Bicycles, including those with electric motors, are an excellent way for children and adults to get around. With great cycling weather most of the year, many people use their bikes to get to work or school.
However, bicycle riding in a populated area comes with the risk of collision with a motor vehicle. When a bike collides with a car or truck, a cyclist’s injuries can be severe.
At the Phillips Law Group, our Mesa bicycle accident lawyers provide skilled representation to people injured in wrecks. Reach out to our team today to learn more about your options for recovering compensation from advocates who have been serving the local community for over three decades.
Vehicles like pickup trucks and large SUVs have larger blind spots than sedans and other passenger cars. Because of this, it can be easy for a driver to miss a cyclist riding alongside or behind the vehicle, which creates the potential for accidents.
Additionally, motorist negligence often plays a role in causing accidents with cyclists. Many drivers are impatient with cyclists occupying a lane, even though they have a right to do so. Drivers may pass too closely or not allow a cyclist sufficient clearance. Sometimes drivers do not notice a cyclist stationary at a stop sign or light and rear-end the bike. Drivers sometimes open their doors without checking for oncoming traffic, inviting a collision between a bike and the door.
Cyclists can also contribute to causing their own accidents. Bicycle riders must demonstrate reasonable care by signaling when they intend to turn, staying as far to the right as conditions permit if they are not turning, and using lights and reflectors when they ride in low light. If a jury finds a cyclist is partially responsible for an accident, they could reduce the rider’s compensation by their proportion of fault. Our Mesa attorneys could help an injured cyclist prove who is liable for their bicycle accident and injuries and help refute any allegations of shared fault.
When another party’s failure to use reasonable caution is the direct cause of a bike rider’s injuries, that person is responsible for paying compensation for the rider’s losses. The legal term for this compensation is damages. Working with an experienced Mesa attorney to calculate damages after a bike wreck is critical to avoid missing out on much-needed compensation.
Economic damages cover losses of property like a wrecked bike and anything the rider was carrying that got damaged. They also include medical costs, lost income, and incidental expenses. The negligent party is also responsible for paying for future injury-related medical care and a rider’s diminished future earning capacity.
Non-economic damages cover a rider’s subjective or emotional losses. A cyclist could receive funds in acknowledgment of their lost ability to enjoy life, physical pain, disfigurement, embarrassment, emotional trauma, and disability.
Injured people must file a lawsuit seeking compensation within a time frame set by law. Arizona Revised Statute § 12-542 allows an injured adult two years from the accident date to bring a claim in court.
Minors cannot bring lawsuits until they turn 18. When a child suffers an injury in a bicycle accident, they have two years from their 18th birthday to bring a lawsuit. In many cases—especially if the child is young when the accident occurs—it makes more sense for a parent or guardian to sue on the child’s behalf. In that case, the parent or guardian must file within two years of the accident.
A cyclist sometimes has a claim against a government agency or political subdivision of the state. That could happen if they got into an accident with a school bus, garbage truck, or a car driven by a public employee on the clock. When a unit of government is potentially liable for an accident, a much shorter timeframe applies. A Mesa bicycle accident attorney must officially notify the appropriate agency within 180 days of the accident or the injured person risks losing the right to sue.
Do not waste time or energy negotiating with insurance companies when you or your child are recovering from a serious injury. A legal professional from our firm could relieve you of that burden and typically achieves a more generous and appropriate result than you could manage without assistance.
Rely on a Mesa bicycle accident lawyer to seek damages from the negligent parties who harmed you. Call today to get started.
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