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When bicyclists are struck by cars, trucks, or other motor vehicles, they often sustain life-threatening injuries. They can sustain a severe injury as a result of the initial impact, being hit to the ground, or being tossed off their bikes. This types of serious accidents can result in high hospital costs, reduced jobs, and long-term financial difficulties.
Bike riding is a frequent pastime in the United States. However, no matter how cautious you are while riding your bicycle, sharing the road with cars and trucks can be frightening. If you are involved in a cycling crash, you are likely to sustain serious injury. (Yes, even though you're wearing a mask and other protective equipment.)
Statistics on Bicycle Crashes :
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there were 467,000 cycling injury accidents in 2015, resulting in $10 billion in lifetime care bills and economic damages. In 2016, there were 840 bicycle-related deaths in the United States.
71% of these deadly cycling accidents happened in cities, where traffic is the worst, though slightly more injuries happened during the day. The majority of cycling deaths occur during the evening rush hour, from 6 p.m. to 8:59 p.m.
Causes of Bicycle Crashes:
These accidents are caused by a variety of factors, including:
Failure to yield the right of way
Failure to see bicyclists approaching an intersection
Running into or backing over cyclists
Failing to use turn signals
Failing to leave enough space
Running red lights or stop signs
Dooring, or opening a car door without checking the mirror(s) for cyclists
Failure to look both ways while turning or crossing an intersection (among bicyclist deaths, for example, 37 percent had alcohol involvement for either the motor vehicle or bicycle rider, according to the CDC).
Bicycle Accident Damages:
A cyclist who is injured may be entitled to the following forms of compensation:
Injuries by Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle casualties from crashes and falls can range from minor scrapes and cuts to tragically severe injuries and even wrongful death fatalities.
Concussions are one kind of cycling crash injury.
TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)
Head injury • Neck injury • Facial lacerations • Spinal cord injury
Hand and wrist fractures
Tooth and jaw fractures
Skull fractures
For instance, the kinds of damages you receive can be determined by the facts of your case and the caliber of your legal counsel.
What Should You Do After a Bike Accident?
The actions you take after a bike crash will be critical to your situation. Keep the following tips in mind if you are involved in a cycling accident:
Should not leave the crash scene until you have spoken with the officers, even though you do not believe you have been hurt. In certain cases, trauma victims do not experience discomfort until hours or days after the collision.
Should not attempt to bargain with the driver. Any drivers can take responsibility only to later deny it to their insurance provider.
Obtain contact details from all nearby witnesses.
It is safest to wait for the police so they can document the incident.
Photograph the scene, the bike, the other car (if possible), and any injuries you suffered.
Tips You Must Consider Before Hiring A Bicycle Accident Lawyer:
Aggressive Litigation Practices.
Is there a track record with the cycling injury counsel or law firm bringing lawsuits to trial if necessary? Insurance companies are, by definition, unjust. In reality, they aim to minimize the amount of money paid out to hurt bicyclists. Since insurers are frequently big corporations (some of which are publicly traded), their ultimate aim is to maximize earnings for their shareholders. Insurance companies maintain meticulous notes on all law firms in which they do business. They are aware of growing law firms have a reputation for successfully litigating litigation where appropriate, as well as others that leave money on the table.
Medical Treatment Concerns:
Most law firms want to make a swift payout after a bicycle crash. This leads to money being left on the table, which can emotionally affect hurt bicyclists and their families. Your bicycle accident attorneys help clients in receiving professional and convenient medical care.
Success Handling Claims Similar to Yours:
Is the counsel or law firm treated similar cycling crash cases before? Bicycle crash incident lawsuits are not the same as typical car accident cases. In practice, responsibility is often contested, with the driver of the vehicle claiming that the bicycle operator violated his or her right of way or refused to follow traffic laws.
How Can a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Assist You?
Bicycle crash lawsuits can be almost as complicated as typical car accident claims. As a result, it is important to retain the services of an attorney after a car accident. We'll show you what a bike crash solicitor can do for you below, and you'll see that there's a lot.
To help recover compensation for your losses, your attorney may: •
Gather witness accounts
Review police and crash files
Recreate the accident site
Inspect and register any bike harm
Look at the suspected at-fault party's driving past
To ascertain blame and causation.
A bicycle accident lawyer will contact medical experts to review medical reports and establish reenactments of the crash.
Lawsuits for Bicycle Accidents:
Here are the two most common forms of cycling crash lawsuits.
1- Incompetence: Neither the cyclist nor the driver would choose to accept blame for the collision. The facts your counsel has gathered and their willingness to present it positively would be used to determine guilt and cause. Identifying who had the right of way, failing to take due caution, and violating traffic rules are some of the most prominent inconsistencies in cycling crash situations.
Successful bike accident lawsuits will demonstrate that:
• the offending party failed to act reasonably and breached the responsibility that motorists owe one another;
• this breach caused the accident; and
• an injury was sustained as a result of the accident.
2-Claim for Product Liability: If a product fault is related to the crash, you will be able to sue the company. Your attorney would have to demonstrate the following in a negligence lawsuit against a substance manufacturer:
The faulty bicycle or component was "unreasonably unsafe."
The bicycle was being used in the manner planned by the designer • The bicycle's performance had not improved since its initial purchase.
These Successful “strict liability claims” would necessitate evidence that the fault originated in the production process, as well as expert testimony and review.
What Kinds of Compensation Are Available After A Bicycle Accident?
Your bike accident attorney will carefully examine the injury and evaluate your condition to decide whether complete and equitable liability can be awarded in your case. Hospital costs, missed wages, collateral loss, pain and suffering, and punitive damages can all be sought in a cycling crash lawsuit.
Health expenses: Even though you have personal injury insurance that covers a portion of your accident-related medical costs, we will request the entire amount paid by health care providers for all accident-related services you need. This covers bills incurred after your injury, as well as future costs for recovery and other planned treatment requirements.
Lost income: If you are unable to work due to your injury or are forced to accept a lower-paying career, we will offer compensation to compensate for the loss of your potential earnings.
Property damage: Your attorney will seek restitution for the expense of repairing or replacing your bicycle, which he recognizes is a costly piece of machinery, as well as any broken gear.
Loss and injury: You are entitled to compensation for the physical, mental, and psychological pain and misery caused by the crash. Your cycling crash counsel will consult with you to record the extent to which your injuries have harmed you and your way of life, and will demand adequate compensation. If bicycling was an important part of your life and you are no longer able to cycle due to your injury, you should be paid for this failure.
Punitive damages: In some cases, your attorney will be able to seek compensation as punishment for someone who has acted with intentional or extreme misbehavior that caused the injury. For example, punitive damages may be available if a motorist was driving while drunk and hit a bicyclist.
Medical expenses: Typically victim gets medical bills compensation from the insurance companies.
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