When a bicycle accident occurs, it can put a damper on your life. It’s especially disheartening if you end up with serious injuries. While you recuperate from your injuries, a St. Matthews bicycle accident lawyer can assist you with filing the paperwork to recover damages. It’s beneficial to have an attorney preparing your claim for you, so you don’t have to worry about the legalities involved.
Statistics Concerning Bicycle Accidents
There are fewer people on the road driving bicycles compared to motor vehicles, but there are still plenty of accidents. And when they do occur, they often can result in fatalities.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, most bicycle injuries occur to a person’s head and skull. Bicyclists don’t have the protection that a car or truck provides, so there is more chance of fatalities and serious injuries occurring.
In 2019, there were over 800 fatal accidents involving bicyclists and a motor vehicle. Most of these fatalities were males over the age of 20. If your loved one becomes on of these fatalities, a bicycle accident attorney serving the St. Matthews area may be able to help.
For a free legal consultation with a bicycle accidents lawyer serving St Matthews, call 800-333-9999
What About Bicycle Traffic Rules?
Bicyclists must abide by traffic rules just like everyone else. In addition, when motorists share the road with a bicyclist, they need to take special care and follow special rules. This helps ensure the safety of everyone involved. Some of these rules are as follows:
- A bicyclist should not weave in between lanes and cars while driving
- Bicyclists should give other drivers notice of turning by making a signal 50 feet in advance
- Motor vehicles should not drive in a bike lane unless it’s a government maintenance vehicle
- If a motor vehicle is going to turn right, the driver needs to ensure it’s safe for the bicyclist first
- Kentucky’s safe passing law states that motorists need to leave three feet between a car and a bicycle during passing
- A motorist must use caution when passing a cyclist
- A bicyclist must stop at a red light or stop sign to avoid traffic
- A motorist must look for oncoming bicyclists before opening the door of a parked car
St Matthews Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 800-333-9999
Common Bicycle Injuries
Injuries from a bicycle accident can range from mild to severe, leading to pain and suffering. Common bicycle injuries include:
- Broken bones, especially to the lower or upper extremities
- Abrasions and lacerations to any part of the body
- Spinal cord damage
- Brain and head injuries
- Facial or dental injuries
- Wrongful death
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Damages in a Bicycle Accident and How to Recover Them
When dealing with an accident involving a bicycle and motor vehicle, there are legal remedies that you can seek to cover the damages incurred by being injured. According to Kentucky law—which is based on the pure comparative fault rule—the accident will be assessed, and a percentage of blame will be assigned to each party. The award amount will be deducted by how much at fault you are in the accident.
For example, if you were 40 percent at fault and the award amount was $100,000, you would collect $60,000. A bicycle accident lawyer can assist you with determining the factors involved in collecting damages.
Damages may include physical expenses incurred as well as non-tangible harm. Also known as non-economic, non-tangible damages include items like pain and suffering and missed job opportunities. Some of the economic costs you may be able to recover include:
- Medical expenses
- Ongoing physical costs, including physical therapy or rehab
- Loss of income or reduced income
These represent some of the damages; there may be miscellaneous costs you had to pay for that you can discuss with a lawyer.
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Damages for Pain and Suffering After a Bicycle Accident?
Often, an accident will leave a person with many other types of injuries that are unseen. These are the non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering. You can still collect compensation for these damages. An attorney can calculate the amount of damages you’ll get by using a special formula.
Additionally, if a person becomes disabled, the compensation for pain and suffering would be much greater since the condition would be lifelong.
Statute of Limitations
When deciding to file a claim for a bicycle accident, it’s vital to do so within the state’s statute of limitations. In Kentucky, Ky. Rev. Stat. § 413.140(1) puts the statute of limitation at one year from the date of the accident.
How Bicycle Accident Lawyer Helps
A bicycle accident lawyer can assist you with all the paperwork and filing due in a bicycle accident claim. Some of the tasks they will manage for you include:
- File all necessary paperwork
- Speak to the third party involved
- Determine what the damages are
- Calculate the award amount
- Help establish liability
- Get the police and medical records
- Manage all communications
- Go to trial, if necessary
Often, an attorney can negotiate successfully for you without going into a courtroom. You can obtain a fair settlement and not need to go to trial in many instances. If the attorney determines that they can’t get a fair deal for you, then it may proceed to trial.
Seek a Lawyer’s Help in a Bicycle Accident
A St. Matthews bicycle accident lawyer can get you on the right road to recovering your damages. With the help of an attorney at Isaacs & Isaacs Personal Injury Lawyers, you can move forward with your life. You don’t need to worry about upfront costs when you work with our team. We work on a contingency basis, so you don’t have to pay until the case is settled.
At Isaacs & Isaacs Personal Injury Lawyers, you can count on the combined experience of 400 years of legal work between the lawyers. With more than $1 billion recovered for our clients, your case is in capable hands. We have an extensive in-house litigation team and a mock courtroom on-site at one location. Contact us today for a free case review!
Call or text 800-333-9999 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
