline of some of the laws governing bicycling in Modesto and elsewhere:
Bicycle accidents are a common occurrence in California. The increase in bike-sharing services coupled with the rise in ride-hailing services statewide means more cars are sharing the road with more bikes than ever before, which translates to more accidents. Some of the common causes of bicycle accidents include:
Bicyclists are at a distinct disadvantage when sharing the road with other vehicles like cars and trucks. They have no safety equipment and provide no protection for riders against an impact with either another vehicle or the ground. They are small and not easy to see at night, and most riders can’t keep up with the speed of city traffic. Their one advantage is their agility, which can sometimes make it easier to move out of the way of an approaching vehicle.
Some injuries from bicycle accidents include:
The compensation you’re eligible for depends on the severity of your accident and the injuries you sustained. In general, the more severe your injuries, the more you should demand in compensation, but determining the exact amount you might receive is best left up to your attorney.
You can be compensated for any losses you sustained as a result of the accident, whether due to the injury itself or the effects of the accident on your state of mind and well-being.
Losses with a definable dollar amount attached are called economic damages. There are several types, such as:
Losses that relate to the experience of the injury without a definable dollar amount are called non-economic damages. Some examples include:
If you’re able to show that your injury was due to intentional malice, you may be eligible for exemplary damages. These are only awarded by a judge or jury and are punitive in nature. Exemplary damages punish the malicious actor for their conduct and are meant to prevent them from behaving in the same way again. Talk to your attorney to see if exemplary damages are suitable for your case.
Here is some data regarding bicycle accidents in California and elsewhere:
Don’t let a bicycle accident put the brakes on your future plans. Call OnderLaw today and let us review your case. The first consultation is absolutely free, and you’re under no obligation. California’s statute of limitations on personal injury lawsuits is only two years from the date of injury, so the clock is already running. Call today.
