West Palm Beach Bike Accident Attorneys Helping Victims Recover Compensation in Broward and Palm Beach County
With year-round good weather, riding a bicycle is a popular activity and method of transportation in Florida. Although many bicyclists take great care when riding, including making sure their bike is in good condition and wearing appropriate protective equipment (especially helmets), the sad reality is that bicycle riders face serious risks of accident and injury on the street and roads of Broward and Palm Beach County. A bicycle accident can occur due to a defective bike, poor road conditions (such as broken pavement, potholes, or sinkholes), or most frequently due to careless and reckless motorists who fail to take due care when driving around bicyclists. Our Florida bicycle accident injury lawyers can help.
When you or a family member have been involved in a bicycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, you likely have suffered serious injuries. You may be entitled to hold those legally responsible for your accident and injuries accountable to provide you with compensation for the damages you’ve suffered as a result of your injuries, including medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Pursuing a bicycle accident claim can be a complex and time-consuming task; the insurance companies will use their vast resources to avoid paying you the full and fair compensation you deserve. After suffering injuries in a bicycle accident, you need aggressive legal representation who can help you secure maximum financial recovery. Contact the Broward and Palm Beach County bicycle accident attorneys at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. today to schedule a case evaluation to learn more about your legal rights and options.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Florida
According to a National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration survey, the most common causes of bicycle accidents included:
- Animal in the roadway
- Collision with a fixed object
- Bicyclist error
- Poor road surfaces
- Inadvertent fall by a bicyclist
- Negligent motorist
Of these causes, negligent drivers were the most common cause of bicycle accidents. Careless or reckless drivers can cause an accident with a bicyclist when the driver is doing things like speeding, following a bicycle too closely, failing to give a bicycle safe distance when passing, failing to signal turns, or failing to yield to bicycles on left and right turns.
Types of Injuries Commonly Suffered in Bicycle Accidents
Bicyclists are largely unprotected when they are involved in an accident, save for a helmet (ideally) and maybe elbow or knee pads. As a result, a bicycle rider who is involved in an accident tends to suffer significant and severe injuries, including:
- Serious lacerations, which can lead to profuse bleeding
- Broken bones
- Neck and back injuries, including herniated or ruptured spinal discs
- Soft-tissue injuries, including sprains and tears of muscles, tendons, and ligaments
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries
Unfortunately, when bicyclists are involved in accidents with vehicles traveling at speed, the severity of injuries suffered in the accident can even be fatal.
Florida Bicycle Accident Injury Lawyers at Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. Fight for Clients’ Right to Financial Recovery for Injuries
At Gonzalez & Cartwright, our Florida bicycle accident attorneys understand the anxiety and fear that you may be facing after you’ve been seriously injured in a bicycle accident. We know that you may have many questions about how you are going to afford your medical treatment or pay your other bills and expenses when you are out of work. That is why our attorneys work diligently to secure the financial compensation our clients rightfully deserve after being injured through no fault of their own in a bicycle accident.
When you hire our firm to represent you in your bicycle accident claim, we hit the ground running to build a strong, persuasive legal case to help you obtain maximum financial recovery for your injuries and damages. We thoroughly investigate your accident, securing critical evidence such as the police accident report, accident scene photos, nearby surveillance video, and eyewitness statements. We also work with experts to help reconstruct how your accident occurred and identify those at fault for your injuries. We aggressively negotiate with the insurance companies, not backing down when they try to offer less than fair and full compensation. And we also prepare your case for trial, if it becomes necessary, to get you the best possible outcome in your case.
Contact Gonzalez & Cartwright, P.A. Today to Schedule a Case Evaluation to Discuss Your Legal Rights and Options
If you or a loved one have been seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Florida, you may be entitled to seek compensation from those at fault for your injuries to help cover your medical treatments, lost wages, and other out-of-pocket costs, or to provide you some measure of justice for your pain and suffering and lost quality of life. Schedule a consultation with an experienced Florida bicycle accident injury lawyer at Gonzalez & Cartwright today to learn more about your legal rights and options and about the ways our firm can help you pursue your legal claim.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bicycle Accident Injuries in Florida
Yes. Florida law uses what is known as the contributory negligence rule. That rule states that an injured party can still recover compensation for his or her injuries, but the recovery will be reduced by the share of fault assigned to the injured party. For example, if you are found to be 30 percent at fault for your accident and you are found to be entitled to $100,000 in compensation for your damages, your recovery will be reduced by 30 percent, or $30,000, to reflect your share of fault and leave you with a final recovery of $70,000.
Even if you were involved in an accident with a motorist who doesn’t have insurance or doesn’t have sufficient insurance to fully compensate you for your damages, you may have other options to pay for medical treatment for your bicycle accident injuries. For example, you may be able to turn to your own health insurance policy to cover medical expenses (however, you will still be responsible for your co-pays and deductibles). If you have your own car insurance, depending on the terms of your policy you may be entitled to make a claim against your policy’s uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage for your bicycle accident. Making an uninsured/underinsured motorist claim can be a complex process, so it is advisable to have the assistance of an experienced attorney.