Dallas is a great bicycling city. We have several bike trails and multi-use paths in parks and pathways around the community. Riding on the roadways, however, can be dangerous. Motor vehicle drivers engaging in hazardous activities like distracted driving or failing to follow the rules of the road can cause an accident in an instant.
Bicycle accidents can be extremely serious. Their smaller profile and lack of protection can turn even minor accidents into an injurious event. Bicyclists are susceptible to head, musculoskeletal, and spinal cord injuries, all of which can lead to lengthy recovery times and significantly change a person’s life forever.
If you or a family member has been in a serious bicycle accident in Dallas or the surrounding area, the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, P.C. may be able to help. We can review your recent accident and search for signs of negligence, such as someone who was texting and driving. Then, we can fight for fair financial compensation on your behalf through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Contact us for a free initial consultation today.
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Injured bicyclists may have to take time off of work while juggling increasing medical bills, bike damage bills, and loss of quality of life. For those with catastrophic injuries and the families of deceased victims, the impact of a bicycle accident can last a lifetime.
In addition to dealing with insurance companies that are always looking for the best deal, bicyclists may also face negligent drivers who refuse to face the facts. To get opposing parties to honor a fair settlement claim, a lawsuit may be the only course of action. Negligent drivers and insurance companies may not understand the application of the law in your accident case, and an experienced personal injury attorney can help with so much more than the development of a case.
At the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, our team of attorneys can help you find quality medical treatment, pursue a 3rd party investigation of your accident and secure expert witnesses to help clarify the facts of the case, and deal with insurance adjustors on your behalf. The only thing that an accident victim should be concerned with is healing and learning how to cope with any long-term injuries. Don’t let the complex paperwork and logistics after an accident keep you from taking the time to heal. Talk to a trusted attorney to understand your rights in a case and the best course of action for obtaining compensation.
Something that can reduce your risk of getting into a bicycle accident is learning your rights and responsibilities in Dallas. Cyclists are their own type of road user, with special rules that apply to them on a state and local level. Obeying these laws can keep you out of the path of motor vehicle traffic, in many cases. It can also protect your right to file an injury claim against someone else after a collision, as you won’t be the party who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. These are some of the rules enforced in Dallas, Texas:
Dallas used to be one of the most dangerous cities in the country for bicyclists. Now, after passing further bicycle safety laws, it is not even the most dangerous city for bicycle accidents in the state. Bike laws have the power to reduce the number of bicycle accidents when followed. If you believe that a motor vehicle driver infringed upon your rights as a bicyclist in Dallas and this caused your collision, you can file a claim with the driver’s insurance policy.
While you can’t predict a bicycle accident, you can prepare for one. There are important steps that you should take after getting in a bicycle accident in Dallas. Knowing what to do and say after a crash can help you stay calm and protect yourself legally. Otherwise, you may say or do the wrong thing – compromising your ability to recover fair financial compensation. If you can, take the following steps after a bicycle accident:
At The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert, P.C., we offer free initial consultations to prospective clients who have been injured in bicycle accidents in Dallas. We can listen to your story and let you know what to do next at no cost or obligation. You can use your consultation to learn more about your case, legal rights and options moving forward. If we decide to take your case, we can begin investigating your bicycle accident and pursuing the results that you deserve immediately.
According to Share the Road Texas, from 2010 to 2016, bike accidents resulted in 9,796 confirmed injuries and 362 fatalities. Dallas County was fourth in Texas for the total number of bicycle accidents in this time. Bicycle accidents are often physically devastating for victims. The injuries suffered by bicyclists when struck by drivers can be catastrophic. A catastrophic injury is one that will affect the victim for the foreseeable future – or for life, in some cases.
When a motor vehicle driver hits a vulnerable, unprotected cyclist, the cyclist will always sustain the more severe injuries. These injuries can include:
Wearing a helmet is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from serious injuries in a bicycle accident. Even with a helmet, however, you could suffer an injury or disability that you must live with for the rest of your life. Permanent injuries can cost millions of dollars over your lifetime, in the most extreme cases. Even more minor injuries can be painful, debilitating and take you out of work temporarily. No matter what type of injury you or a loved one was diagnosed with after a bicycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation.
Identifying the cause of your bicycle accident is one of the first steps toward obtaining a compensation award in Dallas. Who or what caused your bicycle collision could give you grounds for an injury claim against the at-fault party. In Texas, the civil justice system permits accident victims to seek reparation for someone else’s negligence. You may be eligible for financial recovery depending on the cause of the crash.
If you are not sure what caused your recent bicycle accident, retain a law firm to investigate on your behalf. The Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert works with professional investigators and accident reconstructionists to uncover the truth. Then, our Dallas personal injury attorney helps clients prove another party’s fault using a preponderance of gathered evidence. We may be able to help you hold one or more negligent parties accountable for your damages in Dallas.
If one or more parties is at fault for causing your bicycle accident in Dallas, you can file a claim against that person’s insurance provider in pursuit of financial reimbursement for your medical bills, bicycle repairs and other costs. Most bicycle accident cases in Texas settle, meaning they do not go to court. If the insurance company in charge of your case isn’t treating you fairly or offering an adequate settlement for your injuries, however, you may have no choice but to take the case to trial.
If you wish to file a personal injury lawsuit for a bicycle accident in Texas, the state’s statute of limitations gives you no more than two years to do so. The clock starts ticking on the date of the accident unless you didn’t discover your injuries right away. In that case, the clock will start counting down on the date that you discovered or reasonably should have discovered your injury. If you plan on holding the Dallas city government responsible for your bike accident, such as for a pothole or dangerous roadway defect, you will only have six months to file instead.
You can file a lawsuit by preparing and submitting the required personal injury claim documents with the civil courthouse in the county where your crash took place. An attorney can help you correctly fill out the legal paperwork and submit it by the deadline. From there, the defendant will have a chance to respond to your lawsuit. The defendant will either accept the claim and offer a settlement or reject it. Rejection or the inability to reach a settlement can result in an injury trial.
Some injured bicyclists may wait to see how the days after an accident pan out. Waiting to contact an attorney can make a difference in case investigations and can hinder your chances at obtaining the highest amount of compensation. In some cases, a product manufacturer may be to blame for a devastating accident. Understanding the evidence can play a pivotal role in holding the manufacturing company responsible for its role in your injuries.
Contact an attorney before you speak with insurance adjustors to get a free case evaluation. An experienced attorney can provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision about pursuing a case. If you talk to an adjustor first or wait to consult a legal professional, your own statements can work against you in any future cases.
Under Texas law, if a bicyclist is found to be responsible for 50% or more of an accident, he or she may be unable to obtain any compensation in an accident case. When bicyclists fail to follow the rules of the road by running stop signs, turning quickly into traffic, or riding the wrong way down a one-way street, they are acting negligently. Make sure that you understand the local and state laws for bicycling before you head out on the roadways. Doing so could save your life and prevent a lawsuit aimed at you.
A successful bicycle accident claim in Texas could result in payment for your economic and noneconomic damages. The state of Texas does not cap the amount of damages a bicycle accident victim may receive. With a lawyer’s assistance, you could seek recovery for a range of losses.
The value of your claim will vary according to the specific damages you suffered in the accident. In general, the more serious your injuries, the more your case could be worth. A lawyer can review your case and give you an accurate estimate of damages.
A bicycle accident lawyer could make all the difference in the outcome of your case. Do not let an insurance company take advantage of you during settlement negotiations. Hire an attorney to help you combat insurance bad faith and optimize your odds of securing compensation. Contact the attorneys at the Law Firm of Aaron A. Herbert for a free case evaluation or to learn more about our approach to personal injury law.