What Should I Do After a Bicycle Accident?
After a bicycle accident, you may be in too much pain or discomfort to take much action. That’s why two of the most important things you can do in the wake of an accident are to seek medical attention and to secure a personal injury attorney. Just as a physician will do the heavy medical lifting for you, so too can an experienced attorney handle the heavy legal lifting, taking the burden of your case off your shoulders.
Visiting a doctor’s creates a trail of documentation that will benefit your claim; your medical records, doctor’s notes, and insurance reports all confirm to the court that your injuries were the direct result of the accident. The accident had to have occurred as a result of another person’s negligence in order to secure you a settlement. In order to prove this, an attorney must connect the dots between your injuries and the accident, and also show that negligent actions took place that caused the accident.
You can help your attorney do this by documenting the scene of the collision. If you’re unable to take photos from multiple angles of the site or speak to witnesses at the scene, a friend or relative can do it for you. Obtaining the negligent party’s driver’s license information, insurance company and policy numbers, and contact information, as well as the make and model of their car, will also help your attorney prove your case.
From there, an attorney will be able to build a compelling argument based on further investigations and gathering of evidence related to the events of that day.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Bicycle Accident Case?
In a bicycle accident case, several types of compensation can be recovered. These include:
- Medical bills. All expenses related to your medical treatment and rehabilitation can be compensated in bike accident cases.
- Pain and suffering. Mental anguish and physical pain associated with your injuries are intangible elements of your case that can be compensated.
- Lost wages. In many cases after a bicycle accident, victims have to take substantial time off work to heal from their injuries. Even if your injuries aren’t severe or debilitating, you may also have to take considerable leave to attend doctor’s appointments related to your accident. All wages lost while taking care of your injuries can be compensated in a settlement, as well as those for projected time away from work.
- Punitive damages. Only some states allow for the collection of punitive damages, which are exacted from negligent parties as a type of financial fine, or punishment, for their actions. Punitive damages are meant to deter responsible parties, or others in the state, from committing the same acts of negligence. In New Jersey, this type of compensation is limited to five times the amount of compensatory damages (such as those listed above), or $350,000, whichever is greater.
You may receive any, all, or a combination of these types of settlements based on your claim. Whether at the negotiating table or in the case that your claim goes to court, a Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers attorney will aid you in obtaining the maximum possible settlement.
Bicycle Accidents Take A Heavy Toll In New Jersey And Across The Nation
In 2016, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that 840 cyclists were killed across the nation. Bikes represent approximately 2% of all traffic deaths across America, with most fatal accidents occurring in urban spaces, and most occur in the evenings – between 6 and 9 p.m. – when heavier traffic results in more collisions between cyclists and passenger vehicles.
The State of New Jersey reports that head injuries are the most serious type of injuries in bicycle accidents, as well as the most common cause of death. Fatalities were most likely to be male (84% of all deaths), and of male cyclists, the most likely to be injured were between 55 to 59 years old.
Unfortunately, alcohol also plays a role in many bicycling accidents. 29% of reported collisions between cyclists and motor vehicles involved a blood alcohol content above the legal limit of 0.08 percent for either one or both drivers.
Contact an accomplished NJ bike accident lawyer for your injury claim
A bicycle injury can be painful and costly and have a lasting impact on your health, your finances, and your life overall. If you or someone you love is suffering from injuries related to a bicycle accident, call our New Jersey offices today at (973) 364-8300, or contact us online, for a free consultation. We will advise you on how best to move forward with your claim, and discuss your eligibility for compensation.
At Brach Eichler Injury Lawyers, we stand by our commitment to making this process as painless as possible for you in your time of need. All of our services are offered free of charge until we win you the maximum possible compensation you deserve. Call (973) 364-8300 today.