Tennessee Injury Lawyers Explain How to Protect Your Interests After a Bicycle Accident
If you have been involved in a bicycle accident, you may be dealing with the effects for some time to come. Very few cyclists will emerge from an accident unscathed, and your injuries may be serious. Damages associated with bicycle accidents are directly tied to the physical injuries suffered by the victim, as well as other losses they experience in relation to the accident. As a victim of a bicycle accident, you may be entitled to substantial financial compensation. That’s why it’s important to immediately contact a lawyer with experience in bicycle accidents after being involved in this type of incident.
Why Bicycle Accidents Are Extremely Dangerous for Cyclists
Bicyclists often suffer serious injuries in an accident. After all, as a 2022 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency study points out, the average weight of passenger cars is more than 4,000 pounds. Bicycles weigh far less, which is a major reason why bicycle crashes can be catastrophic.
Cyclists involved in collisions with automobiles often experience severe injuries. Even when a cyclist is wearing a helmet, there is little to protect them from initial impact with a car or from being thrown to the ground or onto the car's hood after impact. It is very rare for a cyclist to walk away from an accident completely unscathed, and the automobile driver may be liable for the cyclist's injuries.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Injuries from a bicycle accident can lead to thousands of dollars in medical costs or more. Even if your health insurance picks up some of the tab, you likely have your own cost share, resulting in financial difficulties at a time when you may not be able to work.
Examples of common bicycle accident injuries include:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Cuts and lacerations
- Contusions
- Soft tissue injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
Additional Damages Caused by a Cycling Accident
Medical costs are just one aspect of the damages you may incur when you are injured in a bicycle crash. Any type of physical injury also results in additional non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering.
As expensive as your medical bills are, they may only be a small fraction of the total settlement you deserve. That’s why it’s so important to immediately seek knowledgeable legal counsel after being involved in a cycling accident.
Seek Immediate Medical Treatment After a Bicycle Accident
Our Tennessee injury lawyers have experience with bicycle accident cases and can work proactively to help make sure you know what to do in order to protect your rights, as well as what mistakes to avoid after a bicycle accident. For example, you have a limited window to seek medical treatment after a bicycle accident. This is important for legal reasons, as well as for your own well-being.
The failure to promptly seek and stick with medical treatment can harm your personal injury case. You will need medical records that show the extent of your injuries before you can even file a claim or lawsuit. Beyond that, the driver’s insurance company is paying attention to what you do. If they see that you have not been diligent about your medical care, they may claim that you were the cause of some of your own injuries and use that to try to reduce their liability.
You should also be aware that some injuries can get worse very quickly without prompt medical care. For example, brain injuries can become permanent if you do not get immediate medical treatment. You could also be suffering from internal injuries that could degenerate quickly and possibly put your life in danger.
How Our Nashville Bicycle Accident Lawyers Can Help
Relying on assistance from an experienced attorney is important in any type of personal injury case. Even under the best circumstances, the insurance company has far more knowledge and firepower than you, and they will get a better result. Hiring an experienced bicycle accident lawyer can level the playing field and help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
An experienced personal injury lawyer will help gather and safeguard evidence and work with expert witnesses to estimate and establish the appropriate damages in light of the circumstances. If you are involved in a Tennessee bicycle accident and hire GriffithLaw to represent you, our attorneys will investigate your accident and collect evidence that may be used to show that the driver was at fault. Our team will review your information and work with experts to establish the value of your case, which is critical in order to reach an appropriate settlement agreement.
Our Nashville area lawyers will stand up for you when the insurance company is trying to give you the runaround or pay less than the value of your claim. Whether your case is settled or litigated in court, our goal will be to obtain the best possible result for you. We are here to make your life easier, handling the details of the legal process so that you can recover from your bicycle accident injuries and receive the fair compensation you deserve.