Dedicated Bicycle Injury Lawyers Serving San Jose Clients
San Jose is not like other cities that happen to allow bicycling- the Silicon Valley hub is a proactive bicycling community with a plan. The 2020 Bike Plan involves constructing a 500-mile bicycling network throughout the city to reduce traffic congestion and accidents. San Jose’s vision for a brighter and safer future is a work in progress. Until a day when bicycle accidents cease to exist, a San Jose Bicycle Accident Attorney at Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger will continue to represent bicycle accident victims across the city.
Bicycling Safety in San Jose – Laws to Remember
Under state laws, bicyclists should act in accordance with all applicable motor vehicle traffic laws. They must follow all traffic signals, yield to oncoming traffic when appropriate, and yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. While bicyclists should ride as closely as possible to the right side of the road, they may ride in the middle or leftmost side of the lane when necessary.
The law does not require bicyclists over the age of 18 to wear a helmet, but we strongly urge all riders to do so. A helmet will significantly reduce the likelihood and severity of a brain injury. Those who do not wear helmets assume a greater degree of risk on the roadways, which could impact the outcome of an injury claim.
In San Jose, riders must adhere to all state bicycling laws and all posted directives. Some areas of the city allow bicyclists to ride on sidewalks while others do not. Maintain awareness of all local and state laws to reduce the risk of a traffic incident and avoid liability in accident claims.
Common Bicycling Accidents
Bicycle accidents can happen under a variety of circumstances. In some cases, the bicyclist may bear responsibility. Incidents that have occurred in San Jose include light rail trains striking and killing cyclists and motor vehicles colliding with bicyclists under a variety of circumstances. Other causes of accidents include roadway defects, bike defects, acts of road rage, and doorings (when a motorist opens the driver’s side door into a passing cyclist).
Like motorcycles, bicycles provide no protection in the event of an accident. Accidents that occur at the slowest speeds can lead to brain and spinal cord injuries, severe burns, amputations, fractures, and more. Injured bicyclists may spend months or years recovering from a highly preventable accident.
Hire the Best San Jose Bicycle Accident Attorney
Our firm is not like other personal injury firms in the area. Over the last six decades, we have built a reputation for success among our clients and in the Bay Area legal community. Our settlements and verdicts routinely include seven and eight figures- what we call fair and just compensation for our plaintiffs. We are proud of the praise we have received from former clients and in the many practice awards we receive each year.
With many bicycle enthusiasts on our team, we treat each bicycle accident case as if it involved a close friend or relative. In the past, we have secured a $15 million settlement in a bicycle accident case involving the negligence of a big rig driver and a $9.5 million settlement in a bicycle accident case involving a defective roadway.
You deserve the best possible support in the wake of a serious bicycle accident. Our firm handles every case we pursue on a contingency fee basis. You won’t owe us a dime unless we recover compensation for you. For more information about our firm, and to schedule a case evaluation, please reach out to our office today.
