For many people riding a bike is a great form of exercise, relaxation, or a means of transportation. However, riding a bike can also be harmful when on the road. Our lawyers at Patton & Patton can help you if you are in a Topeka bicycle accident and need some help navigating that scary situation. Bicycle accidents throughout Topeka often lead to severe injuries and damage. If you or a loved one were injured in a bicycle accident, you are entitled to seek compensation for your injuries.
Nearly 1,000 bicyclists die, and over 130,000 are injured in crashes that occur on roads in the United States every year. The costs of bicycle injuries and deaths from crashes typically exceed $23 billion in the United States each year.1 These costs include spending on health care and lost work productivity, as well as estimated costs for lost quality of life and lives lost. Nearly 300 Kansan cyclists are injured on bicycles each year.2 It is important for these reasons to always be aware when driving on the road of bike riders so that you can keep people from being a statistic.
Several risk factors have been researched that lead to bicycle accidents being more likely to happen. Adults ages 55-69 have the highest bicycle death rates3, and male bicyclists have death rates six times higher and injury rates five times higher than females. Bicycle accidents are also 64% more likely to occur on sections of roads away from intersections because of the high-speed nature of those areas. It is also important to note that one-third of crashes that result in a bicyclist’s death involve alcohol from the motor vehicle driver or bicyclist.
Because of the dangers that exist in bike riding, several interventions can be taken to help prevent these types of accidents, keep you safe on the road, and help decrease the severity of the injuries suffered in the auto accident.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bicycle Accident Claims
- What type of damages can I recover from a bicycle accident?
If someone else is at fault for your accident, there are many types of damages from which you can make a recovery after your bicycle accident that can be classified into two categories, economic and non-economic loss. Economic losses could include hospital visits, doctor visits, physical therapy, prescription refills, lost wage, and even the cost of future medical treatment. Non-economic damages, which are sometimes referred to as pain and suffering, are also recoverable in at-fault situations and can include things like loss of an ability to enjoy a previously enjoyed activity like a hobby or household duty. It can include difficulty with certain tasks that were previously uncomplicated. It can include mental and emotional duress. It can even include compensation for the physical pain from your injuries.
- Do I have a good case?
You might have a good case if the answer to the three following questions is yes. Did someone else cause your accident? Was I injured, and did I suffer significant loss? Is there a person or insurance company that can be identified to pay the damages?
- What should I do at the scene of the accident?
It is important while you are at the scene of the bicycle accident that you note as many facts about what happened as possible. This is important because it can help determine fault in the accident, which will help you to recover more. You can do this by taking notes at the scene, taking photographs, and getting the name and numbers of those who witnessed the accident. You also want to make sure that you are clearly explaining whatever happened at the scene to the responding officer so that your testimony in their accident report is clear and concise.
It is important to react quickly after getting into a bicycle accident and make sure you can contact a lawyer in your area that can help you. Below are some ways a lawyer can help you if you are the victim of a bicycle accident.
How A Lawyer Can Help You After a Bicycle Accident
- Shore Up Liability
Sometimes it can be difficult to prove that the other party caused the accident. Maybe the accident report isn’t clear. Maybe both parties have conflicting narratives about the accident. A lawyer can conduct an investigation and find additional evidence or witnesses that can support your claim. A lawyer can also find inconsistencies or error’s in the defendant’s narrative and explore different theories of liability. If there’s any difficulty in proving the other party is at fault, a lawyer can be a big help.
- Receive the most rewards for your damages
There are so many different types of damages in an injury claim; it is easy to miss something. A lawyer can review all the different types of damages that are recoverable under the law in your case, find evidence to support the claims, and make a good argument for why you should receive compensation. Without a lawyer, it is easy to underestimate your damages and limit your recovery.
- Find Someone to Pay the Damages
Sometimes injury victims find themselves in the difficult position of not knowing where to turn to make a recovery on their damages. Maybe they suffered a hit and run. Maybe the person who hit them was uninsured. Maybe the policy limits for the other person’s insurance were too low to adequately compensate them for their damages. An attorney can conduct an investigation to find other insurance policies that might be relevant. They can even do an asset search to find out if the at-fault party has assets outside of insurance that you can make a valid claim against under Kansas law.
All of these reasons and more are why you should talk to an attorney when you are involved in a bicycle accident. Insurance companies aren’t always out for your best interest. Patton & Patton has the experience to help you recover what you are entitled to under the law.
