Vancouver Bicycle Accident Attorney

Bicyclists have the right to share the road with automobiles in most instances. However, many drivers fail to take the proper precautions when driving and fail to notice the bicyclists around them. When a bicycle is involved in an accident, severe injuries, pain, and even wrongful death can be the result. Contact our Vancouver bicycle accident lawyer for a free consultation to discuss your case. Call (360) 695-1624 today.

You may assume that if you were not at fault for a bicycle accident, the driver's car insurance company will not hesitate to reimburse you for medical costs and other losses that you suffered. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Insurance companies are corporations that may attempt to devalue clients' cases to save money. They often attempt to minimize payouts, whether for bicycle or motorcycle accidents in Vancouver, WA. Our legal team is prepared to fight for your rights and fair compensation

Hiring an attorney to represent you during a bicycle accident case can increase your odds of a positive outcome. It is especially important to hire a lawyer if you or a loved one suffered a serious injury, such as a concussion. In a case such as this, our brain injury lawyer in Vancouver will investigate your accident, collect evidence of fault, hire experts, and help you fight for maximum financial compensation for your past and future losses.

Preventing bicycle accidents starts with understanding Washington bike laws. Both cyclists and motor vehicle drivers have a responsibility to know and obey these laws. They include the following:

• Bicyclists may ride on public roads, but must do so in the same direction as vehicle traffic.
• Motor vehicle drivers must yield the right-of-way to cyclists in the same way as they would to other motor vehicle drivers.
• Bicyclists have the same responsibility to obey traffic signals as motor vehicle drivers.
• Drivers must leave a distance of at least three feet when passing cyclists.
• Bicyclists may choose to ride on the path, bike lane, shoulder, or travel lane as suits their safety needs.

If a bicyclist suffers any type of injury in a preventable accident, including broken bones, head injuries, or spinal cord injuries in Vancouver, he or she has the right to file a claim with the at-fault driver's car insurance provider to pursue financial compensation.

Not all bicycle accidents involve a collision with a car. Of those accidents, however, many take place at an intersection. These accidents often involve a car speeding through an intersection and failing to notice the bicycle already crossing the street. Another common source of bicycle accidents in Vancouver is when a car turns left through an intersection and fails to notice the bicycle traveling straight through the intersection from the opposite direction.

Certain corridors and intersections account for a disproportionate share of the bicycle collisions we see. High-traffic arterials like Fourth Plain Boulevard, Mill Plain Boulevard, and Main Street carry heavy car volume with narrow or intermittent bike lanes, and the approaches to the I-5 and I-205 bridges push cyclists and merging traffic into the same limited space. SE 164th Avenue and similar suburban arterials see a different pattern: higher speeds and long, uncontrolled driveway crossings. Cyclists on the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail or the Discovery Trail are generally safer on the trail itself, but injuries cluster where those trails cross city streets.

Most car-versus-bike collisions fall into a handful of recurring patterns:

• Right hook. A driver turning right crosses the path of a cyclist continuing straight through an intersection or bike lane.
• Left cross. A driver turning left across oncoming traffic fails to see a cyclist approaching from the opposite direction.
• Dooring. A parked driver opens a car door into the path of a cyclist riding in an adjacent lane.
• Unsafe passing. A driver passes too closely or without leaving Washington's required three-foot clearance.

In most cases, a driver who hits a cyclist is covered by their auto liability insurance, and that policy is the first source of recovery. Washington law adds a few more layers worth understanding:

Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage: If the driver who hit you had no insurance or not enough to cover your losses, your own UM/UIM coverage, if you carry auto insurance, can fill the gap.

Personal injury protection (PIP): If you or a household member has PIP coverage, it can pay initial medical bills regardless of fault while your claim is pending. For Washington policies, you can usually access the PIP coverage on the vehicle as well.

Health insurance subrogation: Your health insurer may pay your medical bills up front but can have a right to be reimbursed from any settlement or verdict. We account for subrogation when valuing your case so you know what you will actually keep.