Westminster Bicycle Accidents

Cycling is one of the country’s fastest-growing hobbies, with thousands of newcomers straddling the saddle every year. However, while putting foot to pedal offers a muscle-building, eco-friendly alternative to getting behind the wheel, California’s roads can be a dangerous place for riders. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents are not uncommon, and victims often suffer serious injuries. If you were hurt on the road, turn to our Westminster bicycle accident attorneys for help. We can handle the logistics of your personal injury claim, giving you time to focus on other matters such as your recovery. Call 1-800-GO-HARRIS to discuss your options with one of our attorneys. 

Can I Use Social Media After a Bicycle Accident?

From that big promotion to hitting your fitness goals, it’s become second nature for many of us to share life’s successes on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. However, these sites aren’t just reserved for your day-to-day highlight reels. In darker days, your online circles can be a reliable support network that can help steer you through troubled waters. However, if you’re planning to seek damages after a bicycle accident—or your case is pending—you should think twice before tapping “post”. There’s a chance the insurer or other opposing parties are screening your feeds searching for any comments or pictures that could be leveraged to dispute your claim. As such, you may want to deactivate your social media accounts for the duration of proceedings so that you don’t post anything that could affect the outcome of your case. However, if this isn’t possible in your situation, here are a few tips to make sure your logins don’t leave you at loggerheads with the insurer:

• Keep Your Pictures Offline: With a modern smartphone in your pocket, you always have an advanced camera at arm’s reach ready to capture life’s memorable moments. While sharing photos with friends and family online can help you stay connected, these candid shots could spell disaster for your claim. Even seemingly innocent images can become ammunition in the hands of an opposing party. For example, if you publish pictures of you and your friends at a party just a few days after the accident, the insurer could use these images to assert that your injuries can’t be as serious as your attorney claims.

• Reject New Friend Invites: Insurers and opposing parties may utilize many different strategies to dig up any evidence that could be used to challenge your case. One such method may involve sending you a connection request to view posts on your “private” profile. Keep in mind that when your account is set to “private”, only those in your circles can view comments and pictures you’ve shared or published. Accepting a friend request from an opposing party will give them the freedom to comb through your pages for posts that could be used to dispute liability, causation, and damages. As such, until your claim is resolved, you should ignore or reject any new connection requests.

• Do Not Discuss the Bicycle Accident: Maybe you want to vent about the at-fault driver’s reckless actions, get recommendations on the best doctors in the area, or give friends and family a window into your recovery. While these online conversations can help ease your anxieties and work through your emotions, discussing the details of the accident could hurt your chances of obtaining a fair settlement. For instance, your posts may inadvertently contradict other evidence in your case. Alternatively, you may even unwittingly admit fault for causing the accident. As such, you should never discuss your injuries, your claim, or the accident on social media.

Will My Bicycle Accident Claim Take a Long Time to Resolve?

Complex legal proceedings, stern judges, and ruthless defense attorneys; television and film depictions of the courtroom will leave anyone hesitant to go to trial. Fortunately, most claims are settled outside of court, so it’s unlikely you will have to consider the option of filing a lawsuit. However, if negotiations reach an impasse—for instance, the insurer refuses to agree to a fair settlement—it may be in your best interests to take this step. When you hire one of our attorneys, you can be assured that we have the experience and resources necessary to prevail in court. Not only will we do everything in our power to help you achieve a successful outcome, but we will also work to make proceedings as simple and stress-free as possible for you and your family. Here are a few factors that could influence the timeline of your claim:

• Strength of the Available Evidence: Liability, causation, and damages disputes won’t just lead to delays; if these disputes cannot be resolved, you will have a greater chance of seeing the inside of a courtroom. To mitigate or counter potential disputes, you will need to gather strong evidence to prove your claim. Fortunately, your attorney can help investigate the accident, compiling the necessary evidence, and preparing your case for negotiations with the insurance company.

• The Timeline of Your Recovery: Some injuries will heal in a matter of days; others may take weeks, or even months. While those who have suffered more serious conditions may never make a full recovery. During your recovery, you may incur many unanticipated expenses. For example, if doctors uncover further complications, you may have to undergo additional procedures. As such, it’s unwise to rush into settlement negotiations. Accepting an offer before you have a clear idea of your past and future accident-related expenses could mean you won’t have the funds to cover the full sum of your medical bills. Our attorneys will likely advise you to wait until you’ve achieved maximum medical improvement—the point in your recovery where your condition is unlikely to improve any further—before proceeding with your claim.

• Your Own Degree of Liability: While you may have gathered strong evidence, there is no such thing as an open-and-shut case. Any mistakes you make after the accident and during proceedings could affect the outcome of your claim. For instance, if you failed to follow your doctor’s orders, you could face disputes over failure to mitigate damages and may be held liable for a portion of your damages. 

Find a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Westminster Today

If you were injured in an accident caused by a reckless, distracted, or intoxicated driver, our attorneys may be able to assist with your personal injury claim. Contact us today at 1-800-GO-HARRIS or jump to our contact form HERE to book a free case review.