How a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
Even when you’re cautious on the roads, you can’t always control your environment. If you were injured in a bike accident due to a negligent party, you might be entitled to compensation. However, you will need to file a personal injury claim, which can be complicated. A bicycle accident lawyer possesses the knowledge and experience to ease the process, but an attorney’s expertise is not always necessarily needed.
If you’re considering legal representation, review these 7 reasons why you may need to seek guidance from a lawyer.
1. You’ll Gain a Knowledgeable Ally
One of the biggest reasons to seek out a bike accident lawyer is that they’ll be knowledgeable about personal injury law and how it pertains to a bicycle accident caused by someone else. In other words, they’re specialists who have a background working with cyclists on legal matters.
Bike accident lawyers will understand traffic laws and how they relate to cyclists. All of this insider knowledge equips a bicycle accident lawyer to help you win your case.
Additionally, they’ll be able to advocate for your needs and know how to negotiate with the insurance company. You cannot just rely on a lawyer who practices personal injury law; you need to invest in a bicycle accident lawyer who has a winning track record working on cases similar to yours.
2. Your Accident Causes Injury
During a bike accident, you may sustain injuries. Breaking an arm or collarbone can require surgeries and ongoing care to get you back to normal. In the process, you’ll rack up expensive medical bills that you shouldn’t have to pay out of pocket.
Even with your health coverage helping out, you may still be left paying for expensive medical bills. In addition, you may need rehabilitative care or follow-up appointments, as well. An experienced attorney can help make sure that you get enough money to cover these medical expenses.
3. Insurance Won’t Accept Your Claim
When you file a personal injury claim, you want the insurance company of the at-fault party to be cooperative and pay back the appropriate amount of damages. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen.
The insurance company may respond by indicating that you lack sufficient evidence for your case. Or they may indicate that you need to assign liability more clearly. When the insurance company won’t let your claim move forward, the experience can be frustrating.
But a lawyer can step in on your behalf. They’ll know what questions to ask to build a solid case that shows you were not at fault. Plus they’ll be experienced working with insurance companies and bring a new level of authority to your case.
4. Insurance Offers Low Compensation
When an insurance company only provides a modest amount of money, you’ll still be struggling with bills. When an insurance adjuster is determining damages, they are looking to save their company money. They accomplish this by reducing the value of your losses.
For example, insurance typically only considers current medical bills and bike damages. However, you will require compensation for other expenses, like future physical rehabilitation, potential complications that will require corrective surgery, diminished earning capacity if you cannot return to work, or mental trauma.
You will need to be prepared for what insurance companies may counter with. A bicycle accident lawyer will be an experienced negotiator who can fight on your behalf.
5. You Need Help Determining Liability
Who caused your bike accident? Typically, cars, other motorists, or cycling manufacturers are at fault. And in some instances, multiple parties may share the blame for an accident.
When you’re not sure who to target, a bicycle accident lawyer can step in to help. Your lawyer can examine traffic laws, signage, and available footage to help build your case.
And they can help you gather evidence that can identify the negligent party. You may need to prove that you followed the traffic laws as a cyclist, as well. In any case, an attorney will know how to articulate these details and facts to create the tightest explanation possible.
6. You Need Help Making Your Case
A bike accident can be a traumatic event, and it can be hard to piece together the experience. A skilled attorney will be able to guide you through the event to gather the right details. They can pull together a timeline and get insights from witnesses.
Further, a bike accident lawyer understands how bikes are constructed. They can discuss the details of a bike frame to help make your case if it’s at fault. They’ll be able to talk about how a frame can break and lead to particular damages and bicycle accident injuries.
7. You’re Confused About the Claims Process
If the insurance claims process is foreign to you, it helps to have a bike accident lawyer by your side. With so many documents and processes to wade through, everything can feel overwhelming. And that’s especially true when you’re still reeling from an accident.
Hire an attorney to help take care of the details for you. If you have questions about legal jargon, they’ll know how to provide clear and succinct explanations.
And if you don’t understand how an insurance company arrived at a compensation amount, a bike accident lawyer can break down the numbers. They’ll also know what elements informed the insurance company’s numbers.
Hire a Bicycle Accident Lawyer
A knowledgeable bicycle accident lawyer can offer the expertise and guidance to navigate the claims process. They’ll help you determine liability and get the money you deserve from your insurance company.
You will also get the answers to questions and support you need to move forward from a bike accident. If you’re dealing with the aftermath of a cycling injury, contact us and schedule a free consultation.
