Riding a bicycle is a great way to keep in shape, enjoy fresh air, circumvent traffic, and get around town with ease. However, not all is perfect when you decide to ride a bicycle instead of travel by car, because Florida is the deadliest state in the country in terms of fatal bicycle accidents, and Boca Raton is not immune to this alarming trend. Every time you head out onto the roads on a bicycle, you are at an increased risk of being hurt—or even killed—in an accident with a vehicle, so it is important that you know the rules of the road, and that you are aware of your options in the unfortunate event that you are in a crash.
After an accident that someone else caused, it is common to file a claim with their liability insurance, but this process is fraught with pitfalls and stressors that can be extremely overwhelming as you are trying to focus on making a recovery and getting your life back on track. After an accident, you will likely be overwhelmed by everything you need to do, and too often, finding an attorney can feel like a luxury that you just do not have the time for.
Find a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Boca Raton Today
1-800-Injured is an attorney and medical referral service. Instead of needing to track down an attorney in your area who can take your bicycle accident case, we will connect you with an attorney who is ready and willing to represent you today. You will be able to have a free initial consultation with them as soon as possible so that you can learn about the support that you will get, and the difference between accepting an insurance company’s initial offer versus having an attorney negotiate your settlement aggressively.
Working with an attorney is one of the most important decisions that you can make to go through an insurance claims process, because if you are going through the investigation on your own you can be certain that the insurance company is taking every length possible to limit your settlement amount. No matter how pleasant it may be to work with the claims adjuster assigned to your case, they are there on behalf of the insurance company and are tasked with saving their employer as much money as possible.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Boca Raton
Even the most responsible and safe bike rider is at risk of accidents in Boca Raton, and the unfortunate reality is that people driving cars often do not notice a cyclist, do not understand how to share the road or are acting recklessly or negligently in a way that puts a cyclist at a disproportionate risk of injury. Some of the most common reasons are listed below.
Drunk or Drugged Driving
When someone is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs while operating a motor vehicle, it can be easy to miss someone on a bicycle. Getting into an accident with someone who made such a reckless and dangerous decision can be extremely frustrating and upsetting, but it is important that you call 911 as soon as you are hurt to make sure that the police are able to investigate and issue any citations or make arrests.
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is commonly associated with texting and smartphone usage, but the reality is that any time a driver takes their eyes or their attention off the road, they are engaging in distracted driving and increasing their risk of causing an accident. This can be even more dangerous for a cyclist, as the driver is likely not looking for something smaller than a car in their peripheral vision while engaging in this dangerous behavior.
Speeding
Speed limits are there for a reason, but too often, drivers use these signed laws as suggestions. When someone is driving above the posted speed limit, they have less time to react to unexpected things like a cyclist legally sharing the lane, a ball rolling into the road, or another car making an unexpected move, among many other risks that they face, and put everyone else on the road in danger from.
Inexperience
Inexperienced drivers can pose a significant threat to cyclists any motorcycle riders alike, as an inexperienced driver spends a lot of time trying to pay attention to the many rules of the road that they have recently learned while trying to safely operate a vehicle on the complex and often intimidating Florida roadways. Unfortunately, this is a significant risk for even the safest cyclists who may find themselves in a crash with an inexperienced and overwhelmed driver.
Calculating Damages After a Bicycle Accident in Boca Raton
The question at the center of your insurance claim is about the money that you deserve, which is divided between economic and non-economic damages. In the first few weeks after filing your claim with the insurance company, the claims adjuster assigned to your case will go through all of the details of your accident in order to determine how much to offer you as a settlement. Unfortunately, they are not looking at the settlement amount in terms of your best interests – they are working on behalf of the insurance company to pay as little as possible while still settling the claim.
Your lawyer will use this time to perform their own investigation and calculate your damages in a way that is fair for you, not the multi-million dollar insurance company.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the basis of your settlement and include things like your medical bills, impacts to your income, and all other financially-measurable impacts that your accident causes. These damages will even include long-term impacts such as a disability or reduced earning abilities, which will be more complex to quantify but are extremely important to your financial wellbeing.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are just as important as economic damages for your claim, but the insurance company will work to limit the amount of money that they pay for these areas of your accident due to their abstract nature. They seek compensation for things like the pain and suffering that you have endured, as well as the emotional and psychological impacts that you have experienced since your terrifying and traumatic accident.