Cycling has become an increasingly popular method of transportation, and bicycle accidents occur way more often that one may think. This number only increases as the number of people riding bikes increases. Each year in the United States alone, approximately one million people are injured because of a bicycle accident and around every 6 hours, a fatal bicycle accident occurs. With so many accidents at hand, you may wonder if there’s a way to make a bike accident compensation claim easy?
Even though not every bicycle accident involves a motor vehicle, the majority of bicycle accidents do. More often than not, drivers make a turn or pull out a driveway and hit a bicyclist because they simply didn’t see them. An accident can also occur when a driver opens their car door and a bicyclist simply happens to be in the way. This can happen to anyone, as any driver that is not cautious enough to look out for bicyclists can easily put them in danger.
Statistics about Bicycle Accident Cases
A look at the statistics can easily show how frequently bicycle accidents tend to occur how serious they can be. In many cases of bicycle accidents, the injured party will have grounds to make a bicycle accident settlement claim. However, it is surprising how many people are completely unaware of the compensation through a bike accident claim they are legally entitled to when these kinds of accidents occur.
Injuries Caused by a Bicycle Accident
Bicycle accidents are very often serious because of the lack of protection that a bicycle provides to its rider. The truth is that the only protection that a bicycle provides are its reflectors, which can help other cars to spot the bicyclist, and the helmet which the bicyclist is wearing. When you compare these to a 4,000-pound car in which the drivers are protected by being inside a steel, glass, metal and rubber box, you can easily see how defenseless a bicyclist is when they find themselves in an accident.
In addition, today’s cars are built with extra protection features, of which airbags, seat-belts, antilock brakes, and many more are included. Bicyclists, on the other, hand have no extra protection. It is the responsibility of car drivers to be aware of the people riding bicycles around them. When a driver is involved in a bicycle accident, they will be usually the ones made responsible for the event.
The severity of a bicycle accident can be very frightening to bicyclist when you take into consideration not only the lack of protection but also the injuries that are involved in these events. There are many types of injuries that a bicyclist can suffer when they find themselves in an accident.
Those injuries can be summarized into the following categories:
- Any kind of head injury, including concussions, even when a helmet is present
- Any type of injury to the neck or spine, many of which can end up in partial or total paralysis
- Minor to major bone fractures
- Impairment of the normal function of any bodily organ
- Any form of disfigurement, from limbs to facial injuries
- An impairment of health
If you were involved in a bicycle accident and received serious injuries as a consequence of the accident, it is important that you know that you can be entitled to receive monetary compensation for your injuries. Speaking with an experienced bicycle accident lawyer will provide you with the next steps you need to take.
Here are a few statistics that can give an outlook to bicycle accident instances:
- 90% of bicycle accidents tend to occur in urban areas.
- 75% of bicycle accidents happen on or near a road junction.
- 80% of bicycle accidents occur in broad daylight.
- 80% of bicycle accident victims are male.
- About one quarter of bicycle accident victims killed or injured are underage.
- About three quarters of cyclists killed have major head injuries.
Basics of Bicycle Accident Cases
It’s important that any individual who might be involved in a bicycle accident case is not just aware that of the bicycle car accident settlement compensation available, but that they should go through a process in order to maximize their chance of success and the amount of compensation they may receive.
First and foremost, it is important that the victim files a bicycle accident report. This report asks for the details detailing the scene of the accident and also any injuries sustained as a consequence of the accident. It’s important to know that the report should be filed within 10 days of the accident, unless the injuries sustained prevent the victim from doing so. In those cases, the report should be filed as soon as the victim is able to do so.
In case of a minor bicycle accident, it’s important to know that it is possible for the victims to settle any losses directly with the driver responsible for the accident or their insurance company. The settlement will only include compensation for minor damages to the bike and other property involved. However, a bicyclist should be careful about an early settlement, as any damages received during this stage will put an immediate end to the case and avoid future bicycle accident compensation for injuries incurred further down the line.
Importance of Evidence in Bicycle Accident Cases
As far as any damages are concerned, the more evidence you are able to acquire, the more straightforward your claim will be and your case will run smoother. Any kind of documentation, whether it be the purchase or repair invoice or receipts from other expenditures such as travel as well as all the medical treatment sustained are invaluable and will help to speed up the process of a bicycle accident compensation claim. Also, the proof of a loss of earnings in the form of pay slips or tax returns will help in the pursue the compensation.
In addition, as far as the accident itself is concerned, the more evidence that can be taken from the scene, the better. This evidence may be in the form of witness statements, photographs from the scene or contact information details of witnesses. The details of the driver responsible for the accident should also be taken into consideration. However, should they be unwilling to disclose any of their information, then the license plate number should suffice.
Getting in Touch with a Bicycle Accident Lawyer After an Accident
If any kind of injury is incurred as a result of the accident, then you should definitely get in contact with an attorney who specializes in bicycle accident cases. They are who will instigate the claim process for you and in doing so, they will make the claim run smoother and make it more likely to succeed. In any claim, the case will probably need to be supplemented by medical evidence in the form of reports from medical experts.
If you have suffered any kind of injury as a result of a bicycle accident in which they were not at fault, you may have the grounds to make a claim in order to obtain compensation for all the damages done. Any bicycle accident must be taken seriously and, as such, if you or someone you know is involved in a bicycle accident, then the appropriate steps must be taken in order to make sure you receive the best treatment for your injuries and obtain the compensation you deserve.
If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, employing the expertise of a seasoned personal injury firm who specializes in bicycle accident cases will definitely improve your chances to obtain the best compensation available. Avrek Law has more than 50 years of combined experience resolving cases in favor of injured clients, and has recovered more than $1 billion in compensation for victims in over 45,000 cases. We’re here to help – browse our locations or contact us for a free bike accident compensation consultation to learn more!
