As a bicyclist, you are among the most vulnerable drivers on the road. While cyclist safety is taken into account through bike lanes and safety laws in Florida, only riders under 16 are required to wear safety helmets. And even a fully-geared cyclist can only hope for so much protection from a speeding car. Furthermore, bicycle riders are not required to purchase Florida no-fault insurance. This means in the worst-case scenario, you risk paying for your injuries and bike repairs out of pocket.
But if you’ve been injured in Margate due to a negligent driver, pedestrian, or 3rd party, the bicycle accident lawyers at GED Lawyers can help you file a Margate personal injury lawsuit for your medical damages and property repair costs. Call us today and we’ll explain your options for financial compensation.
GED Lawyers, Professional Litigators for Your Bicycle Accident Case
Injured claimants looking for a trustworthy ally to assist them in filing a civil complaint can rest easy. GED Lawyers provides the following services:
- A professional team with nearly 4 decades of experience.
- Successful lawyers who have secured millions for clients and as much as $7 million in a single case.
- Compassionate lawyers that treat you with respect.
- Understanding attorneys that will come to you if you’re unable to travel.
- A multilingual team that can communicate with you based on your preferences.
- Affordable attorneys who won’t charge you a cent unless your case is a win.
Leave investigation, calculation, negotiation, law implementation, and every complex responsibility to us. Focus on your journey to physical recovery while we focus on the financial side of things. No matter who your opponent is, GED Lawyers is with you from start to finish.
Florida Fault Laws and Their Impact on Your Damages
All personal injury civil suits take into account one of the 3 main fault laws. Modified comparative negligence, pure comparative negligence, and contributory fault.
Modified Comparative Negligence: In states under this law, you may still pursue damages if you share partial responsibility for the accident, but only if your determined fault is 50% or below, otherwise you will be unable to pursue any amount of compensation. This threshold of accountability varies by state.
Additionally, your settlement will be reduced by the determined percentage of fault. This is the current fault law employed in Florida.
Pure Comparative Negligence: States that practice pure comparative negligence will have their payment lowered by their degree of fault in the accident. However, unlike in modified comparative negligence jurisdictions, you can receive damages regardless of your proportion of fault in the incident, even if it is a majority percent.
This was previously the fault law employed by Florida, but as of March 2023, this has since been amended in favor of modified comparative negligence.
Contributory Fault: In states governed by Contributory fault, you cannot collect damages if you have any fault in the accident, even if it is 1%, you will be completely barred from pursuing damages.
There are currently only 4 states in the U.S. that operate under contributory fault.
Is There a Limit to How Long I Can Wait Before Filing My Claim?
Victims seeking compensation must file their legal claim within 2 years of the date of injury to be considered for financial compensation in Florida. If you wait beyond this period, your eligibility will expire and your case will be thrown out.
Filing with GED Lawyers allows you to reap the benefits of an early filing such as fresh witness accounts and access to crash scene evidence, while avoiding the disadvantages of filing alone or paying another law company.
Cyclists Have the Same Rights to Compensation as Motorists
Cyclists are entitled to the same damages as motorists. In addition to medical bills, you can look forward to the following benefits in your settlement post-calculation:
- Medical Treatment
- Surgery
- Prescriptions
- Disability
- Aftercare
- Rehabilitation & Therapy
- Bike Repairs
- Property Damage
- Lost Income
- Reduced Earning Capacity
- Reduced Quality Of Life
- Pain And Suffering
Tallying each expense can take time and extensive analysis of the current and future impact on your finances and economic well-being. Luckily, you have legal veterans on your side in GED Lawyers. We’ll analyze your income, bills, emotional impact, and physical well-being and work together until we arrive at a settlement to cover your present and future costs.
Leading Causes of Bicycle Accidents
There are countless ways for a serious bicycle accident to occur. Here are some of the leading causes:
- DUI
- Distracted driving
- Not giving right of way to the cyclist
- Improper turns
- Speeding
- Driving in bicycle lanes
- Disobeying traffic signals
- Running red lights
According to the FLHSMV, there were over 6,400 bicycle-related accidents and 197 fatalities in the state of Florida. And among those 716 of them occurred in Broward County, the 2nd highest-rated county behind Miami-Dade.
Justice for Your Margate Bicycle Accident
Determining liability in your accident will come down to establishing who broke their duty of care to you in the crash. Every driver must adhere to a standard of safety and care, especially to cyclists who are among the most vulnerable individuals on the road.
Our in-depth look at your situation and analysis of evidence will assist in bringing each responsible party to light. The driver could have demonstrated behavior that contributed to the accident, but you could also hold manufacturers liable if the crash was the result of faulty car or bicycle parts.
The same can be said of the local or state government if there were hazards like road debris present as contributing factors. Keeping roads safe and traffic equipment functional is just as much a part of safety as obeying traffic laws.
Call a Professional Bicycle Accident Lawyer from GED Lawyers Today
GED Lawyers offers a consultation on your case for free so there is no reason to wait. We are available 24/7 in Margate to take your calls. Contact us today.
