E-Bike Safety

With e-bikes becoming a more common mode of transportation and recreation for adults and children, personal injury attorneys have been seeing and handling more and more accident claims involving these vehicles. Whether you use an e-bike for recreational purposes or as your primary transportation, they can be dangerous due to lack of protection, e-bike vulnerability to traffic, and the little attention paid to e-bike safety. 

While e-bikes can be convenient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective, they are more prone to serious accidents and deaths. These vehicles differ significantly from traditional bikes due to their larger size and ability to go nearly 30 miles an hour. Therefore, it is crucial to wear the proper safety gear and understand the rules and regulations pertaining to e-bikes and vehicle traffic laws. However, no matter how safe you are, someone else may breach their duty of care and cause an accident and serious injuries.

If you have been hurt while riding an e-bike due to another party’s negligence, our experienced lawyers at Jassim Law are here to help. Acting quickly in these cases is essential, so once you are well enough to pick up the phone, or have a family member or friend reach out to us to learn more about your rights and legal options. California victims have trusted our services for years, providing countless reviews that speak for themselves. With our support and guidance, you can focus on recovery while we fight for the justice you deserve.

Common Injuries Victims Suffer in E-Bike Accidents

With riders using e-bikes on main roads, there is an increased likelihood of ending up in difficult and dangerous situations that are hard to avoid. Therefore, e-bike riders are often at a high risk of suffering serious injuries in an accident, including the following, even if they wear the proper safety gear:

• Broken limbs
• Head and brain injuries
• Neck injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Orthopedic injuries
• Fatality

Depending on the severity of your injuries, you may need long-term treatment or have long-lasting issues, making your claim more high-value and complex. With the help of our compassionate lawyers at Jassim Law, you do not have to handle the legal process alone. We have the knowledge, skills, and resources to manage every element of your case and fight for maximum compensation.

Why Are E-Bikes More Prone to Serious Accidents?

People who previously did not ride bikes on public roads are now riding e-bikes. These increasingly popular vehicles make riding uphill or in other challenging situations easier, but they are more difficult to control. Therefore, e-bikes are more prone to serious accidents for the following reasons:

• Speed: E-bikes can typically travel between 20 and 28 miles per hour, which is quite fast. Accidents at this speed have a higher risk of serious injuries.
• Weight: E-bikes are much heavier than traditional bikes, making them harder to control, especially in difficult or high-stress situations.
• Lack of training and safety knowledge/experience: Both children and adults often lack the practice and knowledge to ride an e-bike safely, putting them in serious danger. Often younger people using e-bikes do not appreciate the risks and dangers associated with e-bikes, riding with passengers, without helmets, and with excessive speed contribute to serious collisions.
• Visibility: While e-bike riders are allowed to leave a bike lane to make a left-hand turn, accidents often happen due to a lack of visibility. Bicyclists often end up in drivers’ blind spots, making them difficult to see and avoid. Motorists often fail to appreciate and attentively look out for e-bikes, fail to anticipate their movements, and contribute to serious collisions.

Riding an e-bike with the appropriate protective gear, including a helmet and full-coverage bright colored clothing and lighting, can help protect riders in accidents, but sometimes, this is not enough to prevent serious injuries. At Jassim Law, we are committed to making our communities safer and providing the e-bike safety education needed to keep riders safe.

How to Minimize the Risk of E-Bike Accidents

While riding an e-bike can be dangerous, there are several steps riders can take to reduce the risk of accidents and avoid potentially catastrophic injuries, including the following:

Training

If you have a child who rides an e-bike or you are an adult who is out of practice, it is important to have the proper training for e-bikes, as they differ from traditional bicycles. During training, you or your child can learn about proper riding techniques, safety gear, and how to control the vehicle in all situations. It is important for both cyclists and motorists to understand the traffic laws, and safest practices when riding e-bikes. 

Discussions with Children

You may have noticed more complaints about children on e-bikes on apps like Nextdoor and Facebook. Therefore, it is important to have a discussion with your children about the risks of e-bikes, riding them safely, and slowly and the consequences of misusing an e-bike. Children may not understand that an e-bike is not a toy or the same as a traditional bike, so explaining the importance of safety when riding these vehicles can help minimize the risk of serious accidents and injuries. While e-bikes are fun, they are not a toy. Riding with passengers is exponentially more dangerous, listening to loud music, wearing headphones, improper clothing/protective gear, improper/lacking lighting can all lead to serious collisions. 

Proper Route Planning

E-bikes may not be allowed in certain areas of your California town, so if you or your child are using one to get to school or work, take the time to find a route that avoids restricted and dangerous areas, including high-traffic roads. If your child is using an e-bike to travel to and from school or other activity, it is a good idea to limit their use of the e-bike for the sole purpose of transportation for school or an activity, to plan the safest route, and to limit the likelihood of a vehicle collision. 

Understand Traffic Laws and Signs

Before riding an e-bike, it is crucial to understand traffic laws and signs so you can comply with them and ride your vehicle safely. For example, in California, riding an e-bike on a freeway or expressway is illegal if signs are posted. Additionally, riders of Class 3 e-bikes must be 16 or older and wear a helmet, no matter their age. With this knowledge, you can uphold your duty of care as an e-bike rider. Bicyclists are held to the same laws as other motorists using public roadways, this means that bicyclists have the same responsibilities and rights as other motorists. 

Review Insurance Policy

If you ride an e-bike, you should review your auto policy to ensure you have adequate coverage, including an uninsured motorist (UIM) policy. This coverage applies when the liable party’s insurance does not cover the full scope of your damages. Because e-bike accidents often result in serious injuries, having this coverage gives you the best chance of receiving fair compensation.

Look Out for E-Bike Specific Hazards

When driving a car, there may be certain hazards on the road that do not apply to you, so you ignore them. However, when riding an e-bike, you should look out for potential dangers that could impact your riding and safety, including the following:

• Cars, trucks, and other vehicles blocking bike lanes
• Construction zones, especially ones with inadequate signage and tapered lanes
• Inattentive drivers
• Riding at dusk, dawn, or night without proper lighting and bright clothing
• Riding in inclement weather

Unfortunately, motorists often do not adequately consider bicyclist safety, focusing their attention on other vehicles despite bicyclists having the same rights and duties as other drivers. Additionally, many drivers get confused when trying to maneuver through a construction zone, taking their attention away from bicyclists around them. As an e-bike rider, understanding this behavior and paying close attention to hazards can help reduce the risk of an accident and anticipate dangerous situations.

What Are the Legal Issues Specific to E-Bike Accident Claims?

E-bike accident claims present unique legal issues that make them complex, so it is vital to have an experienced lawyer help handle your case. At Jassim Law, we understand the legal implications of e-bike accidents, including the following:

Unfair Bias Against E-Bike Riders

Insurance adjusters often have an unfair bias against e-bike riders and implement several tactics to undermine your claim and lowball you. We understand this bias and implement nuanced, personalized strategies to build a strong claim and achieve a fair settlement.

Important Laws

As e-bikes continue to grow in popularity, states have implemented more laws that apply to these vehicles. Some common laws that may apply to your e-bike accident claim include the following:

• Helmets: Cyclists under 18 must wear a helmet. Even if you are older, not wearing a helmet may impact your e-bike accident claim and your settlement.
• Hand signals: Bicyclists must use hand signals when turning and changing lanes. Failing to do this may affect the compensation you receive.
• Duty of care: Bicyclists have the same obligation to drive their vehicles safely and follow traffic laws and signals as all other drivers. Therefore, as an e-bike rider, you must take care to avoid darting into traffic and distractions.

It’s important to note e-bike riders do not need a license, state or local registration, insurance, or a license plate for their bike. Our specialized lawyers at Jassim Law can help you understand the laws that may apply to your e-bike accident claim and how to ensure compliance when you ride.

E-Bike Classifications

California law classifies e-bikes into three different categories based on their features and speed. These classifications include the following:

• Class 1: Provides assistance only when the rider pedals and ceases to assist when the bike reaches 20 miles per hour
• Class 2: Operates via a pedal-assist or throttle and no longer assists when the bike reaches 20 miles per hour
• Class 3: Assists the rider only when they pedal and ceases to assist when the bike reaches 28 miles per hour

There are no age restrictions for Class 1 and 2 e-bikes, but Class 3 riders must be 16 or older. Our trusted lawyers can determine your e-bike classification, look for any modifications, and discuss how to approach your claim based on your bike’s class.

How Can an Attorney Help Immediately After an E-Bike Accident?

Insurance adjusters often try to blame e-bike riders for accidents, but in many cases, other parties neglect their duty of care and create hazards that cause injuries. For example, a vehicle may be illegally parked or stopped in a bike lane, a lane may be improperly tapered off in a construction zone, or another driver may fail to give the legally required three-foot buffer to the e-bike rider. 

At Jassim Law, we understand the challenges of e-bike accident claims and handle every aspect of your case, including the following, so you can focus on recovery:

• Thoroughly investigating every detail of your case immediately
• Looking closely at the nuanced and particular vehicle codes/laws applicable to your case
• Determining if comparative negligence applies to your claim and how it may impact your settlement
• Anticipating and understanding the bias against cyclists
• Filing a lawsuit to subpoena evidence that is not otherwise available
• Surveying the scene for surveillance
• Understanding that police reports are informative but not determinative
• Collecting and preserving vital evidence and witness statements
• Retaining the best experts your case requires
• Analyzing the accuracy of the accident report
• Interviewing critical eyewitnesses
• Obtaining 911 audio/dispatch and video records
• Going to the scene and reconstructing how the accident occurred
• Securing any evidence, surveillance video, photos, and witness statements
• Ensuring you receive the best medical care, no matter what health insurance coverage you may or may not have
• Filing all paperwork correctly and on time
• Advocating aggressively for your rights and interests inside and outside of court
• Supporting you through every step of California’s claims process
• Helping you get your vehicle repaired or replaced without delay
• Determining if the negligent party was on the job at the time of the accident
• Determining whether additional parties or entities are at fault
• Answering your legal questions
• Keeping you updated on the status of your case
• Negotiating with all parties on your behalf
• Retaining top-notch accident reconstruction and other experts

Our lawyers focus on figuring out why the liable party did not see you, what they should and could have seen, and what they could have done to avoid the accident. Additionally, we work efficiently to meet California’s two-year statute of limitations for these claims. Therefore, with our help, you have the best chance of achieving just compensation.

Contact the Knowledgeable E-Bike Accident Lawyers at Jassim Law Today

If you have been involved in an e-bike accident, securing legal representation promptly is crucial. At Jassim Law, we provide comprehensive support and guidance through every step of your case, ensuring you focus on recovery while we handle the complexities. With years of experience and numerous accolades, including Pajman Jassim’s recognition as a SuperLawyer from 2017 to 2024, our firm is well-equipped to manage all aspects of your claim.

We work meticulously to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and collaborate with top experts to build a strong case. Our commitment to your well-being and the safety of our community includes ensuring you receive the best medical care available. Contact us today at (619) 630-2680 or through our contact form to discuss your case and explore your legal options.