Riding a bike can be a great way to exercise while enjoying some fresh air. Bicycles can also be an efficient way to travel while saving you money on parking and gas. However, when cyclists share routes and roads with vehicles, one driver’s reckless decisions can cause devastating harm.
If you suffered severe injuries in a bike crash, a Marion bicycle accident lawyer could help you seek compensation for your losses. A personal injury attorney at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda could investigate the cause of your accident, determine who is liable, and seek fair payments in settlement negotiations or court.
How Negligence Causes Bicycle Collisions
Most crashes between automobiles and bicycles occur because of negligence. This legal concept involves a motorist breaching their duty of care to drive safely and protect others on the road, leading to a collision that causes physical harm. Examples of negligent driving behaviors include:
- Failing to yield the right of way to an approaching bicyclist
- Making a turn or backing out of a parking space without checking for oncoming cyclists
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Road rage, such as when a car gets too close to a bike by tailgating or overcrowding
- Failing to keep a safe distance while passing a bike
- Dooring, which occurs when a driver or passenger of a parked vehicle opens their door without checking to see if there is an approaching cyclist
A dedicated Marion attorney could take the time to carefully review the evidence to determine all possible causes of a bicycle crash. Then, they could help build the strongest possible case demonstrating this negligence and holding a reckless driver accountable.
Bike Crashes Can Cause Severe Injuries
When two cars get into an accident, the occupants of both vehicles have seatbelts to hold them inside the car, airbags to cushion the blow, and a steel frame to absorb the impact. Unfortunately, when a car hits a cyclist, the cyclist often only has a helmet to protect them. At any speed, these collisions can lead to devastating injuries.
When a cyclist is thrown from their bike, they may experience road rash, lacerations, and permanently disfiguring injuries from making contact with the ground. Direct impact with a reckless driver can lead to a cyclist suffering neck and back injuries, including herniated discs as well as spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis.
Even with a helmet, head injuries, including concussions and other traumatic brain injuries, are common in bicycle accidents. While people might not think of experiencing broken or lost teeth in car crashes, bike crash survivors frequently suffer painful dental injuries. Sadly, some people do not survive their injuries.
In all these cases, a Marion attorney could help pursue payments to cover the costs of past and future medical care and other losses stemming from a bike accident. If someone loses their family member in a fatal bike crash, a dedicated attorney could help them pursue compensation for their loss in a wrongful death claim.
Call a Marion Bicycle Accident Attorney
Motorists should respect the rights of cyclists and take every measure they can to prevent collisions. Unfortunately, drivers often forget to check for bicycles or act aggressively toward them, putting cyclists in danger.
While you work on recovering from your injuries, a Marion bicycle accident lawyer could work on getting you the compensation you need to move forward. Call the legal team at Whetstone Perkins & Fulda today to schedule an appointment and learn more.
