Have you been injured in a bicycle accident and have questions? Check out these 4 bicycle accident facts, then give our Stillwater office a call for a free consultation.
1. Differences Between Bicycle Accident Claims & Car Accident Claims
You may be wondering, what are the differences between a bicycle injury case and a car wreck case? There are not a lot of differences; you have the same damages, but more often than not, if you were on a bicycle, you have no protection for your body. If a car hits you, it hits your body directly, or you fly over their car because you don’t have a seat belt on a bike. The damages are more serious if you’re in a bicycle wreck. As a result, you’re going to need to hire a lawyer sooner than later. Get to an attorney as soon as you can. Do your research. Find someone you feel comfortable with. Find someone that will investigate the case, get you to the right medical provider, and be there for you to answer all your questions. Don’t hire someone who’s going to hand it off to a young associate who’s never handled a claim before.
2. Mistakes to Avoid After a Bicycle Accident
The mistakes that I have seen my past clients who are involved in bicycle injury cases make are pretty avoidable. The first one is they don’t seek medical treatment early enough or if they do seek it, they don’t follow the recommendation of the doctor. What that means is they have less chance of getting symptom-free in a timely fashion, or it makes the insurance company believe they weren’t really hurt that badly or else they would’ve done what the doctor told them to do. We don’t know as much as a doctor knows about our health, so it’s important we follow their advice. The second thing is you need to hire a lawyer that has experience in these types of cases for a couple of reasons. First, they take the responsibility of dealing with the insurance company completely. You don’t have to worry about it. You don’t have to worry about missing the adjuster’s phone call because you’re working, in class, or out with your family; that’s what the lawyers do. They make sure that you know everything you need to know about your case, there’s no surprises. They prepare you for everything.
Take the guesswork out of it. Make an informed decision by having good information. You have good information when you have a lawyer who takes care of your case for you and does a good job of investigating it.
3. Choosing a Bicycle Accident Attorney
If you’re involved in a bicycle wreck, you need to hire a lawyer as soon as you can. The question is, how does one select a competent attorney or lawyer for their bicycle case? You need to find an attorney that has experience in this area. You need to search for that type of person. You need to find an attorney who will get you to the medical care provider you need to become healthy and will get you to a specialist if you need to. You need to find an attorney that will fight for you. You need to find an attorney that understands your situation and how difficult it is to be injured and still try to maintain your lifestyle. I think the most critical thing you have to do is find the lawyer you feel comfortable with. Find the lawyer that understands you, and that you feel confident with. You don’t want a lawyer who will take your case and refer it to a young associate and you never see the lawyer you felt safe with again.
4. Available Recoverable Damages
If you’re injured in a bicycle injury case, your injuries and the damages you receive are as follows:
• past and future medical bills
• past and future pain and suffering
• compensation for any permanent disability or permanent impairment you may have.
If you cannot do the same things you did before, or enjoy your hobbies, or enjoy your family, you can receive compensation for those. You can receive lost wages if you’re unable to work for a period of time or if you have to take time off to go to the doctor. What I would suggest to you is to get to a lawyer as soon as you can, and hire one that can give you all the information you need to make a good decision. A lot of times, people try to settle their cases quickly without knowing all the things they’re able to recover for.
Were you or a loved one seriously injured while out on a bike ride and have questions about our 4 bicycle accident facts? Contact a Stillwater bicycle accident lawyer at Murray Law Firm today for a free confidential consultation and case evaluation. Let our experience work for you.
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