North Hollywood Bicycle Accident Attorney

With year-round good weather, North Hollywood offers one of the best environments for bicycling. Unfortunately, negligent or reckless drivers often put bicyclists in danger. If you’ve suffered injuries in a crash, a North Hollywood bicycle accident attorney from The Shamsi Law Firm, APC can help you seek compensation and accountability.

Sean Shamsi, a skilled and reputable attorney, can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. He has dedicated his career to helping injury victims pursue financial relief and justice after devastating accidents. Sean provides comprehensive legal advocacy so clients can focus on their recovery. More importantly, he understands that accident victims need someone to be their voice against insurance companies that won’t pay full and fair compensation. With tens of millions of dollars recovered for clients, Sean’s voice has proven to be a powerful one.

If you were hurt in a bicycle accident, you have the right to pursue compensation from the person or parties liable for your injuries. Contact The Shamsi Law Firm, APC for a free initial case evaluation to discuss your legal options with a seasoned North Hollywood bicycle accident lawyer.

What Are the California Bicycle Laws?

California law imposes specific regulations on the operation of bicycles to ensure that cyclists are safe on the roads they share with motorists. Some of the bicycle laws that cyclists and drivers in California should know include:

• A bicyclist has all the rights and must follow all the rules applicable to drivers of motor vehicles, except for those provisions that, by their terms, clearly have no application to bicycles.
• Bicyclists may not ride on a public road while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• A cyclist arrested for riding under the influence may request a breath, blood, or urine test.
• Bikes must have a brake that allows the rider to make one braked wheel skid on dry, level, clean pavement.
• A bicycle’s handlebars may not rise above the rider’s shoulders.
• Cyclists must ride bikes of an appropriate size that allows the rider to support the bike in an upright position with at least one foot on the ground.
• A bike ridden at night must have a front white light visible from at least 300 feet to the front and sides of the bike, a red rear reflector or light with a built-in reflector visible at least 500 feet to the rear, a white or yellow reflector on each pedal visible from at least 200 feet, a white or yellow reflector on each side forward of center, and a white or red reflector on each side to the rear of center.
• Riders traveling less than the normal traffic speed must ride in the designated bike lane if available or as close as possible to the right-hand curb or edge of the road, except when passing another bicycle, preparing for a left turn, or avoiding hazards along the right-hand edge.
• Cyclists may not attach themselves or their bicycles to another vehicle.
• A bicycle may only carry a passenger if designed or equipped with a separate seat.
• Riders may not carry items that prevent them from keeping at least one hand on the handlebars.
• Motorists may not operate a motor vehicle in a designated bike lane.
• Riders under 18 must wear a bike helmet that meets the standards published by the
• American Society for Testing and Materials or the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in North Hollywood

Many bike accidents involve collisions between a bicycle and a motor vehicle, with drivers frequently bearing fault for these collisions. Some of the most common driver-related causes of bicycle accidents in North Hollywood include:

Other factors contributing to bike accidents include design/manufacturing defects in the bicycle or motor vehicle, poor visibility/low lighting, poor road conditions, and adverse weather.

What to Do After a Bike Accident

Following a bike accident, you can take actions that will protect your legal rights to pursue compensation. The steps you should take following an accident on your bike include:

• Report the accident to law enforcement as soon as possible.
• Seek prompt medical attention at the hospital or your doctor’s office to get examined for injuries you sustained in the crash.
• Stick to your healthcare provider’s treatment plan and physical restrictions to facilitate your recovery and prevent aggravation of your injuries.
• Request copies of the police crash report and medical records for treatment and rehabilitation of your injuries.
• Gather your pay stubs or income statements if you need to miss time from work while recovering from your injuries or earn less than you did before the accident because of injuries or disabilities.
• Keep your medical bills/invoices and receipts for bicycle or property repair or replacement.

Finally, talk to a bicycle accident injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal options and pursue the compensation you need.

Common Types of Injuries from Bicycle Accidents

A cyclist may have little more than a helmet and joint pads to protect from injuries in a bike crash. As a result, riders tend to suffer more severe injuries than vehicle occupants would in a collision. Examples of injuries that bicyclists can suffer in accidents include:

How Long Do I Have to File a Bicycle Accident Claim in California?

California’s statute of limitations on injury claims gives most plaintiffs two years to file a bicycle accident lawsuit to pursue compensation for injuries from a bike crash. However, plaintiffs may have three years to file claims to recover compensation for damaged or destroyed bicycles or other property. The court can dismiss your case if you file your lawsuit after the statutory deadline. If so, you could lose your right to seek compensation in civil court. For this reason, you should contact a North Hollywood bicycle accident attorney from The Shamsi Law Firm, APC as soon as possible to get legal help filing your claim on time.

Recoverable Compensation in a North Hollywood Bicycle Accident Lawsuit

In a bicycle accident lawsuit, you could recover compensation for financial or personal losses that you incur due to injuries or property damage suffered in the bike crash. Potential compensation you could pursue includes money for the following:

• Medical expenses, including hospital stays, doctor’s visits, surgeries, diagnostic tests, medications, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and mobility equipment
• Long-term care expenses if you need support for a permanent disability due to the crash
• Loss of income if you cannot work while healing from your injuries
• Loss of future earning capacity and benefits if your injuries result in a permanent disability or impairment that prevents you from working again
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma and distress
• Loss of quality of life
• Reimbursement for repair or replacement of your bicycle, bike helmet, and other damaged personal property

Why You Need a North Hollywood Bicycle Accident Attorney

If you get hit by a careless or reckless driver while riding your bicycle, the insurance companies can make it challenging to pursue the compensation you need for your ongoing and future expenses or losses. You should focus on healing from your injuries rather than negotiating with insurers.

A North Hollywood bicycle accident attorney from The Shamsi Law Firm, APC can handle your bicycle accident case while you devote your time and energy to making a full recovery. Sean Shamsi will work tirelessly to seek the financial relief and justice that you are owed by:

• Investigating the accident and recovering evidence to build a robust case, including police accident reports, accident scene photos/videos, eyewitness testimony, surveillance/traffic camera footage, helmet cam/dashcam footage, and driver cell phone records
• Gathering your medical records to document your injuries and calculating your past, ongoing, and future anticipated losses
• Identifying the at-fault driver and other liable parties, along with options for recovering compensation such as applicable insurance coverage
• Preparing and filing your insurance and legal claims and handling discussions and negotiations with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys to take that stress off your shoulders
• Aggressively pursuing maximum compensation for you, whether through an insurance settlement or by fighting your case in court and at trial if litigation becomes necessary to demand a fair result

The Shamsi Law Firm, APC represents clients in accident injury cases on a contingency basis. This means you pay nothing upfront to hire Sean to handle your lawsuit. The Shamsi Law Firm, APC is only paid upon recovering full and fair compensation for you in a settlement or at trial. You have nothing to lose to get started.

Contact a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in North Hollywood Today

If you’ve suffered injuries in a bike crash caused by someone else, you deserve to pursue financial relief for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. Sean Shamsi, a reputable personal injury lawyer from The Shamsi Law Firm, APC, will take on the insurance companies to help you seek compensation and accountability. He is on your side and will fight vigorously to get you the best outcome.

Contact The Shamsi Law Firm, APC today for a free, no-obligation consultation with a bicycle accident lawyer in North Hollywood.