Millions of Americans use bicycles every day for leisure, fitness, or travel to work or school. But the increased popularity of bicycles produces a higher rate of related crashes. Over half a million cyclists are sent to the emergency room each year. The leading cause of crashes, injuries, and fatalities is negligent drivers. When a driver’s negligence is the cause of your injuries, you are entitled to make a claim against the person who caused your crash to recover monetary compensation for your injuries. A bicycle accident lawyer will help make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Let’s face it, bike riders are offered very little protection if they are involved in a collision with a car, truck, or even a motorcycle. Too often, other drivers on the road pay little attention to those with whom they are sharing the road. Even when you are doing everything according to the laws of Texas, you could be a victim of a serious injury after a crash with a motor vehicle. You do have options available to you if you work with a personal injury lawyer who can help you reconstruct the collision to establish fault.
If you or a member of your family has been involved in a bicycle crash, having the best quality legal representation can help. Call a qualified bicycle crash attorney to talk about your case. This is the first step to getting the compensation you deserve after a bike crash injury.
Farmer's Branch / Carrollton / Dallas-Fort Worth Bicycle Crash Injuries
When a cyclist is hit by a car or truck, the injuries can be catastrophic. The impact of an object weighing thousands of pounds and moving at a fast speed can cause extreme injuries or death.
When you work with a personal injury lawyer who understands the law, they can help you recover the financial losses associated with the crash, including lost wages, medical bills, and payment for ongoing treatment that might be necessary because of the severity of your injuries. Without an attorney, you could be taken advantage of by an insurance company or their adjuster and may be coerced into settling for less than you might be otherwise entitled.
These injuries include:
- Head trauma resulting in brain injury
- Broken bones
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injury causing paralysis
- Scarring due to road burn or lacerations
- Internal bleeding
- Amputation
- Death
Serious injuries can require lost time at work and months of medical treatment, which can include surgery, scar repair, medication, skin grafts, amputation, psychological counseling, and extensive rehabilitation.
Who Is at Fault?
Determination of fault is essential, because it will have a direct effect on the value of your case. The insurance company covering the driver will usually blame the bicyclist to avoid having to pay the claim. Worse, the bicyclist is often not able to give his or her story, so the police report often wrongfully blames the bicyclist.
Having an experienced personal injury attorney in Dallas or Fort Worth who has access to traffic safety experts and accident re-constructionists to support your claim will dramatically improve the odds of your obtaining a settlement or verdict sufficient to cover all of your damages.
Even if you are partially at fault for the crash, you may still be entitled to compensation for the other party’s percentage of the blame. Your attorney will look for evidence to show that your contributory negligence was minimal.
Insurance Company Traps
After enduring the trauma of a bicycle crash, the last thing you need is the added stress of dealing with an insurance company. Insurance companies often attempt to pressure accident victims into a quick settlement before they realize the full extent of their damages. Adjusters are adept at enticing you to make a statement that can be misinterpreted to your disadvantage. For example:
Adjuster: How are you feeling today?
You: I’m doing fine, thanks.
Whoops! You just told the adjuster you’re doing fine, which can be interpreted to mean uninjured . . . and all you were doing was being polite!
Signing general medical authorizations allows the insurance company to go digging in your medical records for your entire life, looking for something else besides the crash to blame for your injury. Don’t do it. The insurance company is entitled to your recent records and has access to a medical database where they can find out about previous claims. At this point, they have no business with unlimited access to your whole life’s medical history.
Don’t sign anything without having a lawyer review it first. Once you’ve accepted a settlement offer and signed a release, if you find out that your injuries are worse than you first realized, you can’t get additional compensation.
Seek Help From an Expert Bicycle Accident Lawyer
To avoid losing your right to adequate compensation for all of your injuries, bring an experienced bicycle accident attorney on board to handle the insurance company. Don’t engage with the adjuster on your own. Retaining a good Dallas or Fort Worth bicycle crash attorney can keep you from doing irreparable damage to your case.
Time Restrictions
Call today, because time restrictions apply, and you could lose your right to a recovery if you wait. The consultation is free, and you’ll pay nothing until the day you receive your recovery check. If we don’t win your case, you owe us nothing.
Remember, before speaking to a insurance adjuster, call an experienced Farmer's Branch / Carrollton / Dallas-Fort Worth area personal injury attorney at Samples Ames to ensure that you do not make any mistakes that could put a recovery of damages at risk. You can reach Samples Ames at (817) 605-1505 and (469) 466-2600; call them today and schedule a free case review to determine what options you have available to recover financial damages for your injuries.
