Garden Grove Bicycle Accident Attorneys

Whether it’s to skip the traffic, cut costs, or just to get fit, many commuters are swapping out gas-guzzling SUVs and sedans for the saddle. However, while biking has numerous benefits, California’s roads can be a dangerous place for cyclists. It takes just one distracted motorist, speeding driver, or reckless trucker to turn your morning ride into a fight for your life. If you were injured on the road, turn to our Garden Grove bicycle accident attorneys. We have decades of combined experience handling personal injury cases, and have helped our clients obtain millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. To discuss your claim with a member of our legal team, contact us today at 1-800-GO-HARRIS.

Should I Visit the Doctor Even If My Injuries Don’t Appear to Be Very Serious?

Many serious conditions and injuries may, at least to begin with, present with relatively minor symptoms. For instance, common signs of a concussion can include fatigue and throbbing headaches. In these scenarios, claimants may think they don’t need immediate medical treatment, but putting off your diagnosis could cause your condition to deteriorate. It might also impact your ability to achieve a favorable outcome in your case. Below is a list of a few more reasons why you should schedule a doctor’s appointment as soon as you can after a bicycle accident:

• Prompt Medical Care Emphasizes the Severity of Your Injuries: If you failed to seek immediate medical attention, the insurance company may be in a strong position to assert that your condition is not that serious. For instance, if you suffered a spinal cord injury or another similarly complex diagnosis, the insurer might dispute the extent of your injuries and their long-term effects. It’s common for medical experts hired by the plaintiff and defense to disagree on various elements of your injury and recovery. In such situations, it’s important to have evidence that shows that the severity of your injuries lines up with what your attorney is asserting. Getting immediate medical attention can help you start out on a strong foot.
• Helps You Prove Damages: When you visit the doctor, he or she will typically create official medical records documenting important details about your injuries such as their severity, the recommended treatments, and other important healthcare interventions. Our personal injury attorneys may rely on these records to help estimate a fair settlement for your damages, tie your condition to the incident in question, and mitigate disputes or defenses that may arise during negotiations or litigation.
• Prevents Your Injuries from Worsening: Without immediate treatment, many injuries and conditions could deteriorate over time, leading to further complications and additional medical expenses. However, visiting your doctor as soon as you can is about more than just your health; delaying this crucial step may put you on the back foot during negotiations or litigation. For instance, the insurance company may assert that you didn’t take sufficient steps to mitigate your losses. As a result, you may be held liable for some—if not all—of your damages.

How Can Harris Personal Injury Lawyers Assist With My Claim?

Whether you bring a claim against an individual, an insurance company, or a government entity, opposing parties will likely try to pay you as little as they possibly can. Claims adjusters and defendants’ attorneys may employ complex strategies to manipulate you and poke holes in your version of events. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re familiar with the tactics used by these entities to reduce or deny claims, and can help guide you through this challenging chapter of your life as well as aggressively represent you during settlement negotiations and beyond. Here are a few other ways we can assist with your claim:

• Handle Correspondence with the Insurer: Providing a recorded statement to an insurance company could open the door to disputes and other complications. You should be aware that the claims adjuster represents the insurance company and therefore isn’t on your side. As such, they have a strong incentive to coerce you into making statements that could be used to challenge your claim. Our attorneys can handle all dialogue with the insurance company and other opposing parties so that you don’t say anything that might hurt your case.

• Conduct a Thorough Investigation: The success of your claim hinges on the strength of the evidence you’ve collected. With each new personal injury case, our lawyers will take the necessary steps to obtain evidence that could help prove liability, causation, and damages. As part of their investigation, our lawyers may interview eyewitnesses, assess the official police accident report, and file subpoenas to get hold of evidence that may be difficult to obtain.
• Consult with Expert Witnesses: At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, we’ve forged strong relationships with specialists working across many different fields. If necessary, we can call on these expert witnesses to help prove liability, causation, or damages and estimate a fair settlement. For instance, if the insurance company is disputing liability in your bicycle accident case, we may hire an accident reconstruction expert to determine how the collision occurred and who is at fault.

• Estimate a Fair Settlement: Once we’ve conducted a thorough investigation and consulted with the necessary expert witnesses, we can help approximate a fair settlement for the economic and non-economic losses you’ve incurred. We can also assist in gathering all available evidence to prove your damages and mitigate potential disputes.

• Help You Avoid Mistakes: Even minor errors can sink your chances of a successful outcome. During your initial consultation, our lawyers can advise you on the mistakes you must avoid during the claims process to safeguard your claim. For instance, we may suggest that you disable your social media accounts until your case is resolved as the insurer may be monitoring your online activity for any posts, pictures, or comments that could be used as evidence to undermine your claim.

Find a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Garden Grove Today

If you or someone you love was hurt by a negligent or reckless motorist, you’re entitled to seek compensation for the damages you sustained. At Harris Personal Injury Lawyers, Inc. our goal is not only to help you achieve a successful outcome for your case, but also to take steps to ensure that proceedings are as straightforward and painless as possible for you and your family. Call 1-800-GO-HARRIS or click through to our Contact Page to pencil in your free initial consultation.