Even a minor bicycle accident can cause severe injuries that require time to recover from. During this time, an experienced attorney can help level the playing field with insurance companies and maximize your monetary recovery.
You can handle your injury claim alone, but this usually leads to a smaller settlement. A lawyer can also help ensure that any settlement you receive does not release you from further legal action. Contact Baltimore Bicycle Accident Lawyer now!
The first steps following a bike accident can be confusing, but you should contact an attorney as soon as possible. Doing so helps to prevent the at-fault party’s insurance company from taking advantage of you. It is also important to avoid doing or saying anything that could hurt your case later on.
Bike accident victims are often left with significant financial losses due to medical bills, lost wages, and property damage. These damages can add up quickly and make it difficult to afford essential needs like food and housing. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer can help you get compensation that adequately addresses your financial losses.
Your attorney can handle all the details of your claim and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. They can also help you file a lawsuit against the responsible parties if necessary. A reputable bicycle accident lawyer will work on a contingency basis, meaning they do not charge you unless they win your case.
A good attorney will carefully examine your evidence and build a strong legal argument that supports your claim. They will take into account the severity of your injuries and how they may impact your life in the future, as well as the amount of compensation you are entitled to receive.
Insurance companies are often incentivized to deny or reduce claims as much as possible in order to maximize their profits. They can try to blame your injuries on other incidents or accidents that happened before the collision, or they might suggest that you were at fault in some way. A knowledgeable lawyer can expose their tactics and fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Your attorney will gather and preserve any relevant evidence, such as witness statements, video surveillance footage, and medical reports. They will also review any police reports or other documentation related to your accident. Depending on the circumstances of your case, they might also hire investigators or other experts to support your claims. They will prepare all the required paperwork and submit it on your behalf. They will also manage all communications with the insurance companies and other involved parties.
Local Referrals
Injuries sustained in bike accidents can range from minor scrapes and bruises to life-changing spinal cord or brain damage. These injuries can require hospitalization, weeks or months of rehab, physical and occupational therapy, and sometimes long-term care. For this reason, bicycle accident victims need a lawyer who will stand up to insurance companies and negotiate a fair settlement for their medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
A reputable bike injury attorney will provide free initial case consultations and be available to answer questions. He or she will also have a deep understanding of the laws pertaining to pedestrians and cyclists in your jurisdiction. In addition, local attorneys may have a professional rapport with judges and defense lawyers, which can help speed up the case resolution process.
Ask prospective lawyers about their success rate. What types of settlements and awards have they secured for their clients? Be sure to get specifics about how these settlement amounts were calculated, including special and general costs. Special costs are monetary losses such as medical bills and property damage, while general costs include intangible losses like pain and suffering.
Many road bike accidents involve drivers who fail to yield the right of way or turn without looking for bikes. An experienced bicycle crash attorney will know the ins and outs of motor vehicle law, including rules requiring motorists to give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing.
Dangerous roadway defects or civil engineering failures frequently cause serious cycling injuries. Local counsel should be able to help victims file claims against city or state agencies, which are often subject to sovereign immunity laws.
A reputable bicycle accident attorney should have a track record of winning substantial compensation for his or her clients. A successful case is one in which the at-fault party’s insurance company or government agency agrees to settle the claim without going to trial. In some cases, this may be as simple as submitting the right documentation to support your claim. A good lawyer will help you gather all the relevant documents and evidence needed to make your case.
Knowledge of the Law
When a person is injured in a bicycle accident, they are likely to face financial and emotional challenges. Their legal team can help them get back on their feet and secure compensation for all of the damages they have suffered. While any lawyer can provide legal advice, a specialist brings distinct advantages that can make all the difference in the outcome of a case.
An experienced attorney understands all of the laws related to bike accidents. They will be familiar with local ordinances and national regulations that apply to cyclists. This includes the rights of way, helmet law and specific traffic rules that pertain to bicyclists. This knowledge will enable them to anticipate and counter any legal challenges that may arise.
In addition, a bicycle accident lawyer is well-versed in the laws regarding personal injury. This means that they are capable of seeking a compensation claim for all the damages you have suffered including medical bills, property damage and lost wages. They can also seek damages for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and other non-financial losses.
The right legal counsel can level the playing field against insurance companies that are typically looking to pay out as little as possible. They have the expertise to spot common insurance company tactics such as requesting blanket medical authorizations to dig into your entire medical history or lowball offers during settlement discussions.
A seasoned attorney will also know what kind of evidence to gather and how to build a strong case for you. This can include a variety of things such as photographs of the scene, police reports and witness testimony. In some cases, they might even recommend filing a lawsuit against the defendant to ensure that the case is handled fairly.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, a competent bicycle accident attorney can guide you towards making claims for both economic and non-economic damages. The former refers to tangible expenses such as medical expenses, lost income and property damage while the latter is more intangible losses such as pain and suffering. When it comes to claiming for non-economic losses, you are likely to need to compile extensive medical records as well as evidence of emotional trauma.
Compensation
Besides covering your medical bills and reimbursing you for lost wages, a bicycle accident lawyer can also help you obtain compensation for pain and suffering. This is a type of damages that can be awarded when a person’s injuries are deemed to be severe, including permanent impairment or disfigurement.
Getting this type of damages often depends on being able to provide the insurance company with proof of your losses. A skilled attorney can help you determine the appropriate amount of compensation and negotiate with the insurance company to ensure that you receive it. A lawyer can even file a lawsuit on your behalf if needed in order to protect your rights.
The law firms that specialize in bicycle accidents know how to build strong legal defenses against the insurance companies who will try to deny your claim or reduce your compensation. Insurance companies are for-profit entities that have an interest in denying or reducing as many claims as possible. A qualified bike accident attorney can help you combat these tactics and increase your chances of receiving the maximum settlement allowed under the law.
If the at-fault party does not have enough insurance coverage to cover your damages, a skilled attorney can help you identify other available sources of compensation, such as other relevant insurance policies or underinsured motorist coverage. They can then negotiate with the insurance company to secure a maximum settlement from the available sources of compensation.
Trying to deal with the insurance company on your own after a bicycle accident can be overwhelming and time consuming. A good bicycle accident lawyer can take over this process for you, allowing you to focus on recovering from your injuries. They will work on your behalf to establish liability for the accident and prove that the at-fault party breached their duty of care, resulting in your injuries. They will review all of the evidence in your case, including witness statements, police reports and video surveillance, and build a convincing legal argument. In most cases, your bicycle accident lawyer will be able to successfully settle your case without the need for a trial.