As a bicyclist, you have almost no external protection when riding, so collisions with motor vehicles, the road itself, or other obstacles can leave you with significant injuries. When someone else’s negligence causes the collision, a Richardson personal injury lawyer from The Texas Law Dog can help you fight back and get justice.
Our firm has earned an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and a bicycle accident lawyer in Richardson is ready to give you the exceptional service and representation that generates that rating. We bite back against injustice, working to get victims the compensation they need to rebuild their lives.
Bicycle Accidents Can Cause Serious Damage
It is easy to see the dangers bike riders face when involved in accidents. Taking a hit from a motor vehicle is potentially devastating in itself. That hit can also prompt ejection from the bike or another hit upon slamming into the pavement or nearby obstacles.
Some common injuries after a bicycle accident are catastrophic. Cyclists can sustain traumatic brain injuries or spinal cord injuries. This kind of damage can leave them permanently disabled and unable to work. In the worst cases, they may not be able to live independently, experience paralysis, or require constant medical support just to stay alive.
Even “moderate” injuries take time to recover and may never fully heal. Bikers can sustain road rash, painful friction burns that can reach deep into muscle tissue and cause pain and infection. They may break bones, lose teeth, or sustain soft-tissue damage that causes lasting pain and limits mobility and function in affected areas.
How to Fight for the Compensation You Deserve After a Biking Accident
According to the Bicycle Safety Campaign supported by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDoT), Texas saw an increase in bicyclists’ fatalities over a recent five-year period.
Deaths rose by 58% and 106 lives were lost. During the final year of that period, there were 2,604 bicyclist-involved traffic crashes, leading to 384 serious injuries.
There are steps to take after a bicycle accident that can support your fight for justice and compensation. First, document your injuries and get medical treatment. If you cannot move without hurting yourself further, remain still until emergency services arrive. If you can move safely, take pictures of your injuries right at the scene. Then, get to a doctor within a few hours of the incident.
Collect evidence by photographing the entire environment. Note the position of the vehicle that hit you, road conditions, obstructions, and locations of cameras mounted close by.
Gather contact information from others involved and from witnesses. Call law enforcement to the site to make an official report. Then, connect with a Bicycle accident attorney in Richardson.
Richardson Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me (817) 775-5364
A Richardson Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help
By forming a prompt legal partnership, you allow your attorney the opportunity to gather evidence while it is still available and to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the negligent party.
After making that determination, your Richardson bicycle accident attorney can file your injury claim within the Texas two-year statute of limitations established in Chapter 16 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code.
The Texas Law Dog will also handle all conversations with insurance companies. The at-fault party’s representatives may reach out with a fast settlement or to ask you questions about the accident.
Do not accept the offer, it is most likely far lower than you deserve, or answer their questions. They may twist your words into admissions of fault that could damage your claim. Refer the representatives to us.
Your attorney will calculate the value of your case, accounting for every loss. These losses include your accident-related financial costs, such as medical bills, income loss, and property damage, as well as your pain, emotional suffering, and reduced quality of life. We will fight to secure the maximum compensation amount.
Settling or Going to Trial
Your bicycle accident case may settle without ever going to trial. Our team will work with the other side to negotiate a fair settlement amount. Since settlements usually come faster and with less stress than a trial, we will work diligently to achieve this outcome. That does not mean we will encourage you to settle for less just to avoid a trial.
Should the other side stall the process or refuse to make a reasonable offer, a trial may be necessary. You can count on us to relay the pros and cons and possible outcomes of each option, and give you sound legal guidance to help you find the best way forward.
How Texas Law Can Affect Your Case
Texas has traffic laws for bicycles and bicycle helmet laws that could affect your case. Under Chapter 33 of the Texas Code, injury victims can sue for damages provided they are less than 51% to blame for the accident leading to those damages. Those eligible can see a compensation reduction by whatever lower percentage of fault they bear, if any.
The other side may try to use Texas bicycle laws against you. For example, even though helmets are not required for riders aged 18 or older, if you choose not to wear one, the at-fault party may say that decision increased your injuries. They may also claim you were riding on a part of the road not designated for cyclists.
Your Richardson bicycle accident lawyer knows your rights as a bicyclist and also knows the responsibility drivers have to remain constantly vigilant.
Even if you were not wearing a helmet, your lawyer can show how your lack of helmet did not cause the accident, challenging that claim or any other accusations of fault.
The Texas Law Dog Fights for You
Reach out for your free case consultation as soon as possible. The Texas Law Dog is committed to upholding the rights of injury victims and helping them recover from the many losses sustained in an accident.
We work to hold at-fault parties accountable for their negligence by demanding that they pay their victims back. We don’t just bark. We bite.
