Best Bike Accident Lawyer in Mission Viejo

Why Contact A Mission Viejo Bike Accident Lawyer?

Mission Viejo has some spectacular bike trails. However, biking can be dangerous if not careful. If you get into a bike accident, you want to make sure you hire a very experienced Mission Viejo bike accident lawyer when you are dealing with injuries from the accident.

Dealing with insurance companies (especially commercial insurance companies), medical bills, police reports, and stress is not something anybody wants to think about.

If you need help with a bike accident case, call Orange County’s best personal injury lawyer because:

• Daniel Kim knows Uber and rideshare laws
• We have over 1,000 positive reviews on Yelp and Google
• We use top negotiators to prove your case
• We help you get immediate medical care
• You can contact us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
• We negotiate aggressively with insurance companies

Practice Areas We Specialize In

At The Law Offices of Daniel Kim, our personal injury attorneys in Mission Viejo exclusively handle motor vehicle accident cases. This sets us apart from other law firms that take any case just to make a quick dollar. Our outstanding attorneys focus on motor vehicle accidents. This allows us to offer the best service to our clients who want real experience and knowledge.

Car Accidents – This can involve any type of crash from an Uber wreck, to maybe a teenage driver hitting you, or maybe an old lady ran a red light and rear-ended your car. Call us for any automotive-related accident. 

Motorcycle Accidents – As we all know riding a motorcycle is very dangerous, and almost all motorcycle accidents lead to severe injuries.

Truck Accidents – there are actually quite a few semi-truck accidents in the area, but our law firm knows what needs to be done to protect your legal rights.

Pedestrian Accidents – These are always bad accidents because a pedestrian has no chance against a 2,000 lb. car that runs them over.

Uber Accidents – Uber and Lyft have become so popular that sometimes it seems like every other car on the road is an Uber or Lyft driver.  Uber has a unique commercial insurance policy. Uber passengers and other cars who were hit by an Uber driver can file a claim.

Common Causes of Bike Accidents in Mission Viejo

There are many reasons why the popularity of bikes and their numbers have increased on the city streets of Mission Viejo.

Many people are now cycling to work due to higher gas prices and a greater consciousness for the environment while others just enjoy the freedom and accessibility only a bike can give them.

With all this said, there are plenty of bike accidents on our city streets and often resulting in injury.

Often car and truck drivers are distracted or unaware of the rules when sharing the road with bicycle riders.

There are also instances when the bicyclist themselves are at fault for an accident, but no matter who is at fault, anytime a car hits a bike rider it’s a bad situation.

Below is a list of common reasons for a bike accident in Mission Viejo:

• Speeding (car drivers in a hurry give themselves less time to react when confronted with a bicyclist)
• The influence of drugs and alcohol (bicyclists are at greater risk when these accidents occur and fatalities have an increased possibility)
• Reckless drivers (a bicyclist can make an aggressive maneuver that puts him in the path of an unsuspecting vehicle resulting in an accident)
• Opening car door (a driver of a vehicle without looking opens his door and a bicyclist runs into the door, this is dangerous and leads to injury and damage)
• Bicycle maintenance (if the bike has brake or chain issues etc. an accident can occur in an instant, always perform a check of the bike before riding)
• Side swiping a bicycle (by not giving a rider enough room, often drivers complain that the rider is too far left in the lane when these accidents occur)
• Inexperienced riders (bicyclists that do not know the proper etiquette of the road can be dangerous to drivers as well as themselves when sharing the road)
• Rear ending (following behind a bicyclist too close and being distracted can lead to crashing into the back wheel of the rider)
• Dangerous road conditions (this can be a number of things like broken traffic signals, streetlights, potholes, cracks, or poorly marked streets)

How Bicycle Riders Can Be Safe and Avoid Accidents in Mission Viejo

No matter how many measures of safety a bicyclist takes, there will always be a risk to riders while sharing the roads with all the automobiles in Mission Viejo.

But there are steps that bicycle riders can take to avoid an accident and serious injuries.

Plan ahead – If you go on a group ride agree on the route ahead of time. Have a strategy in place for what you will do if you are separated as well as an emergency plan.

Using front and rear lights on your bicycle – It is actually against the law to ride around without lights and reflectors on your bike, but more importantly, it’s very unsafe.

Wear protective clothing if possible – It is also a good idea to wear gloves, any type of shoulder pads or protective back gear, and eye protection to make sure you have clear vision in any weather.

Wear a helmet – This is obviously one of the most important safety measures and can help protect the head and skull from serious injury if you happen to crash or run into something on the road.

Keep a safe distance from motor vehicles – Of course, it’s common sense for bicycle riders to keep a safe distance from cars sharing the road. Just being aware of the automobiles around you can help avoid an accident.

Keep your head up –   look up and ahead, not towards the ground. It is important that you see what is coming in order to have time to react and maneuver.

Be polite while riding a bike – This is just simple things like don’t run red lights, don’t run stop signs, and don’t cut off cars intentionally or ride aggressively.

Don’t get distracted – this sounds easy enough, but many cyclists don’t pay attention to traffic, pedestrians and signals, etc.

Ride on the same side as the traffic – Ride on the correct side of the road, never against traffic. Otherwise, you are at risk for an accident or even a ticket.

Quick Bicycle Check – Test your brakes and your wheels. Make sure that the tires are at the proper inflation and always that the handlebars are secured.

Are Legal Settlements Taxable?

Up until 1996 most personal injury settlements (whether physical or emotional injuries) were tax-free.

Nowadays the current laws are much more restrictive.

Generally, physical injuries and physical sickness are non-taxable.

For example, Jason Jones is injured by a defective saw and ends up with almost $40,000 in medical expenses.

The chainsaw company willingly settles with Jason for $40k.

This personal injury settlement will be tax-free and Jason will not have to report it on a tax return.

Like most legal situations there are always exceptions, and if Jason deducted the $40,000 in medical expenses in a prior tax return, then the settlement will be taxable.

When a PI settlement with a monetary award is based partially on mental anguish or emotional distress it might be tax-free.

If the mental anguish or emotional distress is directly related to a physical injury then it is considered to be “medical” and would be non-taxable.

As you can see this tax-related information is very complicated so your best bet is to call one of our Mission Viejo bike accident lawyers at the Daniel Kim Law Offices today.

Mission Viejo Bicycle Accidents

People love to ride their bicycles in Mission Viejo (and the rest of Orange County, for that matter), but it can be a somewhat dangerous proposition.

On average, just over 1.1 people per 1000 people in Mission Viejo were involved in bicycle accidents within the city limits during 2017.

Injuries and Deaths from Bicycle Accidents in Mission Viejo

Thankfully, the overwhelming majority of these accidents do not involve fatalities with only one person reported to have passed away as a result of a bicycle accident in Mission Viejo during 2017.

Injuries from Bicycle Accidents in Mission Viejo

Injuries, on the other hand, are quite common – but that’s to be expected whenever you’re talking about a bicycle being hit by an automobile (which is the most common type of accident these bicycles are involved in).

In fact, 97% of all bicycle accidents are found to have at least one injury reported.

Percentage of Bike Accidents Involving an Intoxicated Driver

According to the federal Department of Transportation, over 29% of ALL automobile-related accidents – including accidents that involved those riding bicycles – were found to have been caused by individuals operating their vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

In the United States, for every 100,000 fatalities stemming from automotive accidents, 3.3 of them were found to have been directly related to drunk driving.

Worse, one out of the three people in the US statistically will be involved in an accident caused by a drunk driver.

Mission Viejo Population

As of 2017, the population for Mission Viejo sits at just slightly above 96,000 people.

It continues to grow on an annual basis, however and likely has a larger population than that today.

Dangerous Intersections in Mission Viejo for Bicycle Accidents

The most dangerous intersections in all of Mission Viejo for bicycle accidents, or any other kind of accidents (for that matter), would have to be the intersections of:

• Puerta Real and Crown Valley Parkway
• Alicia Parkway and Muirlands
• Olympiad Road at Alicia Parkway
• Oso Parkway Exit of the I-5 South

If you are going to be riding your bicycle in Mission Viejo it’s a good idea to do everything you can to avoid these intersections unless you absolutely, positively have to go through them. Keep your head on a swivel.