While motorists have a duty to follow the rules of the road and yield the right of way to other vehicles, including bicyclists, this does not always happen. Instead, every year countless bicyclists are injured or killed in accidents because of a person's reckless, intentional, or negligent actions.
However, while victims of these accidents may have legal options available following these tragic crashes, it is important to first understand how these bicycle accidents happen and what these causes can mean for your legal rights.
Seeking counsel from a specialized bicycle accident lawyer can be crucial in navigating the complexities of such cases and ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
In general, bicycle accidents tend to occur because of another person’s wrongful actions, such as:
- Motor vehicles not looking for bicycles before making a turn or not yielding the right of way
- Motorists not paying attention to the road ahead of them because they are on their cell phone
- Motorists operating their cars while intoxicated
- Motorists speeding
- Motorists not leaving enough room between them and a bike while trying to pass
- Motorists performing a rolling stop
- Opening car doors in front of an oncoming bicyclist
- Motor vehicle and safety equipment defects
- Loose animals or dogs in the area
- Poor street or road conditions, such as loose debris or potholes
However, while these are some of the more common reasons why most bicycle accidents happen, other factors can play a role in a bicycle accident, including construction or a motorist’s reckless or aggressive behavior.
That is why if you suffered harm due to a bicycle accident caused by another person, contact an experienced bicycle accident attorney as soon as possible. These legal professionals can review your case, determine your legal options, and help you go after the compensation you deserve.
Common Injuries Following a Bicycle Accident
Depending on the circumstances of the accident, bicycle crashes can result in catastrophic injuries, especially if the accident was due to the negligence of a motorist.
However, in general, after a bicycle accident, common injuries can result:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Spinal cord damage and paralysis
- Neck and back injuries
- Cuts
- Road rash
- Internal injuries
- Death
Many of these injuries can also lead to astronomical medical bills that can financially hurt the victim and their loved ones. For these reasons, consider discussing your crash with a knowledgeable bicycle accident attorney as soon as you can after a bicycle accident.
These lawyers can help you figure out not only the extent of your injuries and the type of medical treatments you will need in the future, but they can also help you secure the compensation required to cover these costs.
Wrongful Parties After a Bicycle Accident
Numerous individuals and even entities could be held responsible for a bicycle crash.
However, you can hold other parties accountable for a bicycle accident and the resulting losses and injuries:
- The at-fault motorist, motorcyclist, or truck driver
- Property owners
- A manufacturer of a defective bicycle part that results in the accident
- A government agency if a road defect resulted in the bicycle collision
However, if you are unsure which party was responsible for your bicycle crash, do not worry. When you reach out to a knowledgeable bicycle accident lawyer, these legal professionals can handle this investigation for you, figure out who caused the crash, and help you hold each party accountable for the injuries and losses you endured.
The Financial Damages You Can Go After Following a Bicycle Collision
Those who suffered harm in a bicycle collision may be able to go after certain types of damages, including economic damages, which refer to payment for tangible losses after an accident, and non-economic damages, which include compensation for the hard-to-prove losses that develop after an accident.
These losses include things such as:
- Medical expenses related to doctor appointments, surgeries, hospitalization, prescription medications, ambulance rides, therapy, and other care
- Future medical services and treatments
- Lost income, business opportunities, and bonuses
- Reduced earning capacity
- Domestic replacement services
- Personal property damages, including the repair and replacements costs of a bike
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Mental anguish
- Humiliation and inconvenience
You may also recover punitive damages after a bicycle accident to penalize a wrongful party for egregious actions.
Consequently, if you want to know which types of damages you can pursue after a bicycle accident, consider discussing your case with an experienced bicycle accident attorney as soon as possible. Your lawyers can determine which of these damages you may recover and prepare the strongest legal claim to get them.
Time Limitations to Bring a Bicycle Accident Legal Suit
When it comes to a bicycle accident lawsuit, you need to act fast. This is because the time you have to bring a legal suit is limited. Per the statute of limitations laws, accident victims will only have a certain amount of time to file a lawsuit before time runs out. If they fail to file their suit by this deadline, they risk losing their ability to go after the monetary damages they are entitled to.
As a result, if you want to determine how long you have to file your bicycle accident legal suit, consider contacting a dedicated and skilled bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.
Your lawyers can promptly review the applicable state statute regarding these timelines, figure out how much time you have to file your legal case, and help ensure your legal motions and documents are prepared and submitted before this time runs out.
Protecting Your Legal Rights by Taking Action After a Bicycle Accident
Following a bicycle accident, your priority must be your health and safety, which means getting medical care. However, taking certain steps after this accident can not only help ensure you get this care but also protect your legal rights as well. That is why following a bicycle accident, you should consider doing the following:
Contact the Authorities
To get medical personnel and the police to the scene, call 911 immediately after the accident or have someone call for you. This is the fastest way to get the emergency care you require and get the police involved.
Once these officials investigate your crash, they will document their findings in a police report. If you decide to pursue legal action after this accident, this police report can provide your attorney with valuable details regarding what happened, who was responsible for the accident, and even the extent of your damages.
Get Examined by a Doctor
While you may not think you need medical care after a bicycle accident, it is still a good idea to get looked over by a doctor. Many serious injuries, such as brain trauma, can take time before symptoms manifest. However, delaying treatment can cause significant issues for your health. That is why getting examined immediately after your accident is so critical.
In addition, once you get looked at by your doctor, these medical professionals can prepare a medical report, which can provide insight into the extent of your injuries and offer evidence of a connection between the bike crash and the injuries you suffered. You will need this if the other side argues that your harm was not that serious or resulted from a subsequent event.
Have an Experienced Bicycle Accident Lawyer Gather Evidence From the Scene
After a bicycle accident, you should focus on recovery and healing, not gathering evidence or taking photos of the crash scene.
Thankfully, when you retain an experienced bicycle accident attorney to take on your case, these legal professionals can work on obtaining this evidence for you, including photos and videos of:
- The vehicles involved in the crash
- Hazardous conditions
- Damage to your bike after the accident
- Skid marks on the street
- Traffic signs or signals near the accident scene
- The weather and traffic conditions at the time of the accident
- Any other evidence that can help show what happened
Additionally, if there were people who saw the crash, your lawyer can reach out to these individuals and get their statements. These witnesses can not only provide your lawyer with valuable details they can use to strengthen your case, but they can also offer testimony that can help validate your legal claim.
Avoid Talking to Others About the Crash
While it is important to discuss everything about the accident with your attorney, you should refrain from discussing the facts of the case with others. Remember, the statements you make can be used against you.
Consequently, comments such as "I'm sorry" or "It was partially my fault" can hurt your case and impact the amount of money you can obtain. As a result, do not discuss the crash with others at the scene, talk to your friends or family about the incident, or post anything about it on social media.
Watch Out for the Insurance Company
If the insurance company is reaching out to you after a bicycle accident, it may not be in your best interest to talk to them before you reach out to a knowledgeable bicycle accident lawyer.
While you may want to believe these insurance companies are there to support you after an accident, they are looking for anything they can to use against you so they do not have to pay you the money you deserve.
When you reach out to a skilled bicycle accident lawyer, these attorneys can help make sure you know not only what to watch out for when it comes to these companies but they can even handle these conversations on your behalf, stopping the insurance company from taking advantage of you in your vulnerable state.
Contact an Experienced Bicycle Accident Attorney Today to Go Over Your Legal Options
If you or a family member suffered severe injuries in a bike accident because of another person's reckless, intentional, or negligent actions, you should not have to deal with the consequences of this accident on your own. Instead, you can fight back and go after the justice and financial recovery you deserve.
Fortunately, when you work with a skilled bicycle accident lawyer, you will not have to take on this legal fight alone.
Instead, these attorneys can:
- Figure out whether you have a valid legal claim and determine the legal options you can pursue.
- Thoroughly investigate your collision, determine what happened, the extent of your injuries and losses, and identify who was responsible for the crash.
- Obtain evidence to build a claim for compensation on your behalf.
- Hire certain types of experts, including doctors, financial specialists, and accident reconstructionists, to provide testimony to validate your legal claim.
- Handle all negotiation talks and fight for a just settlement offer.
- Determine if you should take your case to trial, especially if the other side refuses to pay you the money you need, and fight for maximum compensation.
For more information regarding a bicycle accident, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer today for your free case consultation and find out how a legal professional can fight for your rights and the monetary damages you need.