Though not commonly thought of when discussing motor vehicle accidents, bicycle accidents have the potential to be just as dangerous and life-altering. Even if you’re driving attentively and safely and wearing all required protective gear such as a helmet, another driver’s negligence can result in injury or even death to bicyclists.
If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident or if a loved one has died as a result of a bicycle accident, then you may be able to pursue financial compensation. Personal injuries and wrongful deaths can come with costs that you shouldn’t have to pay yourself if you weren’t responsible for the accident. A Sarasota personal injury lawyer with GED Lawyers can advocate for you while you heal from your injuries.
How Our Attorneys Can Handle Your Sarasota, FL, Bicycle Accident Case
If you were hurt in a bicycle accident in Sarasota, you may face debilitating injuries, piling medical bills, and an extended leave of absence at work. Adding working out a legal case on top of all these stressful things can be all the more overwhelming.
That’s where a personal injury attorney at GED Lawyers can step in to help. While you get better, we can take on all these tasks on your behalf:
- Stay in touch with the insurance companies, courts, and the other side’s legal team
- Get a copy of the official crash report
- Establish who caused the accident and owes you damages
- Assess all of your past, current, and anticipated damages
- Search for, compile, and present different forms of evidence (e.g., witness statements, photos, video footage, and your medical records
- Negotiate a settlement that accounts for the full extent of your losses
- Take your case to trial, if needed
We will also provide you with regular case updates and make ourselves available to you should you need us to address any of your concerns or questions about your case or the legal process as a whole.
GEDLawyers Are Sarasota Bicycle Accident Lawyers with a Proven Track Record
GED Lawyers has been representing Florida victims of bicycle accidents and other personal injuries since 1995. We’re staffed with compassionate lawyers and paralegals who want to do right by you and make sure you have everything you need to recover from your injury. It’s not just our quality legal services that make many of our clients recommend us to friends or relatives.
We want to make it as easy as possible to pursue legal action during what may be a difficult time for you. That is why we offer a free case review and, in some cases, no upfront costs. This payment arrangement means that in some cases, we offer our services, with no costs, unless we win your case or reach a suitable out-of-court settlement.
We don’t want anyone’s personal finances to be a barrier to pursuing financial compensation if they are the victim of wrongdoing from insurance companies. We don’t want language or geographical location to be barriers either. That’s why you can talk to an attorney in either English or Spanish, and why we’ll come to you if you’re unable to travel, no matter where in Florida you live.
Our Track Record of Recovering Damages for Our Clients
We have a great track record of being able to win financial compensation for our clients. Some of our clients have been able to receive sums of more than a million dollars with many others receiving sums of six figures. These are exceptional examples, and while we can’t guarantee that your case will result in figures such as these, our proven track record shows many examples of winning cases or reaching suitable out-of-court settlements for our clients.
Contact Us Soon If You’re Approaching the Statute of Limitations for Your Case
If you’re approaching the statute of limitations for your case, then it may be in your best interest to contact us as soon as possible so that we can get started on your case. The statute of limitations refers to the amount of time after an incident that you’re allowed to pursue legal action.
For a bicycle accident, this may be either a personal injury or wrongful death suit, which generally has statutes of limitations of two years, respectively, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11.
Recovering Compensation Following a Bicycle Accident in Sarasota
There are generally two options for pursuing compensation following a bicycle accident:
- Insurance claim: You may file a claim with your or the other party’s insurance company. Sometimes, clients choose to recover damages via their underinsured/uninsured motorist policy. This elective coverage kicks in when the other party doesn’t have enough or any insurance to compensate you. It’s good to consider purchasing due to the high number of uninsured drivers in Florida.
- Lawsuit: Should negotiations not work out the way we want or we believe that it’s overall the most appropriate route to compensation, we can help you bring a lawsuit against the other party.
Depending on how you seek compensation, you may be entitled to recover damages for:
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income
- Reduced earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Past and future medical bills
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Mental anguish
If you lost a loved one in a bicycle accident, you can seek compensation via a wrongful death claim or lawsuit. That may include burial and funeral costs, end-of-life medical expenses, loss of financial support, and loss of consortium.
A Look Into Florida Bicycle Accidents
Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) keeps track of motor vehicle accident statistics statewide and for every individual county. Likely, you’re pursuing a bicycle accident case because you have either been injured in a bicycle accident or a loved one has died as a result of a bicycle accident, and you’re looking for financial compensation to help pay for the costs that arose from either circumstance.
Common injuries sustained in a bicycle accident include:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Broken bones
- Road rash
- Burns
- Abdominal injury
- Chest trauma
- Spinal cord injury
- Neck and back injuries
- Whiplash
- Muscle strains or sprains
How Common Are Florida Bicycle Deaths?
The rate of death for Florida bicycle accidents was 7129 bicycle accidents in 2022, resulting in 211 deaths. The 217 bicycle accidents in Sarasota County in 2022 resulted in just five deaths.
Though rare, bicycle accidents can result in death and may be grounds for a wrongful death suit if the accident was caused by distracted driving or dangerous behavior by another party.
Get Help With Your Sarasota Bicycle Accident Case from GED Lawyers Today
If you or a loved one was hurt in a bicycle accident in Sarasota, FL, one of our attorneys can seek compensation while you recuperate from your injuries. Call GED Lawyers to learn more in a free, no-risk, and no-obligation consultation.
