Common Injuries in Southlake Bicycle Accidents
Bicyclists do not often walk away from an accident unscathed, and all it takes is one reckless motorist to alter a bicyclist’s life forever. When you are in an accident, you may be unable to work while your injuries heal, setting off a chain of financial issues like paying your medical bills, keeping up on rent or your mortgage, and feeding your family without a paycheck coming in.
An experienced bicycle accident attorney could help you get financial compensation and allow you to focus on your physical healing, because reckless motorists owe others when their irresponsible behavior leads to common injuries in Southlake bicycle accidents.
Injuries Common in Bicycle Accidents
Bicyclists can sustain two types of injuries when they are hit: the impact from the auto or truck and the secondary impact when they land on the road. Bike helmets can help protect the head and brain, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports traumatic brain injuries cause about 30 percent of all deaths from all injuries. Others common in bike accidents are:
- Road rash
- Sprains and strains
- Bruising and contusions
- Multiple broken bones
- Crushed internal organs
- Spinal cord trauma that could result in paralysis
Some injuries are immediately obvious, but others do not show right away, such as brain swelling after a head injury, so it is important to obtain medical attention immediately after a bicycle accident. The bicyclist’s personal physician should be notified to follow up on emergency treatment rendered at the scene and the hospital. Physician and police reports are also valuable evidence, because an attorney could use them when negotiating with the insurance companies that represent the at-fault motorist or filing negligence lawsuits after common injuries from bicycle accidents in Southlake.
What Bicyclists Lose in an Accident
When bicyclists are injured in an accident with a careless motorist, they can sustain psychological and emotional damage and lose their ability to function physically until they heal. Physical injuries that can be compensated for include medical bills, both current and future, when they are related to the accident, rehabilitation, and any costs for durable medical equipment. Bicyclists can also receive lost current and future wages and a new bike.
Compensation for less explicit injuries such recurring pain, disfigurement, loss of limbs or eyesight, and the loss of the enjoyment cyclists get from life and their sport is also available when a lawyer fights for them. Contact an attorney in Southlake after sustaining any of these common injuries in a bicycle accident because a motorist was negligent.
Statute of Limitations
With few exceptions, the Texas Civil Practice & Remedies Code Section 16.003 requires an injured bicyclist, or any prospective plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit based on negligence, to file a lawsuit within two years of the date of the accident that caused the injuries. Plaintiffs who wait longer than two years could have their claim dismissed for filing late.
Seek Legal Help in Southlake After Common Injuries from Bicycle Accidents
With more bicyclists taking advantage of bike lanes, scenery, and agreeable weather, more accidents are occurring, even when bicyclists are mindful of their surroundings and wear helmets. Motorists, too often, are careless or reckless, causing catastrophic accidents.
When a negligent motorist involves you in an accident, we are here to help. If you end up with any common injuries from bicycle accidents in Southlake, our tenacious lawyers will fight to get you the compensation to which you are entitled. Call us now and schedule your private consultation.