Yes, but you'll need a skilled personal injury attorney to help you recover fair compensation. Here's why: California personal injury cases, including those involving bike crashes, follow pure comparative negligence rules. This legal standard allows bicycle accident victims to collect damages, even if they were partially to blame for the crash, as long as they were not solely responsible than the person driving the vehicle that hit them.
However, while you can recover damages when you're partially at fault, the court reduces your financial award to reflect your degree of responsibility. For example, if your award was $100,000 and you were 15 percent responsible for the bike crash, the award would be reduced to $85,000.
The court—meaning a judge or jury—listens to arguments from both sides before determining each party's percentage of fault. This is one of the many, many reasons why you want a knowledgeable and experienced personal injury lawyer representing you. An adept attorney not only thoroughly investigates your claims and gathers the necessary evidence to build a strong case for damages, they also fight for you to be assigned a lesser degree of responsibility which can, in turn, result in a larger financial award.
If you were injured in a car and bicycle crash caused by another person or company's negligence, you may be able to recover compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and other damages. It's important to contact a California personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your legal rights and options—especially if you think you may be partially to blame for the accident.
Injured in a California Bike Crash? Let Us Help!
Attorneys with the Inland Empire Law Group have helped bicycle accident victims recover the compensation they need and deserve. Talk to us about your case and find out how we can help. Contact us today at (888) 694-3529 or (909) 481-0100 to schedule an appointment for a free no-obligation initial consultation.
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