Is It Worth Hiring An Attorney For a Bike Accident?

Benefits of Hiring a Bicycle Accident Lawyer

One reason it is worth hiring a bicycle accident lawyer is that depending on the severity of your injuries, you may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent party. However, if you are severely hurt, you may not be able to completely focus on a lawsuit while you recover. A personal injury lawyer can.

Though hiring a bike accident attorney will not guarantee you a large settlement or verdict, it will ensure you haven’t made any mistakes that will hurt the success of your claim.

Learn more about the benefits of hiring a bike accident attorney below.

You Have Suffered Severe Injuries

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1,000 bicyclists die and over 130,000 are injured in crashes every year in the United States. While this may not seem like a large number across the United States, Washington, DC, Virginia, and Maryland do account for many of those collisions.

Studies suggest that of the large commuter population in DC, more than 10,000 are bicyclists. In 2014, there were a reported 746 bike accidents in Virginia. In Maryland, there are more than 800 bike accidents each year.

Though these collisions may result in minor scrapes and bruises, they can be fatal, especially when up against a passenger vehicle.

Common injuries bicyclists may face following a collision with a car include:

• Head injuries: Head injuries could include small bumps and scrapes to things that are more serious like a skull fracture which can result in traumatic brain injuries (TBI), Traumatic brain injuries can be fatal when left untreated, especially when there are no external signs of injury. TBIs may result from concussions with signs including memory loss, delayed bodily functions, and mental/emotional changes.
• Face injuries: In some cases, cyclists can sustain damage to their face including broken teeth, jaw, nose, or eye damage.
• Soft tissue trauma: When accidents occur at high speeds, or riders are not wearing protective clothing, they may endure soft tissue injuries to the body such as road rash, scarring, bruising, and cuts. However, more severely, they may sustain internal bleeding.
• Neck and back injuries: Depending on the injuries sustained and how the crash occurs, bicyclists may suffer from neck and back injuries such as whiplash, torn ligaments, damage to the spinal cords, and more. In some cases, this can result in permanent paralysis.
• Death: When a collision is a bike versus a vehicle, the result can be fatal.

If you or a loved one suffered any of the above injuries or died following a bicycle accident, Regan Zambri Long can help.

You Need to Determine Fault

When a collision is a bike versus a passenger vehicle or larger, you would think that the determination of fault would be easy. However, this isn’t always the case.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 64% of bicyclist deaths occur on sections of roadways where higher speeds might occur and 27% occur at intersections. In cases where who had the right of way is not easy to prove, or there are no extenuating circumstances to show fault, this can complicate a bike accident claim. Further, if there are no witnesses when an accident occurs, it may be hard to build a case where it is your word against theirs.

This is why it is imperative to call the authorities after an accident and to preserve any evidence. A bicycle accident lawyer will be able to use that information to recreate the accident and build your case.

How Can a Bike Accident Attorney Help Me?

If you are wondering if it is worth hiring a bicycle accident lawyer following a bike accident, understanding how this legal representation may benefit your compensation may be critical. An MD, VA, and DC bike accident lawyer can help you by:

• Assessing the value of your claim. The compensation you receive is not limited to your injuries sustained. It can also include property damage, time away from work, and your ability to return to a normal life.
• Filing the correct paperwork with the insurance companies. You will need to follow set rules and deadlines when filing a bike accident claim. This becomes complicated when moving between your insurance and that of the other driver.
• Negotiating a settlement. Sometimes the stress of a bike accident can leave you eager to just get through the legal process and move on. However, this can make you vulnerable to the insurance companies and make you miss out on money that is rightfully yours. A bike accident attorney can negotiate a settlement on your behalf that takes care of you now and in the future.
• Representing you in court. More often than not, personal injury cases are handled outside of court, but if circumstances exist which complicate the filing, you may need to go before a judge. A lawyer can represent you while you focus on recovery.

In cases where extreme negligence occurred like drinking and driving, reckless driving, etc. a lawyer will also be able to show how that contributed to your injuries.

How Can I Afford a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?

If the injuries you sustained after a bike accident have you out of work, you may worry you won’t be able to afford legal representation. However, at Regan Zambri Long, we work on a contingency fee basis which means you do not pay anything upfront for your case.

Instead, we only collect payment if we secure a settlement or verdict on your behalf. This amount is only a percentage of your award, so you have the funds you need to move forward.

If you are still concerned about the cost of a bike accident lawyer, ask if you can afford to not have one by your side, especially if your claim goes to trial.

Injured In A Bike Accident In MD, VA, Or DC? Call The Bike Accident Lawyers Of Regan Zambri Long.

If you were injured in a bike accident in DC, MD, or VA, the lawyers at Regan Zambri Long PLLC can help you take legal action. Our attorneys work hard to secure the compensation you deserve to recover from your injuries to make sure it is worth hiring a bicycle lawyer for your case. In the past, we have recovered millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for people just like you who were injured while riding their bicycles.

Under DC law, bicyclists have all the same duties and privileges as motor vehicles which includes reporting an accident when they occur. Do not let a motor vehicle driver intimidate you or tell you to not report the accident. Instead, call the authorities then call Regan Zambri Long.

For a no-obligation, free consultation, contact the bike accident attorneys of Regan Zambri Long at 202-960-4596 or by connecting with us online. Each state’s laws on reporting bicycle accidents vary, so do not delay in filing a claim.