Phoenix

COMMON CAUSES OF BICYCLE ACCIDENTS IN PHOENIX

Bicycle accidents most commonly occur on public roads and can result from a variety of factors. Each time you take your bicycle out, you face risks that are supposed to be mitigated by the rule of law. Unfortunately, many drivers disregard these rules and increase the chance of harm for the bicycle riders around them.

Unfortunately, bicycle riders in Phoenix are treated as second-rate users of the motorway. Even though they have the same rights under the law as drivers, cyclists are often put in dangerous positions by drivers who are only concerned about getting somewhere as quickly as possible. Do not put it past a driver to tailgate a bicyclist because they are late for a doctor’s appointment, for example.

Even when the danger posed is not based on selfish concern but rather too long of a daydream while driving, a driver’s neglect or disregard for cyclists can result in threatening injuries, nonetheless. A driver may not even realize the risks that they pose to cyclists by trying to pass them on a narrow street, by using their cellphone while driving, or by not being adequately rested before getting behind the wheel of their car.

Below are descriptions of some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in Phoenix:

Distracted Driving

Distracted driving means a lot more than it used to before the advent of smartphones. There are so many things to be distracted by nowadays, it’s easy to imagine someone opening their phone and taking their eyes off the road. How many times have you reached a destination and thought, “Wow, I don’t remember driving here at all.” When this happens, any pedestrians and cyclists on your route at that time were in potential danger.

Speeding

The faster a car is traveling, the more likely it is that it will cause serious injury if strikes a cyclist. A driver who is not paying attention to their speed creates a risk of harm to all those around them. In residential neighborhoods, community members expect cars to travel at relatively low speeds, but people often ignore the speed limit, deeming it to be a mere suggestion.

Unsafe Lane Changes

Unsafe lane changes include changing lanes without a turn signal and weaving in and out of traffic. When the driver of an automobile fails to use their turn signal, they are creating uncertainty for the other people on the motorway.

A motorist who properly signals gives other drivers and cyclists the chance to alert them that they may be making a dangerous maneuver. Weaving in and out of traffic creates significant risk for bike lane users, who are also at great risk when they ride in a bike lane that is dually purposed for both bike and automobile traffic.

Turning Without Looking

Turning without looking is a significant danger because many bikers use pedestrian walkways to cross the street. If a driver does not take the time to ensure that there is nothing in front of or to the side of their vehicle, they risk causing potentially fatal damage.

Looking before turning is a simple habit that can prevent the loss of life and damage to property. Furthermore, because cyclists have to stop at traffic lights just as cars do, there is a particular danger for cyclists sitting next to a car that is ready to make a right on red.

Failure to Yield

There are various parts of the road system in Phoenix which feature roundabouts. In an instance where a car pulls up to a roundabout intersection, if there is a vehicle already in the intersection, then the incoming car must yield to them. For most, this is an obvious rule, but many people neglect to give bicycle riders the same deference and appreciation on the road. The result can be horrific, with the cyclists sometimes being side-swiped and flying in a cartwheel over the top of the vehicle.

Driver Fatigue

People fail to realize how important it is to be well-rested before getting behind the wheel of an automobile. The Arizona Department of Public Safety reports that 19 hours without sleep is comparable to having a blood alcohol content of 0.05%, and not having slept for 24 hours is comparable to having a blood alcohol content of 0.1%. Symptoms of fatigue include nodding off, lack of alertness, and slow reaction time; all of which increase the likelihood of a car crashing into an unsuspecting cyclist.

Running a Red Light

Running red lights and stop signs are actions that commonly precede intersection accidents. This risk is magnified in areas where there is a lot of stop-and-go traffic, such as in urban neighborhoods and city centers. When a cyclist has the right of way and a car rolls through their stop sign, the results are usually injurious and often deadly.

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR BICYCLE ACCIDENT INJURIES?

In Phoenix, it’s up to the motorists to respect the rights of cyclists and to obey traffic laws. Failing to adhere to Arizona law and subsequently causing an accident is considered negligence. If you believe a negligent driver is responsible for causing your accident and injuries, we encourage you to get legal advice from our personal injury lawyers.

Negligence is a legal standard that refers to someone having ought to be aware of an unjustifiable risk but fails to act in a way that recognizes the risk. In the context of a bicycle accident, some examples include:

• ignoring traffic signals,
• texting and driving,
• driving in the bike lane, and
• abrupt turns without signaling.

When a person engages in any of these actions, they are said by law to have lacked ordinary due care. To hold a defendant liable for negligence, the plaintiff must establish the following four elements by a preponderance of the evidence:

1. The defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff to conform to a specific standard of care.

2. The defendant breached that duty.

3. The breach was the actual and proximate cause of the plaintiff’s harm.

4. The victim suffered damages because of the accident.

Negligence per se is another form of liability proscribed by Arizona state statutes. It states that if a person is found to have violated a statute, regulation, or code and as a result injures another, then negligence will apply automatically.

Being that it is the infraction of traffic laws that is the typical precedence to a car-on-bike accident, it is likely that the negligence per se rule will apply. Having a lawyer who knows these rules will affect whether you succeed in your lawsuit. Be assured that the attorneys at Zinda Law Group are familiar with AZ law standards and the fact patterns which trigger accidents.

ZINDA LAW GROUP PHOENIX BICYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYERS CAN HELP

During your recovery, the thought will likely cross your mind, “How do I find an injury lawyer near me?” A Phoenix injury attorney from Zinda Law Group is here to help you.

At Zinda Law Group Phoenix, our experienced team of attorneys is focused on the preservation of evidence and ensuring that the proper procedures of the court are followed. With our expertise, we can help you and your family pursue maximum compensation for medical bills, lost income, damaged property, pain and suffering, and much more.

If you are the victim of a bicycle accident, you may have sustained serious injuries. A Phoenix bicycle accident attorney can work to seek awards on your behalf and hold negligent parties accountable. We also offer a 100% free consultation, and you will pay nothing unless we achieve a favorable settlement, judgment, or verdict for your bicycle accident case; that is our No Win No Fee Guarantee.

A personal injury attorney from our firm would be honored to serve you during this challenging time. If you were injured in a bicycle accident, call Zinda Law Group at (800) 863-5312 to schedule a free consultation with a Phoenix personal injury lawyer today. We are ready and willing to assist you!

Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.

Causes of oil field accidents

Now that we have discussed some of the common kinds of injuries suffered by workers on an oil field, you might be wondering how employers can allow these injuries to happen. The causes can be most broadly categorized as stemming from the negligence of your employer or a defect in the equipment you were using. Knowing the causes of oil field accidents can help you understand what kind of claim you should file.

Your Employer’s Negligence

Many of the kinds of injuries described above have to do with the negligence of the employer; employees in Arizona may have been improperly trained or simply not told about certain safety procedures. Perhaps the employer takes shortcuts when it comes to the maintenance of equipment or the adaptation of new safety standards. We will discuss negligence in more detail later, and why this may not be a reliable legal route for your recovery.

Defective Equipment

Whenever a manufactured product is defective in some way, the manufacturer must take strict liability for the injuries the product causes. There are a few different ways that defective equipment could have caused your injury.

First, the product might have had a defect in its design that made it unnecessarily dangerous. Alternatively, there may have been a defect in the product’s marketing; the manufacturer may not have properly labeled the hazards of the product or how to use the product safely. Finally, there may have been a defect in the manufacturing itself, meaning the product was put together incorrectly and subsequently caused your injury.

Negligence

Usually, when someone owes you a duty of care and fails to keep that duty, a negligence claim is appropriate. Someone can owe you a duty of care by inviting you onto his or her property, by driving you somewhere, or by prescribing you medication. Common examples of negligence claims include medical malpractice and car accidents.

You might think that the employer/employee relationship perfectly fits into that duty of care. However, since injuries in the workplace are so common, there is a streamlined process for compensating injured employees; because that process—worker’s compensation—exists, employees are not usually allowed to sue their employers for negligence. We will discuss worker’s compensation as an alternative to filing a negligence claim later.

Strict Liability

We have already discussed some examples of defective products in strict liability claims. In these claims, a defendant manufacturer automatically takes liability for the damages its product inflicts on the victim. For a products liability claim, the victim plaintiff must prove the following elements:

1. The manufacturer sold a product that the victim plaintiff used.

2. The manufacturer is the commercial seller of the product.

3. The victim plaintiff suffered an injury from using the product.

4. The product was defective when the manufacturer sold it.

5. The product’s defect caused the victim plaintiff’s injury.

An oil field injury lawyer in Arizona will be familiar with these elements and will know how to help you figure out which company is responsible for your injury. Note that you would not be holding your employer liable for this kind of claim, so you would not be barred by worker’s compensation from suing under a theory of strict liability.

What are my legal options?

The difference between the types of claim you might file is also important because you would file your claim against different entities for each claim, and some entities may be guarded from suit. That is, you would likely file a negligence claim in an oil field injury case against your employer and a products liability case against the manufacturer of the equipment that caused your injury. However, your Arizona employer might be immune from your negligence claim because of worker’s compensation.

Worker’s Compensation

Worker’s compensation is a form of insurance for employers that allows employees to receive compensation injuries from work without suing their employers. The employer must use specific guidelines based on the type of injury to determine how much money the employee is owed; the employee then receives that payment in lieu of filing a lawsuit against the employer. Arizona is one of many states that requires its employers to follow the rule of worker’s compensation.

OSHA Violation

OSHA covers workplace safety for most private employers and workers. There is a Federal OSHA plan and there are OSHA-approved state plans. Arizona has adopted the Federal OSHA plan with some unique standards applying to agricultural and construction workplaces.

If your injury was caused by a violation of the OSHA guidelines, such as not being given the correct PPE, you might find your remedy through Arizona’s form of OSHA. Arizona has a comprehensive website that outlines worker’s rights under the statute. An Arizona oil field injury lawyer can help you understand whether your rights under Arizona’s workplace safety statutes have been violated.

Strict Liability

There is also a chance that you might be able to hold the manufacturer of the defective equipment strictly liable if there was some kind of product defect that caused your injury. Talk to an Arizona personal injury lawyer to find out if your oil field injury fits with a products liability theory.

How can I consult with an oil field injury lawyer near me?

There is a limited amount of time to bring your claim, so talk to an Arizona injury lawyer about how your workplace failed to keep you safe as soon as you can. Zinda Law Group attorneys are ready to hear about your injury and how it was caused; we can let you know what legal theory is appropriate for your case and can help you determine your goals for compensation. Call our Zinda Law Group attorneys at (800) 863-5312 and we will schedule your free consultation.

Do not let your employer treat your injury lightly: You have been dealing with medical expenses, missed wages from lost work, and trauma from the injury. Our compassionate attorneys are ready to fight for your rights to get you the compensation you deserve; in addition, our No Win, No Fee Guarantee ensures that you will not pay us unless we win your case for you.

Meetings with attorneys are available by appointment only.

Recognizing TBI Symptoms

The symptoms of a TBI can vary depending on the severity of the injury. Mild TBI symptoms may include headaches, confusion, ringing in the ears, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns, and behavioral or mood changes. Moderate to severe TBI symptoms can include worsening or persistent headaches, nausea, difficulty waking up from sleep, and loss of sensation in the extremities.

After Sustaining a TBI

Following a brain injury, it is important to take specific steps to protect your rights and build a strong case. While every situation is unique, here are some general guidelines:

1. Seek Immediate Medical Attention: Brain injuries may have symptoms that seem mild but can worsen if left untreated. Seek medical attention as soon as possible, especially if you or your loved one experiences any of the mentioned symptoms.
2. Document Your Accident: Maintain thorough documentation of all accident-related information, including reporting the incident to your supervisor or HR department if it occurred at work. Request copies of your medical records to support your case.
3. Contact an Arizona Brain Injury Lawyer: Consulting an experienced attorney is vital to protect your rights and maximize your chances of fair compensation. Insurance companies and other liable parties may try to minimize your claim, so having a skilled lawyer on your side ensures your case is presented effectively.

Finding the Right Brain Injury Lawyer

When searching for a personal injury lawyer near you, it’s important to consider their experience, track record, available resources, and caseload capacity. At Zinda Law Group, our attorneys have extensive experience in handling brain injury cases and will dedicate the necessary attention to your case. We offer a free consultation and work on a contingency fee basis, meaning we won’t charge you unless we win your case.

Schedule a Meeting with Zinda Law Group Today

Finding the right attorney to handle your brain injury case can alleviate stress and increase your chances of obtaining fair compensation. Reach out to the personal injury lawyers at Zinda Law Group today for a free consultation. Appointments are available by appointment only. Call us at (800) 863-5312 to get started.