Bicycles offer riders very little protection in the event of a collision. Aside from a helmet, cyclists rarely wear any other protective gear when on their bikes. Because of the lack of protection, the injuries suffered by cyclists after a collision tend to be severe. Recovering compensation can be crucial to getting your life back on track after an accident.<\/p>\n
At Pacific West Injury Law, we understand the difficulties bicycle accident victims face after a crash. Our team of bicycle accident attorneys in Spring Valley is committed to helping victims recoup their losses after an accident.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The first step towards recovering compensation after a bicycle accident is determining who is at fault for your accident. Sometimes, the process of assigning liability is easy. However, there is a strong chance that liability will be difficult to determine. Fortunately, an experienced bicycle accident lawyer should be able to help you sort out liability so you can pursue compensation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When you are planning on filing a bicycle accident lawsuit, there are several steps that must be taken before you will be able to recover compensation from the liable party. When you hire an attorney, one of the first actions they will take will be to investigate your case to determine liability and gather evidence in support of your claim.<\/p>\n
After your attorney is done collecting evidence, they will assess your damages and calculate how much your claim is worth. Your lawyer will then draw up all the necessary documents and file your lawsuit with the court. Once your lawsuit has been submitted, the pretrial process will begin. Steps in the pretrial process include:<\/p>\n
Discovery is the process of both parties involved in the case sharing the evidence they have collected with each other. Discovery is essential to ensuring a fair trial as it allows both sides to prepare their response to any evidence brought up in court without any surprise advantages.<\/p>\n
At the end of the discovery phase, depositions are given. A deposition is a testimony given outside the courtroom by a witness or party to the incident. Depositions are recorded by a court stenographer and the testimony may be used during a trial.<\/p>\n
The final step before a case proceeds to trial is mediation. In mediation, the two parties meet at a neutral location with an independent third party present. This mediator will attempt to help the two sides come to a settlement agreement that will put an end to the case and avoid a courtroom trial.<\/p>\n
From the time you hire an attorney until your case settles or a decision is made in court, your lawyer will be in contact with opposing counsel, attempting to negotiate a settlement deal. If a deal can not be reached by the end of mediation, your lawyer will represent your interests at trial.<\/p>\n
After suffering a serious injury in a bicycle crash, you will likely be eligible for a wide range of damages. All bicycle accident-related damages can be divided into three overarching categories.<\/p>\n
Economic damages are all monetary losses you incur due to your bicycle accident. Common economic damages include:<\/p>\n
Non-economic damages are all the rest of the losses you incurred due to your bicycle accident. These losses tend to be wide-ranging and significant. Common non-economic damages include:<\/p>\n