Pandemic Sends Cycling Soaring – and Accidents Too
With the coronavirus pandemic and shelter-in-place orders keeping more people off the road and a lack of anything better to do driving people to reconsider the value in exercise and the great outdoors, more and more bicyclists are taking to the streets in Los Angeles. The swell in activity has given rise, however, to an increase in accidents for cyclists. With fatality rates reaching an all-time high in Los Angeles, understanding your options after an accident has never been more important. If you’ve recently been involved in a bicycle crash, you should contact an experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney at our firm.
According to a study conducted by Canadian engineering firm Eco-Counter, the U.S. has seen a 21 percent increase in urban area ridership since the pandemic began. In a later survey by PeopleForBikes, it was estimated that as many as 9 percent of U.S. adults rode a bike for the first time this year, with a whopping 42 percent stating that they had returned to the sport this year.
While this is certainly good news for bike enthusiasts, it has unfortunately done little to change the climate for cyclists in California. The roads remain some of the most dangerous in the United States.
Why L.A. Remains So Dangerous for Cyclists
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly sent more cyclists to the road, and the influx of riders has also forced city officials to consider their plans for ensuring road safety. As sales of bicycles boom and more people who are stuck at home escape outside and onto the road, the city faces even more accidents and fatalities than it has in years prior. Considering that 2019 marked a 25-year all-time high for bike accidents in Los Angeles, it’s clear that it’s time for L.A. leaders to take road remediations seriously.
Despite the city raising taxes to get these improvements done, little progress has been made, according to a recent article in the Guardian. In fact, over 62 percent of roads in Los Angeles are rated as being in poor condition. Poor roads often lead to disastrous accidents, and the city has spent millions of dollars settling lawsuits with injured cyclists whose accidents were directly caused by the city’s poor road conditions.
Contact a Los Angeles Bicycle Accident Attorney If You’ve Been Injured
Getting into a bike accident in L.A. can be very scary, and it’s challenging to navigate the legal landscape without the guidance and expertise of an experienced lawyer. Your main priority after an accident should always be to seek the medical care and attention you need to heal. Allow a Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney at our firm to help you deal with recovering damages to pay for your injuries. We have extensive experience appearing before city courts to get our clients the compensation they deserve. Contact our firm today.