Long Beach, California, with its scenic coastline, vibrant neighborhoods, and numerous cycling routes, is a haven for bicycling enthusiasts. However, like any other city, Long Beach has its share of bicycle accidents that highlight the importance of prioritizing safety on the road. In this blog, we'll delve into the factors contributing to bicycle accidents in Long Beach and explore ways to prevent them.

When you are involved in a bicycle accident, the consequences can be devastating. Long Beach bicycle accidents often result in major injuries or even deaths. Many in Long Beach use bicycles not just for getting to and from work or school, but also for exercise and fitness. Often times, bicycle accidents are caused by negligent drivers or dangerous roadways, which are simply not designed with bicyclists in mind.

What Long Beach Intersections are the Worst for Bicyclists?

While Long Beach is committed to creating a bike-friendly environment, it's crucial to be aware of intersections that require extra caution. By understanding the challenges these intersections pose and employing safety strategies, bicyclists can navigate Long Beach's roads confidently.

8^th Street and Termino Avenue

8th Street and Termino Avenue is an intersection in the city of Long Beach, California. It is located in the Belmont Heights neighborhood, which is a residential area situated between the Belmont Shore and Bluff Park neighborhoods. This area is known for its mix of single-family homes, apartments, and small businesses.

East 7^th Street and Redondo Avenue

East 7th Street and Redondo Avenue is located in the city of Long Beach, California. This intersection is situated in the Belmont Heights neighborhood, which is known for its mix of residential and commercial properties. Belmont Heights is located between the neighborhoods of Belmont Shore and Bluff Park.

East Stearns Street and Palo Verde Avenue

East Stearns Street and Palo Verde Avenue is located in the eastern part of Long Beach, California. This intersection falls within the El Dorado Park neighborhood, which is primarily a residential area known for its proximity to El Dorado Regional Park, a large public park offering recreational amenities.

Bay Shore Ave & East 2nd Street

Bay Shore Avenue and East 2nd Street is located in the Belmont Shore neighborhood of Long Beach, California. Belmont Shore is known for its vibrant and walkable atmosphere, featuring a mix of shops, restaurants, cafes, and residences. The area is particularly known for its proximity to the Alamitos Bay and the Belmont Pier.

54^th Place and East Ocean Boulevard

54th Place and East Ocean Boulevard are located in the Peninsula neighborhood of Long Beach, California. The Peninsula is a coastal area situated between Alamitos Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It's a primarily residential area known for its waterfront properties, beautiful views, and recreational opportunities.

West 27^th Street and Daisy Avenue

West 27th Street and Daisy Avenue are located in the Wrigley neighborhood of Long Beach, California. Wrigley is a primarily residential neighborhood with a mix of historic homes, tree-lined streets, and community-oriented spaces.

East 4^th Street and Redondo Avenue

East 4th Street and Redondo Avenue is located in the Retro Row district of Long Beach, California. This area is part of the Eastside neighborhood, which is known for its eclectic and artsy vibe. Retro Row, also known as the Fourth Street Corridor, is a stretch of East 4th Street known for its vintage shops, boutiques, cafes, galleries, and unique businesses.

Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) just past 7^th Street

The Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) just past 7th Street in Long Beach is a segment of the well-known highway that runs along the coast of California. This area is situated in the southern part of Long Beach and holds both residential and commercial significance.

East Los Coyotes Diagonal and East Stearns Street

East Los Coyotes Diagonal is a major road that runs diagonally through the eastern part of Long Beach. It connects various neighborhoods and intersects with several other roads, including East Stearns Street.

Common Types of Long Beach Bicycle Injuries

Bicycle accidents often result in devastating injuries that could result in physical, emotional and financial issues for victims and their families. Here are some of the most common types of injuries we see in Long Beach bicycle accidents:

Head trauma: This type of trauma could result in brain injuries ranging from relatively mild to severe including concussions, brain contusions, bleeding in the brain, skull fractures, etc. While bicycle helmets can help prevent the severity of injuries in some cases, even collisions that occur at relatively low speeds can cause catastrophic head injuries.

Spinal cord injuries: Injuries to the spinal column could result in a variety of injuries from back strains or sprains and herniated disc injuries to spinal fractures, which could result in partial or complete paralysis. These injuries are permanent and have the potential to result in lifelong disabilities.

Facial and eye injuries: Because bicyclists' faces are often exposed, a fall may result in injuries to the face or eyes causing contusions, broken teeth, broken nose, corneal foreign bodies or more serious injuries to the eyes that could result in partial or total vision loss.

Soft tissue injuries: The most common soft tissues in the body that are injured are muscles, tendons and ligaments. Sprains, strains, contusions as well as tendinitis and bursitis are common types of soft tissue injuries.

Internal organ damage: Bicycle accidents also result in damage to internal organs such as the lungs, heart, spleen and kidneys.

Abdominal injuries: These injuries may include lacerations, contusions, vascular perforations, bowel contusions, ruptures and trauma hernias.

Road rash: These injuries are essentially abrasions caused by friction. It happens to your skin when it gets scraped off by a hard surface or contacts a smooth surface for an extended period of time For example, when you fall off a bicycle and your skin makes contact with the roadway, you can suffer painful road rash injuries.

Genitourinary injuries: This includes trauma to the urethra or vulva, rectal trauma, and pelvic fractures.

What Causes Long Beach Bicycle Accidents?

It is also important to understand how and why bicycle accidents occur in Long Beach. Here are some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents:

• Getting struck by a vehicle such as a car, bus, truck or SUV can cause serious bicycle injuries. Such accidents typically occur because of driver negligence such as driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, distracted driving, etc.
• Falling from a bicycle could also result in major injuries. This could occur, for example, as the result of a defective roadway such as a pothole or uneven pavement.
• Often, when roads or walkways are poorly maintained, bicyclists are vulnerable. The city and private property owners have a responsibility to make sure these areas are properly maintained.
• Dooring accidents or when the occupant of a vehicle opens a door without paying attention to roadway and strikes a bicyclist, can be devastating. Sometimes, bicyclists are thrown off their bikes by the impact of the door opening and land in the way of oncoming traffic, which could result in fatal injuries.
• Defective bicycles or bicycle parts also cause some bicycle accidents.

Compensation for Bicycle Accident Injuries

If you have been injured in a Long Beach bicycle accident as a result of someone else's negligence or wrongdoing, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries and damages. Bicycle accident victims can seek three types of damages:

Economic damages: These include all medical expenses, lost income, cost of hospitalization, surgery and rehabilitative treatment. In addition, you can also seek compensation for cost of ongoing care, if you need surgery or treatments in the future for your accident-related injuries. You can also include as part of your claim loss of earning capacity if you've suffered permanent injuries or disabilities that prevent you from returning to work.

Non-economic damages: These types of damages are typically awarded for losses such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, inconvenience, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium, loss of life's enjoyment, etc.

Punitive damages: In some cases, punitive damages are awarded to plaintiffs in addition to compensatory damages. The intention here is to punish the defendants for negligence that is deemed egregious and deter such incidents or behavior in the future.

Contacting a Long Beach Bicycle Accident Attorney

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident in Long Beach, the experienced bicycle accident attorneys at Greenberg and Ruby can help you explore your legal rights and options. We will remain on your side, fight for your rights and go the extra mile to ensure you receive maximum compensation for your losses.