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It doesn’t matter if you use a bicycle to get from one place to another, for physical activity or fun. When you least expect it, you may find yourself face-to-face with a car, staring at a future with multiple medical appointments, expenses, and time away from your bike.
Although drivers must share the road and adhere to road rules, they sometimes fail to look for any cyclist traffic that may be on the road with them. As part of the personal injury umbrella, bicycle accidents have serious consequences to both property and the people involved.
The situation becomes worse when the negligent party stops cooperating.
Fortunately, finding expert legal help is right here in Acworth. The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm team is ready to sit with you and review your case.
Let a bicycle accident attorney step in to help you. Schedule your consultation with us and call (833) 254-2923 or contact us online.
An Acworth Bicycle Accident Attorney on Your Side
Being involved in a bicycle accident can happen when you least expect it. The Centers for Disease Control reports 130,000 bicycle accidents in the US each year, costing all parties over $23 billion in damages.
Bicycle accident cases are more dangerous than people realize. The result causes serious, life-altering injuries, substantial property damage, and, in the worst cases, fatalities.
All of these can become delicate nuances in a case best resolved with an attorney’s guidance. When you choose a legal team to defend you when you are involved in the unthinkable, they will work towards securing the compensation your case deserves.
A bicycle attorney has many years of experience and has seen and resolved similar cases; they know what to expect from negligent parties, insurance companies, and lawyers. Similarly, they know how to handle those situations and navigate the challenges of negotiating with noncooperative parties.
Types of Compensation Involved in a Bicycle Accident
Picture a collision between a person and a car approaching at a high speed. Unfortunately, there is not enough to protect the person from the oncoming vehicle, and their body will likely hit a car and pavement many times before the accident is over.
Recovery from an accident of this magnitude is anything but simple. With the ongoing need for medical help, surgery, therapy, and medication, the amount owed in medical bills is undoubtedly to increase with time.
When working with a bicycle accident attorney, they will take the lead in gathering all the evidence associated with your case, completing an analysis, and preparing a claim to submit to the negligent party’s insurance provider.
You may see some or all the types of claims below:
- Medical expenses — Medical bills can pile up quickly after an accident. Injuries can be severe, including brain injuries, lacerations, broken bones, and more that may require surgery and many months of ongoing therapy.
- Pain and suffering — Psychological conditions such as PTSD and other trauma can prevent the injured from participating in their everyday activities and routines. Some victims have difficulty completing their daily tasks or find the need for additional help from family or friends, which creates distress and other mental health challenges.
- Lost income and wages — From needed time off due to injuries to getting medical attention or spending time in recovery. Victims may also face loss of promotion and ability to work if their injuries limit their ability to complete their jobs successfully.
- Property damage — Damages to all accessories, like a helmet, clothes, cell phone, and the bike itself. Bicycles may be a more cost-effective form of transportation, but they can still cost hundreds of dollars.
If you believe a part of your claim is missing or a new injury related to your accident has presented itself, call our legal team immediately. Even the smallest of claims are worth requesting from a negligent party; in many cases, they can actually add up to a much larger value once a seasoned personal injury attorney has had the chance to look over the full scope of what’s been impacted.
Accidents happen constantly, but if you are in one, you do not need to fight alone when you can work with a legal team right by your side. Their goal is to confirm that you receive the compensation your case is worth through evidence, negotiation, and representation.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Acworth
Bicycle accidents can happen in parking lots, neighborhoods, or traffic-filled intersections. As a cyclist, you must do what you can to prevent an accident from happening, and that can be accomplished by following road rules, using signals, and always keeping an eye out for your surroundings and potential hazards.
But even when all these tips are considered, preventing an accident with a car can sometimes be impossible. Bicycle accidents can quickly turn into a tragedy.
The most common causes of these accidents include the following.
Distracted Drivers
As a leading cause of car accidents today, distracted drivers are busy with their cell phones, texting, zoning out, and not paying attention to what’s around them. Distracted driving reduces or eliminates reaction times, proves a lack of situational awareness, and blatantly disregards the people sharing the road with them.
Dog Attacks
Dogs are naturally inclined to attack fast-moving objects, so they chase cars, mail carriers, and even bicyclists. These animal attacks are unpredictable and can happen anywhere, whether in an urban or suburban area.
While not much can be done to prevent these cases, bicyclists should know that the owner of an aggressive dog may not be around to take control of their pet. In these situations, the best thing to do is to get off your bike and place it between you and the animal.
Call the police or animal control as soon as possible after a dog bite. You can then seek damages from negligent owners once you have sought the needed medical care.
Gap Turns
“Gap turn” accidents involve stalled traffic on one side of the road, where a driver is trying to make a left turn between the congestion to enter another road. The driver making the left turn fails to realize that someone riding a bicycle is attempting to pass simultaneously.
A collision suddenly occurs before either party realizes what is happening, and someone is gravely hurt.
Left Turns in Intersections
Many times, drivers will turn left across oncoming cyclist traffic because they failed to see the bike or misjudged the time it would take to clear the turn. The cyclist may then be hit by the front end of the vehicle or collide with its side because the turning driver failed to yield.
Opening a Car Door
Drivers exiting their cars ignore what’s around them, including the bike lane beside their spot. Bike lanes commonly sit next to on-street parking spots, which means that if the driver of the car does not look before opening their door, they can easily open right in front of a rider, flipping them or forcing them to swerve to dodge impact.
These acts of negligence become fatal when the riders are thrown into oncoming traffic.
Rear-End Collisions
Rear-end collisions can quickly cause terrible injuries and severe property damage. When a car stops suddenly and a cyclist smashes into the back of the car, they are already risking broken bones, lacerations, and fractures.
Rear-end collisions with other cars are still dangerous but reduce injury because the passengers are protected by the car they are in. However, when a collision happens between a car and a bicycle, the results become catastrophic.
Side Swiping
Side-swipe accidents happen when cars drive too close to cyclists. According to Illinois state law, motorists must always maintain a minimum of three feet away from bicyclists, including when they share or pass a lane as they drive by.
Drivers need to take extra care when driving near bicyclists; cyclists need to ride as close to the road as possible to be safe from distracted drivers.
What Can Bicyclists Do to Prevent Accidents?
Although sometimes there is not much that can prevent an accident, a bicyclist can incorporate these tips to help minimize injury and increase their visibility when sharing the road:
- Wear a helmet that is properly fitted
- Wear fluorescent clothing to increase daytime visibility
- Wear retro-reflective clothing or use the material on the bicycle to increase nighttime visibility
- Add active lighting to your bicycle
- Ride at an appropriate speed
- Follow road rules and road signs
- Use bike lanes whenever available
These measures do not just protect you, but in the case where an accident occurs, you are not in the wrong.
Look to the Help of an Experienced Acworth Bicycle Accident Law Firm
Bicycle accidents should be taken seriously by all involved. An Acworth bicycle accident law firm can help you get the support and representation you need to receive the compensation your case deserves.
At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, our legal team is ready to show you how they can help. With many years of experience, grit, and dedication, they will work with you to build your claim and prove the damages you endured with evidence to back it up.
Let us show you how we can help. Reach out to the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm today by calling (833) 254-2923 or contacting us online.