Laguna Niguel Personal Injury Lawyers

Laguna Niguel’s personal injury lawyers serve the legal interests of men, women, and children who have been injured because of the negligence of another person. Although personal injury cases come in many different forms, there are some general categories of the most common types of accidents caused by negligence that result in personal injuries. These are:

• car accidents
• slip and fall incidents
• defective products

The best course of action to take to ensure appropriate compensation for losses sustained in a personal injury case of any type is engaging the services of skilled, tenacious, and compassionate Laguna Niguel personal injury lawyers, like the legal team at the El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers.

Laguna Niguel Motorcycle and Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Riding a motorcycle has an unparalleled thrill. If you are a passionate rider, you most likely know that there are very few exhilarating things like riding on the sun-kissed roadways of California. However, cyclists and bikers face a unique risk compared to other road users in California.

This is often because most drivers are not accustomed to sharing the road with bicycles. Most drivers think that bikes belong on the sidewalk and not on the highways. Without any protection of seatbelts, 4,000 pounds of metal, and airbags, bikers face serious injuries after a collision with a car.

When you or a loved one has been involved in an accident due to the negligence of others, you should seek compensation for your injuries, losses, and damages with the help of Laguna Niguel accident lawyers.

3 Common Causes of Motorcycle and Bicycle Accidents in Laguna Niguel, CA

Colliding With an Open Door

You most likely have seen it on TV, but it often happens in reality. It is commonly referred to as a Door Prize. This occurs when a bicyclist riding his or her bike away from the traffic but closer to parked vehicles suddenly crashes into an open car door. According to Vehicle Code 22517, no one should open a car door that faces moving traffic unless it is safe to do so without interfering with traffic.

Left Hand Turns

This is a frequent cause of accidents between cars and bicycles or motorbikes. According to Vehicle Code 21801(a), all drivers who are making a U-turn or turning left should give right of way to the oncoming vehicles. However, this is not often the case, and drivers will miss the motorbike user or cyclist and collide with them.

Right Cross Intersection Crash

In Laguna Niguel among other areas around California, this is the most common cause of vehicle and bike crashes. A crash can occur when a car is pulling out from a parking lot, driveway, or side street. The car can either hit you if you are riding in front of it, or you can collide if it has pulled far enough.

California Highway Patrol Stats For Motorcycles and Bicycles

According to the recent Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS) statistics released by the California Highway Patrol (CHP), more than 350 individuals were killed and more than 10,000 were in California motorcycle accidents in the year 2015. The California Highway Patrol also reports that 40 seriously injured victims and 1,254 injured cyclists were not wearing the recommended safety gear, especially helmets during the time of the crash.

Rights and Responsibilities for Motorcycle and Bicycle Accident Victims

Bikers have similar responsibilities and rights to other drivers as stated by the California Vehicle Code 21200. This code states that a person operating a bicycle or a motorbike on highways has similar rights and is subjected to provisions applied to drivers, including and not limited to provisions that concern driving when under the influence of drugs or alcoholic beverages.

Where can you ride?

Bicycle Lanes

If there is a bicycle lane and you want to ride more slowly than traffic, you should use the bike lane except when you are making a left turn, passing, or when you are approaching a right turn where authorized.

Crosswalks

Bicyclists should give way to pedestrians in marked crosswalks or within crosswalks that are unmarked at intersections. Therefore, you should be careful when approaching pedestrians within marked or unmarked crosswalks.

Roadway

In case you are riding on the roadway, and you are riding at speeds that are less than normal, you should ride closer to the right sideway to observe safety. The only exceptions to this rule include when you are making a left turn, when passing, or when avoiding hazards on the road.

Settlements, Lawsuits, and Compensation in Defective Product Cases

Each and every week, the media presents reports of defective products that have injured, or have the potential to injure. Ikea has been involved in lawsuits about chests and dressers that have a propensity to fall over, injuring, and killing very young children. Samsung is getting press over its latest mobile device incarnation that comes complete with a battery that overheats and even explodes.

The reality is that nearly every person in California will end owning or in possession of a defective product at some juncture in his or her life. Fortunately, a majority of situations involving defective products do not end up causing injury. However, in those cases in which someone is injured because of a defective product, the consequences can be significant, even life-altering.

Crucial Assistance

The personal injury team at El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers provides the type of crucial assistance that is needed on pursuing a defective property settlement with an insurance company or a lawsuit, should litigating the matter become necessary.

Laguna Niguel personal injury attorneys can assist a person injured by a defective product in a number of ways. A key way in which victims are assisted through the professional representation of personal injury attorneys is by identifying all possible responsible parties.

Who is Liable?

In a hypothetical defective product case, the retailer that sold the product is very likely to be a party responsible for any damages, injuries, or losses caused because of the use of the item. The manufacturer will also be liable, in most cases.

An adept lawyer will investigate further, however. For example, the product may be comprised of multiple component parts, like an automobile. These parts oftentimes have different manufacturers. Thus, if a component part of the product is the underlying cause of the defect, the component manufacturer will also likely be responsible for injuries caused by the use of the product.

The reality is that an experienced personal injury lawyer may flesh out other potentially responsible parties when a case involves a defective product. For example, perhaps a batch of products was damaged in shipment, the problem not recognized before the product was sold. The carrier responsible for transport would be brought into the liability mix as well.

Maximizing Compensation

In all types of personal injury cases, from defective products to car accidents, Laguna Niguel personal injury lawyers know the best tactics to employ to optimize compensation to an injured individual. Losses, injuries, and damages vary from one accident to another. However, examples of common types of compensable losses include:

• medical bills and expenses
• pan and suffering
• lost wages
• property damage

More often than not, a person injured as the result of the negligence of someone else requires not only compensation for existing or current losses, but also for those reasons to be expected in the future. A skilled personal injury attorney understands how to make a strong case for compensation for losses expected to continue to accrue into the future.

Hiring Laguna Niguel Personal Injury Lawyers at the El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers

Whether a person is injured because of a car accident, slip and fall, defective product, or some other reason, the legal team at the El Dabe Ritter Trial Lawyers include experienced personal injury counsel.

An initial consultation can be scheduled at a time convenient to a person dealing with losses from an accident of some sort. There is no cost for or obligation associated with an initial consultation with a skilled personal injury lawyer. Contact us at 213-985-1120.