Have your bicycle accident injuries had a significant impact on your life? Are you struggling to cope financially, emotionally, or physically? If so, you could make the liable party pay.
You should not be stuck covering the costs when someone else is responsible for a bike crash resulting in your injuries. Seek the fair compensation you deserve when you contact a Florida personal injury lawyer at GED Lawyers for a free consultation.
Bicycle Accident Injuries to Sue for in Florida
Bicycle accident injuries are often severe injuries. When a bicyclist is struck by a motor vehicle, they are at a significantly increased risk of suffering serious harm. They may even suffer fatal injuries. This is possible even while wearing protective equipment.
Some of the more common types of injuries seen in Florida bicycle accident claims include:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Third degree burns
- Neck injuries
- Facial injuries
- Back injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Paralysis
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Loss of limbs
- Internal injuries
- Broken bones and compound fractures
These are only a few of the more common types of injuries seen in bicycle accidents. If you have suffered another type of bicycle accident injury, you might still have grounds to begin the claims process. However, remember that it is not the type of injury you are diagnosed with that will impact your right to compensation.
Your attorney will need to analyze the impact your injuries have had on your life to determine whether you have grounds for a claim. Find out what your legal options are when you contact our office for a free consultation.
Common Causes of Florida Bicycle Accidents
Florida bicycle accidents are caused in many ways. Your attorney will need to closely evaluate the details of your accident to determine who is responsible for causing your injuries.
Some of the more common causes of bicycle accidents in Florida include:
- Aggressive or reckless driving
- Following too closely
- Failure to yield
- Failure to stop
- Failure to use a turn signal
- Road rage
- Making illegal turns
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Drowsy driving
- Distracted driving
- Dangerous road conditions
- Malfunctioning or defective vehicle parts
Negligent drivers and distracted drivers are among the most dangerous threats to bike riders in Florida. Their reckless behavior has made the state one of the leaders in traffic accidents, with an accident rate higher than all but 4 other states.
You need an experienced bicycle accident attorney by your side to make sure your rights are protected and you receive the maximum compensation possible. Holding a negligent driver accountable in a bike accident claim can be stressful while recovering from your physical injuries as well as your emotional damages. Let us help you.
Liability for a Bicycle Accident in Florida
As previously mentioned, the cause of your bicycle accident in Florida will give your attorney an understanding of who is responsible for causing your injuries. For example, if your accident was caused by negligent driving, you would likely assume the reckless driver is at fault for your injuries.
This may be true, but with help from an attorney, you may also be able to hold a local liquor store or bar accountable if they over-served or sold alcohol to someone who is already intoxicated and later caused your injuries.
If your bicycle accident was caused by dangerous road conditions, the government agencies responsible for road integrity and safety could be responsible for your damages. This might include municipalities, the Department of Transportation, safety inspectors, or other third parties.
A careful investigation into the cause of your accident will reveal the evidence needed to prove liability in your Florida bicycle accident claim. The evidence must support the defendant’s liability for your claim to be successful.
Will Sharing Liability Affect Your Compensation?
Sharing liability could certainly have an impact on the amount of compensation you could be awarded. Although Florida operates under a pure comparative negligence system, your injury settlement will still be reduced to reflect your portion of the liability. In some states, if you are partially at fault for your injuries, you are barred from recovering compensation for your damages. Thankfully, this is not the case in Florida.
You can share fault, but your injury settlement will still be reduced proportionally. For example, if you were not wearing a bicycle helmet when you were struck by an aggressive driver, the judge might find you 5% responsible for your injuries. If the jury awarded you $100,000, you could then expect to recover just $95,000 of your injury settlement.
You may want to have your attorney ensure liability is evaluated accurately in your case, as the defense will likely attempt to place as much blame for the accident on you as possible.
How Much Is Your Florida Bicycle Accident Claim Worth?
It is not uncommon for bicycle accident victims to wonder how much their damages are worth. After everything you have been through, the thought of putting in all this effort to not be compensated fairly could be devastating.
Fortunately, your personal injury attorney can give you an idea of how much a claim is worth after reviewing the details of your case. You have the right to recover both economic damages and non-economic damages.
Also commonly referred to as compensatory damages, some of the different types of losses you could recover in your Florida bicycle accident claim include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Loss of income and diminished earning potential
- Emotional distress
- Current and future medical expenses and equipment fees
- Skin scarring, dismemberment, or disfigurement
- Reputational damages and inconvenience
- Diminished quality of life and loss of companionship and love
If you have lost a loved one to severe bike accident injuries, you have our deepest condolences. During this difficult time, GED Lawyers is ready to stand with you if you wish to pursue a wrongful death claim against the responsible party. You are not alone. We are ready to help.
What to Expect from the Insurance Company
Dealing with the insurance company is not going to be easy. Insurance companies will often prioritize their own financial interests above all else. Their insurance adjusters are not on your side as you might have previously thought.
If you hope to avoid being taken advantage of when pursuing an insurance claim, have your attorney deal with the insurance company on your behalf. Some of the more common tactics used by insurance company representatives to deny bicycle accident victims the financial compensation they deserve include:
- Delaying the processing of your claim
- Making you an insultingly low offer
- Placing unwarranted fault for the accident on you
- Denying your claim in bad faith
You can protect yourself by having your attorney negotiate with the insurance company representative directly. We will never allow the insurance company to lowball you or pressure you into accepting less than your claim is worth.
If the insurance company representative refuses to settle your claim fairly, our personal injury lawyers will be prepared to bring them to court if it means getting you the most out of your claim.
Be aware that time is of the essence. Up until March of 2023, you had a full 4 years to pursue a claim. Now that HB 837/SB 236 has been signed into law, you only have 2 years to pursue legal action. After these two years, the legal process will be more difficult to get through. Call us now for a free consultation so you can get the compensation you deserve.
Get Help from a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Florida Today
If your bicycle accident injuries have turned your life upside down, you have a chance to recover maximum compensation for your damages when you reach out to our Florida bicycle accident lawyers at GED Lawyers for help.
Schedule a no-cost, risk-free consultation by calling our office or filling out our online contact form.
