As with any other road user, cyclists have the right to be safe while riding. Equally, as you follow traffic safety laws, so should everyone else. When other motorists disregard your safety, the injuries caused by being hit by a vehicle or knocked off a bicycle can range from cuts and bruises to life-changing head and spinal injuries. In the worst cases, the result is a tragic and avoidable loss of life.
If you or a loved one was injured by a motorist while cycling, our Jacksonville bicycle accident lawyers can help. Our personal injury lawyers in Jacksonville provide everything you need to claim compensation, manage the legal process, deal with insurers, and fight for the financial outcome you deserve. Learn about what to expect from the legal process below. I
How to Protect Your Health and Your Right to Claim Compensation After a Bicycle Accident
While riding a bike is a form of exercise and a great way to get around, it is important to understand your legal rights when things go wrong and you are injured. What you do after an accident can affect the outcome of your claim. As such, our injury lawyers have prepared the following guidelines so that you are in the know should the worst happen.
- Seek medical attention: Seeing a doctor protects your health and ensures any hidden injuries, such as a concussion or spinal cord trauma, are identified and treated. Having medical records detailing the extent of your injuries and how they relate to the accident will also help your claim later on.
- Gather evidence at the scene: If possible, take photographs of the accident scene, the weather, road conditions, witness contact details, your injuries, and the other vehicle. Take note of the driver’s personal and insurance details, and write down what happened in as much detail as possible.
- Obtain a copy of the police report: It is also useful to report the accident to the local police authority and ask for a copy of the police report. Again, this will help your claim later on.
- Keep records of your financial losses: Losses can include the time missed from work while you recover, costs for medical treatment, diagnostic tests, hospital stays, or the value of lost or damaged property.
If you are seriously injured and unable to gather evidence, do not worry. We can work with the police, your doctors, medical experts, witnesses, information from CCTV footage, and other relevant sources to gather what is needed to build a strong claim.
Our Jacksonville Bicycle Accident Attorneys Can Help To Make Claiming Easier
We provide full-service support for injured cyclists, which means we take on the legal responsibility of pursuing your claim, case administration, and talking with insurers. We never ask our clients to pay up-front costs and only collect payment if we recover compensation for you. We aim to make the claim process hassle-free, as we know how difficult it is to have your life suddenly upturned by an injury caused by someone else’s negligence.
We Determine How the Accident Happened and Who Is Responsible
To receive compensation, you must prove the other driver was negligent. Common causes of driver negligence in cases we see can include:
- Failing to yield to cyclists
- Speeding and other traffic safety violations
- Driver inattention
- Distracted driving, such as texting behind the wheel
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Failure to observe, such as opening a door into the path of a passing cyclist
- Disobeying traffic signs, controls, or signals
- Driving while fatigued
- Faulty mechanical parts
- Poor road maintenance
Looking at the facts of your case and piecing the evidence together enables us to identify who is financially liable for your injuries and why. Having helped clients with personal injury cases for almost 30 years, we know where to look for evidence and how to use it to prove a case.
We Assess the Full Extent of Your Financial Damages
Another way our prior experience can be beneficial is by calculating the cost of your financial damages. Some damages are easy to quantify as they have bills or receipts. However, others are more subjective, such as the cost of emotional trauma.
Everyone we represent is different, which is why there is no fixed dollar amount for a bicycle accident’s physical, emotional, or financial cost. However, depending on the circumstances of your case, compensation can cover the following losses:
- Current and ongoing bills for your medical care and treatment costs.
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity if your ability to work is affected.
- Pain and suffering from the accident’s impact on your home, social, and work life and your emotional well-being.
- Disfigurement and disability.
- The cost to repair or replace your bike and other personal property.
If the accident caused the loss of a loved one, we can help by filing a wrongful death action against those responsible to recover financial damages.
We Deal With Insurance Companies for You
Our bicycle accident lawyers do everything we can to move your case as quickly as possible toward a favorable outcome. You will file an initial claim in Florida under your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. However, if your injuries are severe enough to exceed your PIP limit, the next step is filing a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance or filing a lawsuit against the driver for the excess.
Having a solid evidence-backed case means there is less wiggle room for the insurance company to shift blame or pay you less than you deserve. We are here to protect you from bad faith insurance while fighting for the compensation you deserve.
We also manage all phone calls with the insurance, so you do not have to worry about saying something (albeit with honest intentions) that could harm your claim.
Perhaps the most significant benefit of hiring experienced legal representation is you get to entirely focus on your recovery with peace of mind that your case is in capable hands.
Let Our Jacksonville Bicycle Accident Team Help
The team at GED lawyers has the experience, knowledge, and resources to help if you or a loved one is injured in a cycling accident caused by a negligent motorist. Contact us for a free consultation to learn more about your legal options today.
