Bicycles offer little protection during an accident. When a vehicle driver, pedestrian, or other person disobeys traffic laws and causes an accident, the victim may suffer extensive injuries. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries if this has happened to you.
An Orlando bicycle accident lawyer from our team is available to help you submit your claim and get a fair settlement. Our team offers legal services to help you with every aspect of your case. Our Orlando personal injury lawyers can conduct a full investigation, establish who is at fault, and work with the insurance company to get you fair compensation.
Possible Causes of Orlando Bicycle Accidents
When our Orlando bicycle accident lawyers take on your case, our first job is determining how your bicycle accident occurred and who is at fault. Our law firm has handled a wide range of bicycle accidents, such as:
Accidents Due to Poor Driving Choices
Two poor driving choices are distracted driving and drunk driving. Whether the distracted driver looked at their phone or was so intoxicated that they did not notice you, they are at fault for your accident if they strike you on the road.
Other poor choices include speeding, ignoring traffic signals, or following another driver (or a cyclist) too closely. If a driver engages in unsafe behavior, they may be legally responsible for your accident and injuries.
Defective Products Leading to Accidents and Injuries
A tiny malfunction in a bicycle can cause a life-altering accident. You may have been in an accident due to a faulty brake, broken pedal, or blown tire. Our law firm can hire an expert to assess your bike and determine if a malfunctioning part led to your accident.
As the bicycle rider, you can hold the manufacturer liable. Alternately, if the product itself is inherently safe, but a repairman failed to maintain it properly, you may have a right to sue the maintenance team rather than the manufacturer.
Bad Road Surfaces Creating Unsafe Conditions
Property owners and city officials are responsible for ensuring public roads are in good condition to avoid injuries. However, you may have encountered a damaged street, sidewalk, parking lot, or driveway. If so, the property owner or other party may be responsible for your injuries.
Our attorneys will review the evidence from your accident, including photos, videos, witness statements, crash reports, and accident site inspections, to ascertain who was at fault for your bicycle accident. Using this information, we will build a case to hold the responsible parties accountable for your injuries and associated losses.
Legal Services From Our Personal Injury Attorneys
Our attorneys have established a reputation for successfully defending the rights of personal injury victims. Our law firm is valuable when you seek the compensation you deserve after a bicycle accident. We can help your case in the following ways:
- Talking to the insurance company on your behalf
- Updating you on how your claim is progressing
- Providing sound legal counsel throughout the litigation
- Investigating the accident to help you build your case
- Helping you determine what your case is worth
- Negotiating a fair settlement on your behalf
- Taking your case to trial if we cannot settle out of court
Our team is dedicated to advocating for you and protecting your rights. We understand that bicycle injury victims often face significant physical, psychological, and financial challenges after an accident. To ensure you can get legal support, we do not charge attorney’s fees for our services unless and until you receive compensation.
Compensation We Pursue in a Bicycle Accident Case
All Florida drivers must carry personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability (PDL) coverage, per Florida Statutes § 627.736. This coverage ensures that medical expenses incurred in an accident are covered up to the policy limit, regardless of who is at fault. While PIP coverage can cover significant medical expenses, policy caps and limitations can leave you with financial liabilities after your bike accident.
We are aware of the limitations of PIP and other insurance coverage. We will actively negotiate with the liable parties and their insurance carrier to obtain compensation for all your losses. Once we identify all liable parties and the compensation you are eligible to receive, we can request damages for the following:
- Hospital and doctor bills
- Lost wages and benefits
- Reduced earning capacity
- Emotional distress
- Severe physical pain and suffering
- Physical and intellectual disabilities
- Disfiguring marks or scars
- Ongoing medical care
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
If you lost a loved one in an Orlando bicycle accident, we could also help you seek wrongful death damages under Florida Statutes § 768.21. We understand that the loss of a loved one cannot be made right, but we hope financial compensation for funeral and burial expenses, lost support, and emotional anguish can help reduce the financial burden of your loss. Bicycle accidents are notorious for causing severe long-term health issues and chronic disability.
Do not let a bicycle accident leave you with high debt and physical suffering. Reach out to the compassionate bicycle accident attorneys at our firm. We want to get started on your case as soon as possible.
How Much Compensation Can I Get as an Injured Cyclist?
As a general rule, the more you have lost financially, physically, and emotionally due to the bike accident, the more you may be eligible to collect. To determine an exact amount, we will investigate all the circumstances of your accident and injuries with evidence from:
- Your medical history and records
- Bills and receipts
- Paystubs and tax information
- Witness statements
- Testimony from doctors and other experts
With this information, we can calculate how much you have already lost and estimate how much your bicycle accident injuries will likely cost you in the future. This way, you can seek compensation to cover all your expenses.
Certain injuries like traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries can increase your settlement amount because of the extensive medical care required. On the other hand, an injury like a broken bone doesn’t hold as much value because it has a lower amount of necessary medical treatment.
Statute of Limitations For an Orlando Bicycle Accident Lawsuit
When you seek compensation through a civil lawsuit, Florida limits the time you have to file suit. Per Florida Statutes § 95.11, you have four years from the bicycle crash date to commence legal action. However, this time frame may differ depending on the circumstances of your accident.
To avoid missing required Florida filing deadlines, speak with an Orlando bicycle accident lawyer immediately after the accident. We can provide you with a free case evaluation and advise you of the specific time limits that apply to your bicycle accident claim.
How We Pursue Bicycle Accident Compensation
Depending on your circumstances, there may be more than one way to seek damages after a bicycle accident. The fastest way is often negotiating with the insurance company for a pretrial settlement.
Insurance companies are financially interested in paying as little as possible for claims. They may use different tactics to reduce liability, such as shifting blame or offering a low settlement. Therefore, working with an attorney familiar with insurance negotiations for bicycle injury claims is best.
Negotiating With the Insurance Company
In past cases, we have recovered compensation for clients by going directly to the insurance company and asking them to offer a fair settlement. This process may proceed as follows:
- We notify the liable party’s insurance company that you want to file a lawsuit but are willing to negotiate for a settlement.
- The insurance company, wanting to avoid the trouble of a courtroom trial, may agree to meet with us and negotiate.
- We represent you at all meetings with the insurance adjuster to discuss your and the defendant’s insurance policies; you do not have to argue your case.
- If we can reach a fair deal, we will prepare the paperwork and explain the terms of the agreement to you before you sign.
Our goal is to obtain the maximum possible settlement value for your claim. In some cases, we cannot reach an agreement with the other party or their insurance company.
At that point, we may opt to take your case before a jury. While we cannot guarantee a particular outcome, you can rest assured that we will do everything we can to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
We May Have To Take Your Case to Trial
An out-of-court settlement is generally our preferred way of pursuing damages because it takes less of our client’s time than a trial. However, we do not hesitate to take a case to court if that is the best or only way. If your case does end up in court, we can handle all of the preparations and presentations, including:
- Scheduling when the trial will take place
- Submitting trial exhibits for the court’s consideration
- Helping to select jury members who will treat your case fairly and impartially
- Delivering opening and closing remarks designed to persuade the jury to award you fair compensation
- Questioning witnesses of both sides on the stand
- Protecting your rights throughout, including when or if the defense team does anything that would undermine your rights
Our team has experience pursuing compensation at the negotiating table and in a courtroom. We will aggressively pursue justice and compensation for your losses due to someone else’s negligence. No matter how complex your claim is, we will work closely with you to figure out the best way for your case.
We Are Here To Fight For Your Legal Rights
The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine are passionate about helping clients get back on their feet after a bicycle accident. Our Orlando, FL, bicycle accident lawyers take on those responsible for your damages so that you do not have to. Let our attorneys handle the legal footwork, so you can take the time you need to recover from your injuries.
Contact us today for a free case consultation with one of our team members.
We Can Help.
