Heading out for a bike ride is a great way to get exercise, fresh air, and affordable transportation all at once. However, there are inherent risks to cycling that could result in serious accidents, injuries, and even death if the accident is serious enough. Many cities are taking on aggressive initiatives to build safer biking infrastructure, such as dedicated bike lanes or clearer road markings, but even these steps will never guarantee a safe ride. Unfortunately, people act negligently or recklessly while driving, and put cyclists at risk all across the country.
If you have been in an accident while cycling that someone else caused, and you have been injured as a result, then you are entitled to compensation. 1-800-Injured can provide you with access to a network of personal injury attorneys so that you can find a bicycle accident lawyer in your area with ease. While you are focusing on recovering from your injuries, you should not have to take on the additional stress of searching for the appropriate attorney, contacting them, and hoping that they are available before you can get started on filing your claim.
Read more below to learn about bicycle accident claims, and contact us as soon as possible.
Who Is At Fault For a Bicycle Accident?
Determining who is at fault for a bike accident can be a stressful experience, and often the investigation will have conflicting reports between the driver and the cyclist. Hopefully, there are eyewitnesses to your accident, or that the driver does not withhold any information that would implicate them, such as admitting that they were distracted or speeding. When you are working with an attorney, they will be able to take account of the entire situation before determining an appropriate strategy designed to prove that the other driver caused the accident, and is financially responsible for your damages.
It is important to make sure that fault is assigned appropriately: in some states, even being 1% responsible for the accident may invalidate a victim’s claim for compensation, and in others, the final settlement is reduced by the percentage that the victim was found to be at fault. This is known as comparative negligence, and while it is a useful legal tool for a variety of reasons, it can also seriously impact your case if not handled properly.
Seeking Compensation For a Bicycle Accident
Once you have established fault and that you are entitled to compensation, the next step is to determine how much you actually deserve. Personal injury claims are divided into economic damages and non-economic damages, which each apply towards a different area of your accident as you are trying to understand the total financial impact of your injuries that you are entitled to compensation for.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the most basic damages, and include things like your medical bills and earning losses. Any financial impact—something that has a dollar value attached to it—is included in these types of damages.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, as the name implies, seek compensation for the areas of your accident that do not have explicit dollar values associated with them. They include things like the actual pain and suffering of an injury, the trauma of being in an accident, and the possible loss of enjoyment that you may experience following catastrophic, life-altering injuries.
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service that connects accident victims with attorneys. Call today to be connected with a professional bicycle accident attorney.