Bicycle accidents can occur when you least expect them. An Aurora personal injury lawyer can help you file a claim and pursue damages for your injuries.
Bicycling is a healthy, eco-friendly way to get around Aurora, but it comes with risks. Drivers often fail to watch for cyclists, and a crash can result in life-changing injuries. If you were hit while riding your bike, a bicycle accident lawyer in Aurora from Charlie Therman Injury & Accident Lawyers, P.C., can help you recover compensation.
What Can an Aurora Bicycle Accident Lawyer Do for Me?
An Aurora bicycle accident lawyer can provide invaluable help after a bike accident. Specifically, they can:
- Investigate the accident: Your lawyer can gather evidence, obtain witness statements, and review police reports.
- Work with experts: Your attorney can consult medical professionals and accident reconstruction specialists whose testimony can strengthen your case.
- Negotiate with insurance companies: Your lawyer can fight for a settlement that truly reflects your losses.
- Represent you in court: If negotiations fail, your lawyer can take your case to trial.
Common Causes of Bicycle Crashes
Aurora’s growing number of bike lanes and trails has made cycling more popular, but collisions still happen every day. Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents include:
- Driver negligence: Distracted, speeding, or aggressive driving often leads to bike crashes.
- Failure to yield: Drivers who ignore right-of-way laws put cyclists in danger.
- Dooring accidents: When someone opens a car door into a cyclist’s path, it can cause a collision.
- Unsafe road conditions: Potholes, debris, and poor lighting can endanger cyclists.
- Impaired driving: Alcohol or drug use reduces a driver’s reaction time and judgment.
No matter how your accident happened, a bicycle accident attorney in Aurora can review the evidence, determine who’s responsible, and pursue a claim against them.
Common Injuries in Bicycle Accidents
Cyclists have little protection compared to drivers in cars or trucks, which means their injuries are often serious. Even a low-speed crash can cause lasting harm. Common injuries include:
- Head and brain injuries: A helmet can help, but it doesn’t prevent all traumatic brain injuries.
- Broken bones: Cyclists often suffer fractures in their arms, legs, or ribs.
- Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spine can result in partial or total paralysis.
- Soft tissue damage: Torn ligaments, bruises, and road rash can cause significant pain and limit mobility.
- Internal injuries: Internal bleeding and organ damage can be life-threatening if not treated quickly.
Medical care for these injuries can be costly. A lawyer can help ensure that all of your future medical needs are factored into your claim.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Bicycle Accident?
Though negligent drivers are often at fault for bicycle accidents, other parties can be liable as well. Depending on the circumstances, these parties may also share responsibility:
- Vehicle owners: If the car was borrowed, the owner may be liable under certain conditions.
- Employers: If the driver was working at the time, their employer might be responsible.
- Municipalities: Poorly maintained roads or defective traffic signals can make a city or county liable.
- Manufacturers: If a defective bicycle part contributed to the crash, the manufacturer can be sued.
An experienced lawyer can identify all potential sources of compensation and build a case that reflects the full scope of your losses.
What Compensation Can You Recover?
The value of your bicycle accident claim depends on the severity of your injuries and how they’ve affected your life. You can pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic damages, including:
- Medical expenses: You can recover the costs of emergency care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and future treatment.
- Lost income: You can claim wages you lost while recovering and any loss of future earning capacity.
- Property damage: You can recover the cost to repair or replace your damaged bike and gear.
- Pain and suffering: You can be compensated for the physical and emotional toll of your injuries.
- Loss of enjoyment: You can seek damages for the impact of the accident on your quality of life and ability to engage in activities you once enjoyed.
A lawyer can calculate your damages and help make sure that no loss is overlooked in your claim.
Tips for Dealing with Insurance Companies
Insurance adjusters often seem helpful at first, but their goal is to minimize what they pay accident victims. For this reason, it’s important to be cautious when dealing with them. Here are a few tips to follow after a bike accident:
- Don’t give a recorded statement: Anything you say can be used against you.
- Avoid signing documents right away: You might accidentally agree to a low settlement.
- Keep track of all communication: Document every call, email, or letter.
- Refer them to your lawyer: Your attorney can handle negotiations and prevent costly mistakes.
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident
The moments after a crash can be chaotic, but by taking these steps, you can start building a strong legal claim:
- Call the police: Always file an accident report, even if your injuries seem minor.
- Gather evidence: Take photos of the scene, your injuries, and the vehicles involved.
- Get witness information: Eyewitness statements can help support your case.
- Seek medical attention: Some injuries don’t show symptoms right away.
- Contact a lawyer: The sooner you speak to an attorney, the better your chances of securing fair compensation will be.
Talk to a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Aurora
Cyclists have the same rights as drivers on the road, but those rights are often ignored after an accident. Drivers may try to shift blame, and insurance companies may act as though your injuries aren’t serious. An Aurora bicycle accident attorney from Therman Law can gather evidence to strengthen your claim and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Schedule a free consultation to get legal assistance today.
