Florida Bicycle Accident Guide

Personal Injury Office Located in Lutz, FL

If you’ve been involved in a bicycle accident you know that it can really turn your life upside-down. Our Florida bicycle accident lawyers are here to help guide you through this difficult time and try to get you the results you deserve. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us as these cases are time sensitive. Call today so you can set up your free initial consultation with our lawyers to get started on building a strong case and getting you on the path to justice.

Who is Involved in a Bicycle Accident Claim?

There are four typical parties involved in any given personal injury case.  In this sense, a bicycle accident case isn’t that different from, say, a car accident case.

First, there is the plaintiff. That would be you in this case, if you were hurt on your bicycle by a motorist who was negligent or careless. You are entitled to seek compensation for your damages relating to your bicycle accident.

Next there is a liable party. They are the person who is responsible for causing you harm. An example of a liable party in a bicycle accident claim would be someone who is driving their car down the road and blew a red light, resulting in them colliding with you trying to cross the street when you had the right of way.

The liable party is going to be represented by the insurance company, which is the next party involved in your bicycle accident claim. The insurance company is going to be financially responsible for your damages. They are going to be your biggest obstacle because they want to save themselves money, which means they will not want to give you the results you deserve.

Last would be your Florida bicycle accident lawyers who will represent your claim. They are going to fight against the insurance company to hold the liable party responsible for what they did to you. Your lawyers are there to take on the difficult part of your case so you get the results you deserve. Please call our office right away to set up a free consultation if you want fierce representation.

Tips for a Successful Claim

It is common to feel helpless in the aftermath of a bicycle accident. There are things that you can do, however, if you want to strengthen your case.

The best thing that you can do for yourself and for your case is get yourself in front of a doctor as soon as possible. If that means you go to the emergency room after your accident, do that. You might also go to an urgent care facility.

Along with the obvious benefits of healing your injuries, there is a secondary benefit to going to the doctors that can help your claim. The insurance company will be able to look at your medical records. If we can show the insurance company that you went to the doctor right away and got treated for the injuries that you had, you will have a stronger case against them.

If you delay seeking medical attention you risk the insurance company trying to claim that you lied about how severe your injuries were which means they could reduce or throw out your claim altogether.

Another tip to ensure the success of your claim is not to give the insurance company a recorded statement. As you can see, they are going to be a huge obstacle for you when you seek a fair result. A recorded statement is a tool that they use to get you to incriminate yourself in your own claim and that allows them to either reduce the value of your claim or throw it out because you accidentally said something that alludes to causing the accident or diminishes the pain that you are suffering.

Your Florida bicycle accident lawyers are there to take over communication with the insurance company for you.

How Your Case is Valued

The value of your case is based on how much damage you received from your bicycle accident. There may be compensation for damage to your bicycle. You will receive compensation for your medical bills and lost wages from having to miss time at work, as well. You will also receive damages for your mental and emotional suffering. Generally speaking, the worse your accident was the more your claim will be valued at. Your Florida bicycle accident lawyers will be able to tell you specifically what the value of your claim is after you get to maximum medical recovery. Don’t hire a lawyer who at the first consultation tells you they’re going to get you a certain amount of money for your claim. There is no way to know how much your claim is worth until there is a full understanding of what your medical recovery will look like.

Partial Fault in a Bicycle Accident Case

We got a call from a potential client in Tampa who’s a bicyclist. They were injured while riding their bike on the road, and they were wondering whether or not they might have a claim, since they felt like they might be partially at fault for that accident. The answer to this client’s question is, yes, you still have a claim. In Florida we’re assigned percentages of fault. Even if you are found a little bit at fault, it doesn’t totally blow out your case. If you have a question about that or if you’re in a similar situation, please give us a call.

Bicycle Accident Injuries From a Pothole

A potential client called recently because they were wondering if they had a claim for injuries they had received as a result of hitting a pothole on their bicycle. The answer to that is yes. It depends on how often the road was maintained and who was supposed to be maintaining the road. If you were injured in a similar accident like that, make sure you call an experienced bicyclist attorney because they’re going to know who to go for, what investigation steps to take, and, if necessary, will take your case to trial. If you have any questions about that, please give us a call.

Insurance For a Bicycle Accident

Choosing The Right Bicycle Accident Attorney

Bicycle Accident Case Value

We were preparing a client recently for trial who was injured as a bicyclist in Tampa. They asked what their case would be worth and how much we were going to ask the jury for. The biggest consideration is the amount of your past medical bills, the amount of future care that you’re going to need going forward, whether or not you were permanently injured, and whether or not you should receive past and future pain and suffering. If you have any questions whatsoever about how much your case would be worth pre-sue, at trial, or any other time, please give us a call.

Bicycle Accident Case Timeline

During our initial consultation with a client recently in Tampa who was injured as a bicyclist, they asked how long their case was going to take. The number one consideration at the beginning is how long it takes them to complete their medical treatment. The second consideration is whether or not the insurance company is going to be reasonable and give you a fair offer without filing a lawsuit. If you do have to file a lawsuit, that process tends to be a little bit longer. You want to make sure that you go with a trial lawyer because that way you don’t have to switch lawyers at the last minute. Experienced trial lawyers will take your case to trial, and they’re often taken more seriously by insurance companies. If you have any questions about how long your case might take or if you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, please give us a call.

Bicycle Accident Insurance Investigation

We got a call recently from a person who was injured in a bicycle accident. They were getting calls from the other driver’s insurance company. They were wondering if they should speak to the insurance company or not. My advice in those situations is always no. It is always a good idea to talk to a lawyer first. Especially important is that you should not give a recorded statement to the insurance company until you’ve spoken to a lawyer. If you have any questions or if you’re getting contacted by an insurance company for an accident you were involved in, please give us a call so we can help.

Common Mistakes in a Bicycle Accident Case

We had a case come in recently for a client who was injured as a bicyclist. Unfortunately, they made a couple of mistakes that we commonly see in these types of cases. The first mistake they made is that they didn’t preserve their bicycle. They just threw it out immediately, which became an issue.

The second is they didn’t immediately go seek medical attention. That’s a common thing that we see. You want to make sure that you go to the doctor and listen to their recommendations. Finally, the most common mistake is hiring a lawyer that doesn’t have experience in handling bicyclist cases. If you have any questions or concern about your bicycle accident case or anything else, please give us a call.

Call Our Florida Bicycle Accident Lawyers Today for a Free Initial Consultation

No one deserves to suffer because another person was negligent or careless. We are so sorry that you have to feel like you are unsafe. The injuries you sustained from your bicycle accident must be horrible. We are here to help you get the justice you deserve. Please don’t hesitate to call our Florida bicycle accident lawyers today. Call and set up your free initial consultation right away.

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