Even if you wear a helmet, obey all the traffic laws that apply to you, and stay in designated riding paths or lanes, there is, unfortunately, no way to completely protect yourself as a cyclist from the negligence of other drivers around you. As far too many bikers in Arizona learn each year, collisions with motor vehicles can cause serious injuries even at low speeds, and the process of demanding civil restitution afterward can be far from simple to navigate.
When you are hurt while riding your bicycle and believe that someone else is to blame for the incident, you should speak with a Gilbert bicycle accident lawyer sooner rather than later about the possibility of a civil claim. You have a right to be safe on public roads just like people in motor vehicles do and help from a personal injury attorney who is not afraid to go to court on your behalf could be vital to effectively enforcing that right.
What To Do After a Bicycle Crash
Although the average bicyclist does not have a motor and only has two wheels rather than four, the order of operations for bicyclists involved in traffic wrecks looks more or less the same as the one for motor vehicle drivers who get into crashes. After moving themselves and their bike out of the flow of traffic, if possible, a bicyclist caught up in a traffic accident should render aid to anyone else in need of it, exchange contact and insurance information with other people involved, and wait for the police to arrive before leaving the scene if any injury or significant property damage occurred.
In addition to these basic steps enforced by state law, though, it can also be crucial to seek immediate medical attention after a bike accident involving someone else, even if it did not seem to result in any obvious injuries. On top of ensuring there are no hidden injuries that need prompt medical care, the documentation produced by the physician will be vital evidence for a Gilbert bicycle accident attorney to factor into a civil claim later on.
Holding Someone Else Liable for Specific Damages
Holding a motorist—or someone else, such as a local government employee responsible for maintaining a bike path—liable for a bike crash typically requires proving they were legally “negligent” in some way. More specifically, an injured bicyclist seeking to make someone else pay for their injury-related losses will need to establish that those losses all stemmed directly from a reckless or careless act by that other person, which violated a “duty of care.”
Someone found liable for a bike wreck based on negligence can be made to pay for every economic and non-economic consequence that wreck will have on the injured person filing suit, including:
- Medical expenses
- Physical pain and suffering
- Lost overall enjoyment of life
- Lost working capacity and/or work income
- Psychological trauma and emotional distress
- Bike repair/replacement costs and other personal property damage
A qualified lawyer could provide more specific information about damages that may be recoverable after a bike crash in Gilbert during a private initial meeting.
Talk to a Gilbert Bicycle Accident Attorney About Your Recovery Options
Whether you are an experienced rider or not, getting into a crash of any kind can be a traumatic and dangerous situation. If you can prove your wreck only happened because of another person’s misconduct, you may be able to make that person pay for your ensuing injuries and losses rather than having to deal with them all by yourself.
Assistance from a Gilbert bicycle accident lawyer with over 30 years of experience handling claims like yours successfully could make a world of difference in your prospects of case success. Schedule a consultation by calling our local legal advocates at the Phillips Law Group today.
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