Electric Bike Accident Attorney

over three decades of legal experience

Over $100M Recovered for our clients

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Electric Bike Accident Attorney

As leading personal injury attorneys in San Francisco, we’ve helped countless accident victims pursue the settlements they deserve. If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident caused by someone else, we may be able to help you, too. Contact us online to learn more. In congested urban areas like San Francisco, driving is rarely the easiest way to get around. Many people opt for alternative transportation methods, such as ride shares, bikes and scooters, and, in recent years, electric bikes. Unlike conventional bicycles, electric bikes are accessible to people who may or may not be able to (or want to) pedal up the steep inclines characteristic of our city. They offer many of the same benefits as regular bicycles, including affordability, convenience, the ability to access scenic routes and an environmentally friendly alternative to cars. However, they also present many of the same dangers as conventional bicycles, as well as a few new ones. With no seatbelt, no car frame and no safety mechanisms to speak of, bikes provide nothing to protect riders from suffering catastrophic injuries when they’re involved in wrecks. Cyclists’ losses aren’t limited to physical injuries; they often suffer devastating personal, social and financial consequences as well.

Luckily, individuals who sustain injuries in electric bike accidents have legal recourse. With help from an experienced electric bike accident attorney, injury victims may be able to pursue compensation from the at-fault party. This settlement could cover a range of damages, including economic and non-economic losses stemming from the accident. This article will explain everything you need to know about electric bike accidents, including common causes, resulting injuries, statistics and pertinent legal considerations. Are you swimming in medical debt and other financial losses after a serious accident? The experienced attorneys at Delfino, Green & Green may be able to help you secure the settlement you deserve. Call our law firm at (415) 442-4646 to schedule a free case evaluation today.

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Contact us online or call us today at 415-442-4646 to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced e-bike accident attorneys in San Francisco.

Understanding Electric Bike Accidents in California

Electric bike accidents are far from rare occurrences in California. In fact, they happen so frequently and with such devastating effect that some Californians are calling for stricter state regulations in addition to the already significant legislation in place.

Electric Bike Laws in California

California law defines an electric bike as a “bicycle equipped with fully operational pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts.” It divides electric bicycles into the following categories:

Class 1 refers to a low-speed electric bike that is pedal-assisted and equipped with a motor that provides assistance only when the e-bike rider is pedaling. It stops providing assistance when the bike reaches 20 mph.
Class 2 refers to a low-speed, throttle-assisted electric bike equipped with a motor capable of propelling the bike but not of providing assistance after 20 mph is reached.
Class 3 refers to a low-speed, pedal-assisted electric bike that has a speedometer and a motor that provides assistance as long as the motorist is pedaling and traveling under 28 mph.

All electric bike classes are exempt from motor vehicle financial responsibility, as well as from driver’s license and license plate requirements, according to CVC §24016.

Causes of Electric Bike Accidents

Although countless factors contribute to electric bike accidents, there are a few common causes that contribute to a disproportionate number of wrecks. Here are some of the most prevalent:

Lack of proper training, inexperience
Reckless driving, speeding
Distracted driving
Poor road conditions
Inadequate maintenance
Electric bike defects

Additionally, electric bike accidents can be caused by a variety of parties. They may result from a bike operator’s error, other drivers’ recklessness, obstructions and debris left by a construction company, a bike manufacturer’s error and even a government entity’s poor maintenance of roads. Determining fault isn’t always easy, but an electric bike accident attorney can investigate your injury case and help you pinpoint the liable parties.

Injuries Resulting from E-Bike Accidents

Just like with conventional bicycle accidents, electric bicycle accidents may precipitate a wide range of injuries. However, research suggests that e-bike accident victims are much more likely to sustain severe injuries, suffer internal injuries and face hospitalization than victims of conventional bike accidents. Other common e-bike injuries include broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, head and face lacerations and abrasions, spinal cord injuries and internal bleeding.

Legal Considerations After an Electric Bike Accident

If you’re recovering from serious injuries after an electronic bicycle accident, getting enmeshed in a legal battle is probably the last thing you want to do. However, it’s important to understand exactly what you stand to gain from pursuing an electronic bike lawsuit, and what you may lose by choosing not to.

Damages in an E-Bicycle Accident Claim

If you decide to pursue an electronic bike accident lawsuit, you stand to gain more than just one type of compensation. An electronic bike accident attorney can help calculate the full spectrum of your losses and pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Whereas economic damages refer to financial losses like medical bills, lost wages and cost of accident-related treatment, non-economic damages refer to intangible losses. These can include compensation for things like pain and suffering, lost quality of life, scarring and disfigurement, loss of companionship and more.

Reasons to Hire a Lawyer

In the days and weeks following your accident, you may discover that your recovery is going to be much more costly than previously imagined. You may realize you need continued medical treatments, physical therapy or even surgery. You may need to attend counseling to deal with the psychological trauma of your accident or be unable to perform your job in the same way. An experienced personal injury lawyer understands this and takes into account future losses when calculating your settlement. With intimate knowledge of accident law and liability, they’ll be able to investigate your case and determine the at-fault party, as well as gather evidence and witness testimony to build the strongest accident case possible. Ultimately, you should hire a lawyer because it’s a low-risk move with a high potential payout. Almost all personal injury and accident lawyers, including the attorneys at Delfino, Green & Green, offer their legal services on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you won’t pay anything unless and until you win a settlement. If you don’t receive a settlement, you don’t pay.

Electric Bike Accident FAQs

Despite their recent surge in popularity, electric bikes aren’t on everyone’s radar. If you have questions about electronic bike accidents, don’t worry—we’ve got you covered. Check out the answers to some of our most frequently asked questions below.

What is an e-bike?

An e-bike is an electric bicycle, meaning that it is a bicycle with a motor. However, unlike a motorcycle or dirt bike, an electric bicycle’s motor is designed to supplement the power generated by pedaling. Additionally, the motor on most e-bikes is capped at a certain speed (typically between 20 and 28 mph) and quits providing assistance when the bike hits that mark.

How safe is an electric bike?

Unfortunately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. How safe it is for someone to operate an electric bike depends heavily on their location and environment, as well as factors like experience, maintenance, the roadways and more. It is important to note, however, that electric bike accidents tend to result in more severe injuries than those associated with traditional bikes.

How many accidents are there on electric bikes?

Electric bikes are a relatively new mode of transportation, and as a result, there is limited information on how many e-bike accidents occur each year. However, data does indicate that accidents involving micromobility vehicles (e-bikes, e-scooters and hoverboards) more than doubled from 2017 to 2021, a trend that experts expect to continue.

What should you do if you suffer injuries in an accident?

Your first priority in any accident should be ensuring your own safety. After you’ve received medical attention and are feeling reasonably recovered, it’s a good idea to contact an experienced electric bike accident attorney before tackling other tasks. Your attorney can provide a wealth of valuable services that save you time and money in the long run.

Delfino, Green & Green: Trusted Personal Injury and Accident Attorneys in the Bay Area

At the end of the day, no one should be footing the bill for someone else’s negligence. If you were injured in an electric bike accident caused by someone else, it’s in your best interest to seek legal assistance. An experienced electric bike accident attorney from Delfino, Green & Green can help you pursue the compensation you need and deserve to recover.

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Ready to get started? Reach out to us online to schedule a free consultation or call our law office at (415) 442-4646 for top-tier legal advice.

Verdicts & Settlements

We've recovered millions for our clients

$10,400,000

Construction Death

The husband and father of 4 young children was working at a construction site when he died because of another contractor's negligence. After more than two years of hard fought litigation, our team of experts was able to win a tremendous victory on behalf of our clients and ensure that all of their financial needs will be met. We could not bring back the husband/father for this family, but we were able to protect them from the financial devastation that can and often does result where the primary source of income for the family is taken away. We then worked with our team of financial planners to make sure that this family will always have financial security.

$10,000,000

Bad Faith Insurance Claim

Insurance Coverage/Bad Faith Bad Faith – Pollution Coverage Prior to forming his own firm, Mr. Green worked at one of the largest and most prestigious firms in the U.S. He was the primary attorney on an environmental insurance case that went to trial in San Francisco. After a several week trial, Mr. Green came away with a trial verdict against the insurers with a value of over $10,000,000 in available insurance coverage.

$5,750,000

Traumatic Brain Injury

A 16 year old developmentally disabled kid was hit by a bus while in a crosswalk. He suffered a concussion which turned into post concussive syndrome, where the symptoms of the concussion don't heal completely. This is also known as a mild Traumatic Brain Injury ("mTBI"). Our firm was hired as trial counsel 6 months before trial because of our expertise in TBIs as well as cutting edge trial techniques. When we first associated into the case, there was a very minimal settlement offer and it did not appear that the Defense was taking the case seriously. Our team of attorneys, experts and staff immediately immersed ourselves in the case as we prepared to demonstrate the catastrophic consequences of this incident. Shortly before trial, the Defense could see that we had put all the pieces together to prove liability and that full justice for our young client required damages in the many millions of dollars. The matter settled for $5,750,000.

$2,400,000

Disability Claim

Disability – Neurological Issues Our client became disabled from neurological issues. Our attorneys were able to work with the client and his physicians to quickly assemble all of the documentation necessary to support out client’s claim of total disability. The insurer agreed that our client was totally disabled and paid his claim.

$2,000,000

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic Brain Injury to Child A three year old child was being carried across the street when she was struck by an oncoming car. The child suffered a serious traumatic brain injury when she hit the ground. Her injuries were so serious she had to be hospitalized for several months. Our firm negotiated a settlement of $2,000,000 by forcing the payment of all of the available insurance from the driver’s automobile insurer ($1,250,000), the entire amount of the homeowners insurance limits available ($500,000), and all of the amounts that the person carrying the little girl was able to recover from the negligent driver ($250,000). We then arranged for another firm to prepare and fund a large Special Needs Trust for the health and welfare of the injured child.

$1,800,000

Heart Condition Disability

Our client became disabled by a heart attack. The insurer refused to pay, claiming that our client was still able to perform his occupation. We met with all of our client’s doctors, obtained reports confirming the client’s inability to perform his prior occupation, and ultimately convinced the insurance company to pay the claim in full.

$1,700,000

Builder’s Risk/Collapse

A contractor suffered a severe collapse at one of his sites. The claim was submitted to the insurer and denied. Mr. Green reviewed all of the facts, researched the law, and brought together the necessary experts to prove that the Contractor’s Builders Risk insurer was responsible for a substantial portion of the loss. He also proved that a subcontractor was negligent and the subcontractor’s insurer also paid a substantial settlement. In total, Mr. Green was able to obtain more than $1,700,000 in compensation for his client.

$1,000,000

Heart Condition Disability

Our client had worked for the government for many years when she began suffering from a serious heart condition. All of her doctors told her that she could no longer work and if she continued to do so, she would be risking further injury to her heart or even death. Based on thi

$1,000,000

Traumatic Brain Injury

Our client suffered a mild Traumatic Brain Injury when heavy object struck her in the head. The responsible party denied all fault and insisted until the very end that our client had not suffered a brain injury and offered nothing to settle the case. Our firm assembled a team of world renowned expert‘s to demonstrate that our client had suffered a mild Traumatic brain injury. The case settled shortly before trial.

$985,000

Traumatic Hand Injury

Our client was working at a manufacturing plant. While operating a piece of machinery, his glove became caught in the machinery and part of his hand was severely injured. Ordinarily, this type of injury would be restricted to remedies available through Worker’s Compensation. However, through the knowledge, ingenuity, and creativity of our team of attorneys, we were also able to obtain a very substantial civil settlement for our client in addition to the workers comp settlement of his case.

$975,000

Aviation Death Settlement

A husband and father of two small children was killed in an aviation accident involving a small aircraft. Our firm represented the widow and two children against the pilot of the aircraft. By hiring experts in aviation (to prove negligence) and economists (to prove damages), and utilizing William Green’s expertise as an instrument-rated pilot, we were able to make a very powerful case and obtain a very favorable settlement that allowed the family to survive financially.

$700,000

Forklift Accident

A construction supervisor went to pick up some materials for a construction job. A worker at the yard neglected to set the parking brake on a piece of heavy equipment a few yards away. While the construction supervisor had his back turned, the machine rolled into him, pinning him against the side of his pick-up truck. He suffered several broken ribs, but that was the least of his injuries. Within several weeks of the accident, he had partially lost his sight. By working with medical experts, our firm was able to directly connect the sight loss to the injuries caused by the machine that rolled into our client. The case settled at Mediation without any need for a trial.

Words of Praise from Our Clients

“I had the pleasure of working with Sharon Delfino on my workmens comp case. She definitely had my best interest at hand. She was able to find me a great doctor and help me resolve my case. The staff there are always polite and friendly, never had an issue. It was a pleasure working with Delfino Green & Green !”

- Tabitha W

“I’ve known the firm’s founder, Bill Green, for many years and I can say that he is one of the best attorneys I’ve had the pleasure of working with. He and his associates at Delfino Green & Green are hard-working, highly responsive, and very professional, and they get the job done, without excuses. Bill is a great communicator, both with clients, and in Court, and invests time and money to include visual storytelling in his trials and mediations. You won’t find an attorney who cares more about you, and getting you an outstanding result for your case. Bill is one of the “good guys” in the legal profession…a great person to have on your side when dealing with the craziness of litigation.”

- Tim M

“A few years ago, I referred a friend of mine to the attorneys at Delfino Green & Green. He was extremely happy with the job they did on his case. He was severely injured when a car hit him when he was crossing a street and this event had the potential to ruin him in a number of ways – financially, physically, emotionally, etc. We kept in close contact during the lawsuit and he told me how great his lawyer and his assistant were throughout the process. Caring, compassionate and very knowledgeable. My friend ended up with a great result – fair financial compensation and great treatment for his injuries. Little did I know when I referred my friend that a few years later, I would need a lawyer for injuries I suffered, but I did. Based on my friend’s experience, I knew that Delfino Green & Green would be the right attorneys for me. So I hired Bill Green and his team to help and they jumped right into action. Now I can saw that I too have firsthand knowledge of just how great these guys are. They knew the law, they knew just how to handle my particular case, and they helped me get my life back after the horrible events that lead to my injury. I can’t imagine that you could do any better than hiring these folks. I’m so grateful for all they did for both me and my friend.”

- Evelyn A

“The work Delfino Green & Green did on my case was beyond excellent. The final result was superb, but I also truly appreciated how Mr. Green and the team kept me up-to-date at every stage of the case. I was able to reach someone whenever I needed something or had something important to report and the firm always let me know what was going on in my case. That was very important to me because I hadn’t found that to be true with other attorneys. In short, really top flight work, great people and results that met all of my expectations above and beyond.”

- Byron H

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