Elderly Man Injured in Merced County Bicycle Accident
I’m Ed Smith, a Merced personal injury lawyer. Recently, a bicycle accident in Los Banos injured a local resident. At approximately 10:41 in the morning, officials received a report of a collision between a gray Nissan Sentra and a bicyclist along K Street and Sixth Street in Los Banos. The man riding the bicycle was reportedly crossing the street moments before he was struck by the Nissan. Medical personnel transported the cyclist to a local hospital as a precaution.
What Caused the Bicycle Accident?
Authorities have not yet determined a cause of the accident due to alleged conflicting accounts from the Nissan driver and bicyclist. Authorities are urging witnesses to come forward and contact the Los Banos Police Department with any information regarding the bicycle accident.
Bicycle Safety Tips
Staying safe as a bicyclist is essential, especially when riding near traffic. To ensure your safety, follow these riding tips:
- Avoid bicycling at night, if possible. Riding a bike at night is far more dangerous than during the day as your presence is harder to spot by others;
- Before taking a ride on your bicycle, be sure to inspect your equipment. Regularly checking your brakes and inflating your tires are both important in ensuring your safety as a bicyclist;
- Indicating your presence to oncoming motorists is crucial. Always wear reflective or fluorescent clothing when riding day or night;
- Keep an eye for parked vehicles and try to maintain your distance from the curb as drivers may abruptly pull out;
- Look before turning and signal your moves to others on the road;
- Follow the rules of the road and obey all traffic signals, signage, and lane markings when riding your bicycle in the street;
- Remain on high alert at all times and refrain from using headphones while riding to avoid dangerous situations;
- Ride with the flow of traffic along the right side of the road;
- Wear a bicycle helmet that properly fits to protect your brain from trauma in the event of an accident;
- Use bicycle lanes whenever available.
Common Injuries from Bicycle Accidents
Individuals involved in a bicycle accident may face some of the serious injuries listed below:
- Amputation or loss of a limb if a body part is crushed or pressed between two surfaces;
- Broken bones in the cyclist’s wrists, arms, legs or feet;
- Bruises and internal injuries;
- Crush injuries;
- Dental injuries;
- Dislocations of the joints;
- Facial injuries;
- Neurological damage;
- Puncture wounds caused by sharp objects like glass becoming embedded in the bicyclist’s skin;
- Scrapes, lacerations, cuts or “road rash”;
- Spinal cord trauma;
- Traumatic brain injury;
- Death (in severe cases).
Why You Should Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer
Being involved in a traffic accident as a bicyclist can be overwhelming, especially when dealing with insurance companies. An insurance adjuster will do everything within their capacity to offer an injured cyclist a low settlement or even dismiss their claim by asking misleading questions to imply the accident was caused by the victim. If you or someone you love has been injured in a bicycle accident, it is essential to discuss your options with a skilled personal injury lawyer in Merced. An experienced attorney understands the unique challenges bicyclists encounter every day on the road and how an accident can be caused by a negligent driver.
Merced Bicycle Accident & Personal Injury Lawyer
I’m Ed Smith, a Merced personal injury lawyer. Suffering an injury due to a bicycle accident is devastating. If this has happened to you or a loved one, you need the assistance of an experienced injury lawyer. Contact me at (209) 227-1931 or toll-free at (800) 404-5400 to receive free, friendly legal advice.
Since 1982, I have helped many families of Merced in recovering fair compensation in their claims of personal injury and wrongful death.
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I am pleased to be listed as a member of the Million Dollar Advocates, a group of trial lawyers who have won verdicts or negotiated settlements in excess of one million dollars for a past client.
Look through our Verdicts and Settlements page to learn more on our past cases and their results.
Photograph Source: By “Darcy Lawrey” via Pexels under CC0 License
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