Bicycle Accident Attorney - Settlements
If you or your child has been involved in an accident whilst cycling on the roads a bicycle accident attorney may be able to help you to get compensation for any personal injury that you may have suffered. We work using a contingency fee arrangement which means that our lawyers dont charge any legal fees unless they recover compensation on your behalf. If they dont manage to get you a settlement you dont pay them.
Not all cycling accidents involve a motor vehicle and accidents relating to badly maintained roads or inadequate signage can cause injuries that are just as serious as motor vehicle collisions. A bicycle accident attorney will be able to advise you about liability issues and whether or not you have a realistic chance of recovering damages in any particular situation.
A bicycle accident attorney may be able to achieve a financial settlement for personal injury which can consist of a number of different items including :-
- an award for the suffering caused by psychological damage which may be long term or chronic
- pain and suffering for personal injury
- loss of income or wages up to the date of settlement and projected into the future
- care and assistance for the future in the case of long term disability
- medical expenses for the past and estimated for the future
- damage to any personal property including a bicycle, helmet and clothing
- loss of amenities of life and an award for a change or loss of potential congenial lifestyle
The majority of accidents that a bicycle accident attorney deals with involve children and most of those consist of a collision with a motor vehicle at a busy junction or when a motor vehicle is overtaking a cyclist from behind or when a driver opens a vehicle door into the path of a rider. In all of these scenarios there can be horrific personal injury and cases involving brain damage and spinal injury are not uncommon.
A specialist lawyer will provide expert assistance in these cases. A bicycle accident attorney will take full details including witness statements, will give advice on the preservation of evidence and will liaise with insurance companies, provide medical reports, assess bike damage and obtain reports from experts before subsequently filing a claim in a court of law if it is not possible to settle the claim on a voluntary baisis.
There are a number of ways in which you can assist your bicycle accident attorney to preserve evidence. Legal cases are won or lost on the quality of evidence presented to a court of law and the following items are usually important :-
- vehicle drivers personal details including name, address, date of birth and telephone number together with the vehicle license plate information, insurance company details and policy number
- the name and badge number of the attending police officer
- full personal details of any witnesses either to the actual event or to the aftermath including full names, addresses and phone numbers
- immediate documentation of any injury by attendance at a doctor or hospital as soon as possible but certainly within 24 hours of the accident
- detailed personal note and written statement about the accident, including plans and drawings as soon as possible
- a diagram of street layout, position of vehicles and location of witnesses
- photographs of the accident scene, damage to the vehicles and any visible injuries and subsequent photographs of the injuries at intervals over time to document the healing process
Our specialists will give you a complete personal service and will always be available to discuss your claim on the telephone. Letters, faxes and emails will where possible be dealt with on the same day and you will be kept fully updated on the progress of your claim. For free expert advice on the law just complete the contact form and a member of The Association of Trial Lawyers of America will review your claim and phone you immediately to discuss your claim without obligation.