Depending on the details of the insurance policy, car insurance should cover bodily injuries that a driver causes during an accident—including a bicyclist’s injuries.
If you were involved in a bicycle accident, healing after the crash could be costly. You could seek compensation through an insurance claim or lawsuit if a vehicle driver caused your accident. A bicycle accident lawyer can explain the process and ensure that you seek the best financial recovery available in your case.
Am I Eligible for Bicycle Accident Compensation?
If another driver’s negligence caused your accident, you might be eligible for compensation from the at-fault party’s car insurance. After everything you have gone through after your accident, they should compensate you for your damages.
Depending on the details of your situation, you could recover the costs of many losses you sustained due to the accident.
Common Bicycle Accident Damages You Could Seek
Accidents involving bicycles and cars can lead to catastrophic injuries. Treating these injuries can range into the thousands of dollars. This is especially so because cyclists do not have the same protection as drivers and passengers in a car.
Common injuries that cyclists suffer include:
- Head and neck injuries
- Hip injuries
- Spine injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Internal organ damage
- Extensive bruising and lacerations
Given the nature of these injuries, you may need to miss days at work or reduce your hours to accommodate your injuries. You could recover these wage losses through an insurance claim.
After a crash, victims are usually left with a mountain of financial distress in addition to other less tangible losses. You may be able to seek compensation for your pain and suffering and emotional struggles during the recovery period.
Who Is Liable for My Bicycle Accident Injuries?
As mentioned before, if the driver who hit you was at fault, their insurance company could be responsible for paying for your damages. In situations where the damages exceed the insurance policy limit, you may have to file a bicycle accident lawsuit. A bicycle attorney can help you take the best legal strategy to recover your total compensation.
In some situations, however, the other party may argue that the bicyclist shared fault for the crash. In these cases, the bicyclist may be able to gather evidence to deny shared fault. However, if the bicyclist is deemed to share some responsibility for the accident, their compensation may be reduced accordingly. A bicycle accident lawyer could work to protect you from claims of shared fault.
Other parties who could be at fault for a bicycle accident case include:
- Bicycle parts manufacturers
- Bicycle manufacturers
- Government entities responsible for poor road condition
What a Bicycle Attorney Can Do to Help You With Your Case
Cases involving bicycles and cars can be very complicated, especially when determining who the liable party is. In some cases, the responsible driver’s insurance company’s adjusters might contact you with a low offer to settle the matter quickly. When the offer is too low, settling at this stage means that you may not receive compensation for any future damages due to your bicycle accident.
With the help of a bicycle lawyer, you can develop a legal strategy to seek the compensation you deserve. First, your lawyer will help you gather evidence to help build a strong case. Your attorney will look at the police reports, talk to eyewitnesses, and keep records of your medical bills. After successfully determining liability, your lawyer will represent you in negotiations with the at-fault driver’s insurance company and work to negotiate a fair settlement offer.
In some cases, the negotiations might not produce the results you need. Then, your bicycle accident attorney could file a civil lawsuit to compel the liable party to pay the right amount of compensation.
How Much does Hiring a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Cost?
Injury lawyers understand that you have already used a lot of money to recover from your accident. For that reason, some bicycle accident lawyers strictly work on a contingency basis, meaning they only get paid if they successfully recover your compensation.* Operating based on contingency means that you bear no financial risk to get started with a case.
Usually, injury lawyers charge between 33% to 40% of your total settlement or award. When you get a case review, you can ask the law firm to explain how their fees work and if they operate based on contingency.
George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Can Help Injured Bicyclists
Serving the states of Georgia and South Carolina, George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers has handled and resolved over 50,000 cases in over 40 years of service. We understand what an accident feels like, especially if another person was negligent or reckless. With our experience, we have helped a lot of other bicycle injuries victims, and we can help you get your money.
Start your journey to recover your compensation after a bicycle accident today by contacting us for a free case review. Call us today to learn more: (888) 612-7001.