Sacramento E-Bike Accident Attorney

Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, are an increasingly popular way to navigate busy cities like Sacramento. However, some e-bikes are a lot heavier than traditional bicycles, can move at higher speeds, and require longer stopping times and distances. Despite this, e-bike users are still susceptible to serious injuries in accidents with larger vehicles, whose drivers often fail to use appropriate caution when sharing the road.

As the victim of an e-bike accident in Sacramento, California, it’s important to know your legal rights. You may have the right to file a claim with a negligent motorist’s insurance company, sue the e-bike manufacturer, or bring another type of personal injury claim to recover compensation for your medical treatment, disability, and emotional distress. Our experienced Sacramento e-bike accident attorneys can help you maximize your recovery.

Singleton Schreiber is a top-rated personal injury law firm that always fights for the best interests of injury victims and families. As award-winning civil trial lawyers with decades of experience, we’ve successfully obtained more than $3 Billion (and counting) in financial settlements and jury awards for our clients.

Schedule a free consultation to discuss your e-bike accident case and discover why you’ll want our nationally acclaimed legal team in your corner. Members of our legal team in Sacramento are always here to take your call.

Are E-Bikes Subject to Any Special Regulations in Sacramento?

E-bikes are bicycles supported by battery-powered motors. California recognizes three distinct classifications of e-bikes, which can affect how and when the vehicle can be used in cities like Sacramento.

For instance, Class 1 and Class 2 e-bikes - which are motor-assisted by pedaling or throttle until the vehicle reaches 20 MPH - can be operated on bike lanes and off-road bike paths on the American River Parkway, just like normal bicycles. Class 3 e-bikes, however, which are motor-assisted until the vehicle reaches 28 MPH, are prohibited on Sacramento’s off-road bicycle paths.

There are no age or helmet requirements for operators of Class 1 or Class 2 e-bikes, while Class 3 e-bike riders in Sacramento must be at least 16 and wear a helmet. 

In an effort to reduce the number of accidents caused by e-bikes and e-scooters on Sacramento sidewalks, the city imposed strict electric bicycle parking regulations and requirements. Violating Sacramento’s e-bike laws can result in fines and, in the event of an accident, give rise to liability if anyone gets hurt.

What Are the Most Common E-Bike Injuries?

According to a recent study, more than 45,000 people were treated for e-bike injuries in emergency rooms across the nation between 2017 and 2022. 

While a wide range of injuries were reported, the most common include:

• Broken bones to the upper and lower extremities, including the legs and pelvis
• Eye injury
• Head injury
• Concussion
• Brain injury
• Burns
• Crush injury
• Amputation
• Back injury
• Neck injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Nerve damage
• Road rash
• Catastrophic injury
• Wrongful death

Injuries are more severe when e-bike riders aren’t wearing helmets or if collisions with motor vehicles occur at high speeds. 

Who’s Liable For an E-Bike Accident in Sacramento?

Liability - or financial responsibility - for an e-bike accident depends on why and how the collision happened in the first place.

That’s why our California e-bike accident attorneys in Sacramento will coordinate a prompt and thorough investigation into your crash, gather relevant evidence, and consult with experts when you turn to us for help.

Many times, we discover that speeding, driver distraction, unsafe lane changes, running red or yellow traffic signals, failing to look for e-bike operators in intersections, blind spot errors, and road rage are leading factors in e-bike accidents in the state’s capital city. Simply put, e-bike accidents usually happen because someone is negligent.

In California, anyone whose negligence contributes to a car accident with an e-bicyclist can be liable, such as a:

• Driver of a passenger vehicle
• Motorcyclist
• Pedestrian
• Bicyclist
• Bus driver
• Transportation company
• Property owner
• Government agency

E-bike defects can also contribute to traffic accidents. In these situations, the e-bike manufacturer or local rental agency could be strictly liable for resulting damages.

What Compensation Can I Get If I’ve Been Hurt in an E-Bicycle Accident in Sacramento, CA?

Our Sacramento personal injury lawyers will help you pursue compensation for all of your financial costs and harder-to-value suffering after an e-bike accident, including money for:

• Present and future medical bills
• Rehabilitation
• Property damage
• Disability and lost wages
• Costs paid out of your own pocket
• Funeral expenses if you’ve suffered the wrongful death of a family member in a fatal e-bike accident
• Pain and suffering
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Inconvenience
• Loss of consortium
• Reduced quality of life
• Chronic physical pain
• Disfigurement and physical scarring

Keep in mind that California’s pure comparative negligence statute applies to most civil e-bike accident cases. Sharing any degree of blame for your recent e-bicycle accident in Sacramento will limit your ability to recover compensation from a liable third party. More specifically, your settlement or jury award will be reduced based on your contributory negligence.

If you’re 15 percent responsible for an e-bike accident, you’ll only be able to receive 85 percent of the value of your legal claim.

Singleton Schreiber will work hard to anticipate victim-blaming tactics and protect your ability to get the compensation you need to make a full recovery.

E-Bike Accident Victims in Sacramento Trust Singleton Schreiber

Hiring an e-bike accident lawyer in Sacramento can help you win your case and increase the odds of getting a top-tier financial award. Your choice of legal representative matters, which is why e-bike accident victims in Sacramento call Singleton Schreiber.

We’re trustworthy local lawyers with a reputation for going above and beyond for our clients. Backed by national resources and decades of experience, we’ve successfully won billions of dollars from insurance companies, employers, government agencies, and manufacturers. Now, we’re ready to be your most fearless advocate in the wake of an e-bike accident, too.

You’ll have a limited window of time in which you can demand compensation, so contact our Sacramento e-bike accident lawyers for a free consultation right away.