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Everyone using the roads, including those on bicycles, deserves to be safe, yet accidents still happen. Even some of the most experienced cyclists have fallen victim to bicycle accidents. Each year, a countless number of cyclists end up being injured when cycling in and around St. Peters, MO.
The fact of the matter is that, because bicycles are far less expensive than other modes of transportation, and cyclists are a lot less present on the roads than motorists, there is a lot less awareness concerning the safety and laws protecting bicyclists in Missouri.
How Can Powell Law Firm Help In Terms of Bicycle Accident Cases?
Powell Law Firms Focus
Other types of personal injury cases do not present the same circumstances as bicycle accident cases. A St Louis bicycle accident attorney specializes in these types of cases. Often, motorists, operators of motor vehicles, and sometimes even officials of law enforcement try and shift the blame onto the cyclist; however, fault almost always falls on these other drivers instead.
As such, the focus of an experienced bicycle accident lawyer at Powell Law Firm is to successfully represent those in St. Peters, MO, who have been seriously injured in a bicycle accident as a result of somebody else's negligence and help them seek maximum compensation for these suffered injuries.
How These Bicycle Accident Lawyers Have Helped Others
There are many clients that are able to vouch on the behalf of the bicycle accident lawyers at Powell Law Firm. They can touch on how these injury attorneys were able to guarantee them a fair trial by paying extra close attention to the jury selection and addressing the common bias that surrounds bicyclists.
Evidence that the personal injury attorneys at this firm understand the view and rights of cyclists can be seen in the thousands of dollars worth of compensation successfully recovered from the settlements and verdicts of many bicycle accident claims.
How to Get In Contact with the Firm Today
Those that have suffered injuries as a result of a bicycle accident need to hire a strong advocate that is committed to aggressively representing on their behalf and providing them with the best legal guidance.
To help those assess their legal rights, bicycle accident lawyers at Powell Law Firm offer an initial, free consultation to those who contact them at (314) 470-1374 or get in touch with them via other methods of communication. They are available for service 24/7.
What Defines a Bicycle Accident?
A bicycle accident can be described as the injuries sustained from some sort of collision between an individual on their bicycle and another type of vehicle, such as a car or potentially even another cyclist.
Do Cyclists Have Legal Rights?
It is very important to remember that cyclists share the same legal rights as motor vehicle operators and their accompanying passengers. Thus, Missouri's law of negligence applies equally to bikers as it does to motorists. Operators of motor vehicles are required to be as aware of cyclists as they are of other motor vehicles on the road in order to prevent accidents from happening.
Most of the time, it is due to this inattention of car drivers, truckers, and motorcyclists and their deliberate failure to yield right of way that results in very serious bicycle accidents.
Reasons Why Bike Accidents Happen
Despite all the measures St. Peters, MO, has taken to design cyclist-friendly paths, bicyclists will often need to share roads with other vehicles in order to get from point A to point B. Even the most knowledgeable and skilled cyclists that use the roadway are only as safe as the awareness of other road users' rules and willingness to follow them allows them to be.
Listed below are some of the major reasons why bike accidents happen:
Lack of road awareness
Failure to judge the speed or distance of a cyclist
The inability of other drivers to see cyclists properly
General negligent and rash behavior when driving, like running stop signs and red lights
The driver was fatigued, distracted, or intoxicated
In addition to the types of vehicles involved in a bicycle crash, there are many other factors that make each bicycle accident case unique, including things like the number of vehicles involved, the owner or the operator of the vehicle involved, the extent of the injuries that were incurred, and how extreme the damages were, among many other things.
The Most Common Types of Accidents Involving Cyclists
A cyclist was hit by a car or another type of vehicle
The bicyclist came off their bike as a result of cycling on bad road surfaces, normally involving potholes
Motor vehicles pulling out of a junction
A vehicle door being opened onto an oncoming cyclist
When a motor vehicle decides to change lanes and collides with a cyclist
Where a vehicle crossed a cyclist's path when turning
Types of Injuries Sustained By Bike Accident Victims
Head
Fractures of the skull, concussions, brain contusion, and intracranial hemorrhages are all the types of injuries that a cyclist can sustain to the head during a bike accident.
Face Or Eyes
Types of injuries involving the face and eyes include contusions, dental fractures, facial fractures, and corneal foreign bodies.
Chest
Parenchymal lung injuries and rib fractures fall under the types of injuries bicyclists sustain to the chest.
Abdomen
Abdomen injuries include splenic rupture, hepatic laceration, pancreatic trauma, renal contusion, small or large bowel contusion, vascular perforation, rupture, and traumatic hernia.
Genitals
Genitourinary injuries involve pelvic fractures and any urethral and vulval trauma.
Musculoskeletal
Fractures, strains, and dislocations are injuries that involve the musculoskeletal of a bike accident survivor.
Skin
Lastly, injuries can occur to the soft tissue and include abrasions, contusions, and lacerations.
Who Can a Bicycle Accident Victim Claim Against?
A cyclist who has been seriously injured by another road user in a collision can bring a bike accident claim against that road user. Bike accident claims can also be brought against property owners, the local authority and contractors carrying out roadworks, and any other parties in the event that a bike accident occurred as a result of road defects or other hazardous conditions where a cyclist was owed a duty of care.
Bicycle accident lawyers at Powell Law Firm are capable of determining who is liable in the case of a bike accident and thus whom the claim should be brought against. This includes any other parties likely to show interest in the bike accident claim, for example, an insurance company of the defendant.
Insurance companies prove time and time again to be a challenging party to claim against. They will often use tricks and strategies to get victims of a bike accident to agree to a low settlement. Accident victims who fail to have an experienced attorney representing on their behalf generally accept these low offers as they are unaware of the true value of their claim.
What Can Be Claimed As Financial Compensation?
Damages that can be recovered as compensation include:
Medical bills and expenses
Therapy and rehabilitation costs
Lost wages
Any lost benefits
Mental anguish or pain and suffering caused
Damage to property
If a bicycle accident claim is left in the hands of the victim rather than in the hands of a bicycle accident lawyer, there leaves great room for a claim value to be vastly underestimated. As a result, victims are often left under-compensated, especially if the full extent of their injuries is not yet determined.
The bicycle accident lawyers at Powell Law Firm possess the necessary skills to conclude a value for a bicycle accident claim that is reasonable and fair. They are also able to offer opinions to their clients in regard to whether or not a settlement should be accepted or denied.
Due to the unique circumstances of each case, there is no common value for an amount of compensation. As such, the amount of compensation that is granted to an individual will depend on the following factors:
The extent to which an injury was suffered by an individual
The amount of time it will take for the injuries to heal
The loss of income that results from taking time off of work
Any damages to the bicycle itself
Other St. Peters Practice Areas
What Should Be Done After the Occurrence of a Bicycle Crash
First and foremost, anyone involved in a bicycle crash should ensure the safety of everyone who was involved as well as any other road users. Cars in the middle of the road or in the way of oncoming traffic should be moved to the shoulder of the road. If that is not an option, then road lights and emergency flares should be used to warn other drivers.
Next, any emergency assistance must be contacted. Preserving the lives of everyone involved and minimizing injuries are of utmost importance after any type of collision. Individuals who receive medical attention can use these medical records and documents in their claims later on.
Any information that will benefit an individual when they decide to file a bicycle accident claim, later on, should be gathered. The more information gathered, the better off an individual will be. Any information regarding the other driver, witnesses, and the accident itself should be taken note of.
Lastly, those involved in serious bicycle accidents should speak with an accident lawyer. Choosing a good accident lawyer is what can make or break a case. One can already determine a law firm's experience and capabilities in the free case evaluation alone.