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Bicyclists do not have much protection from the force of a passenger vehicle slamming into them, and it is not uncommon for these incidents to cause catastrophic injuries or fatalities. At Bonilla Law Firm, we are standing by to help when you need a skilled Austin bicycle accident attorney. Our team will conduct a complete investigation into your case so we can obtain any compensation you may be entitled to for your bicycle accident injuries. We will not back down from aggressive insurance carriers or at-fault parties as we work to ensure you are treated fairly.
Bike accident victims need to seek assistance from our skilled Austin bicycle accident attorneys to help with their case. An attorney will be able to provide the resources and legal expertise necessary to fully investigate the incident and determine liability. An Austin bicycle accident lawyer will get to work immediately in order to preserve evidence related to the case, including any video surveillance available, statements from eyewitnesses, and any physical evidence from the scene of the crash.
Additionally, a bicycle accident lawyer will work with trusted medical and economic professionals to help calculate a victim’s total expected losses to properly negotiate a fair settlement.
Many bicycle accidents occur because drivers simply fail to see cyclists sharing the road. Although bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as motorists under Texas law, drivers often overlook them when making turns, changing lanes, or pulling out of parking lots. Unfortunately, these moments of inattention can have devastating consequences.
Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in Austin include:
Not every bicycle accident is caused solely by another driver. Poorly maintained roadways, missing traffic signs, construction debris, and potholes can also create hazardous riding conditions. In some situations, multiple factors contribute to the collision, making a thorough investigation essential.
Austin has become one of the country’s more bicycle-friendly cities, with an expanding network of bike lanes and shared-use paths. However, increased bicycle traffic also means more interactions between cyclists and motorists. Every driver has a responsibility to remain alert and safely share the road.
Determining exactly what caused a bicycle accident is one of the first steps toward pursuing compensation. Our legal team works to identify every contributing factor and every potentially responsible party before negotiating with insurance companies.
When we turn to data available from the Texas Department of Transportation, we can see that there were a total of 2,761 crashes involving bicycles reported during the latest year across the State of Texas. Out of these incidents, there were 186 fatalities.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for victims in bicycle accidents to sustain severe injuries in these crashes. At the Bonilla Law Firm PLLC, our knowledgeable and experienced attorneys regularly help bicycle accident clients who have sustained the following:
Our attorneys also help bicycle accident victims who have sustained significant emotional and psychological trauma as a result of the crash and their subsequent injuries. While these injuries may not be as visible as the traumatic injuries listed above, they still dramatically affect a bicycle accident victim’s well-being.
While many bicycle accident claims involve negligent drivers, they are not the only parties who may be responsible. Depending on how the collision occurred, multiple individuals or entities may share liability for a cyclist’s injuries.
Potentially liable parties may include:
Identifying every liable party is important because it may increase the insurance coverage available to compensate an injured victim. For example, if a delivery driver causes a bicycle accident while making deliveries, the employer’s commercial insurance policy may also provide coverage.
Our attorneys conduct a detailed investigation into every bicycle accident case. We review police reports, interview witnesses, inspect the accident scene, analyze photographs and video footage, and consult with experts when necessary to determine exactly who should be held responsible.
The steps you take after a bicycle accident can affect both your health and your ability to recover compensation later. Even if you believe your injuries are relatively minor, it is important to protect yourself from the very beginning.
If possible, you should:
Some injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding, are not immediately obvious after a crash. Seeking prompt medical treatment not only protects your health but also creates important medical documentation connecting your injuries to the accident.
Insurance companies often begin investigating immediately after a collision. Having an attorney involved early can help preserve valuable evidence and protect you from making statements that could later be used against your claim.
Bicycle accident victims in Austin have a limited amount of time to file their injury claim in court. The Texas personal injury statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of injury. This gives bicycle accident victims a two-year window with which to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party, or they will lose the right to recover fair compensation for their injuries.
However, insurance carriers involved in these cases have reporting deadlines as well. Injury victims must report the incident to their insurance carriers shortly after the accident, or they risk having their claim delayed or denied.
Determining fault after a bicycle accident is not always as straightforward as it may seem. Insurance companies often conduct their own investigations and may attempt to shift some or all of the blame onto the cyclist.
To determine liability, investigators may review:
Texas follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means an injured bicyclist may still recover compensation if they were partially responsible for the accident, provided they are not more than 50 percent at fault. However, any compensation awarded is reduced by the injured person’s percentage of responsibility.
For example, if a bicyclist is found to be 20 percent responsible for a collision because they failed to use proper lighting at night, any compensation they recover would generally be reduced by 20 percent.
Insurance companies frequently argue that cyclists were riding outside designated bike lanes, failed to obey traffic signals, or were otherwise negligent. An experienced bicycle accident attorney can gather the evidence necessary to challenge those arguments and present a clear picture of how the collision actually occurred.
Building a strong case often begins immediately after the accident, while witnesses are available and physical evidence remains intact. A prompt investigation can make a significant difference when negotiating a settlement or presenting a case in court.
If you or somebody you care about has been injured in a bicycle accident caused by another driver’s negligence or careless actions of another driver, you may be entitled to various types of economic damages. At the Bonilla Law Firm PLLC, our team is regularly able to help clients recover the following:
When you need an Austin bicycle accident attorney or an Austin motorcycle accident lawyer, contact us at (512) 441-9411 or complete our online contact form. Our Austin bicycle accident injury lawyers offer free consultations to help answer any initial questions an injured victim might have. If you or a loved one has fallen and suffered injuries from a bicycle accident, our attorneys are here to help you and your family recover what was lost from the accident.
We also serve multiple locations in Austin, including:
Downtown | South Congress (SoCo) | Zilker | East Austin | Barton Hills | Travis Heights | Clarksville | Hyde Park | Tarrytown | Bouldin Creek | Mueller | Crestview | Allandale | Rosedale | Brentwood | Windsor Park | South Lamar | North Loop | Cherrywood | East Cesar Chavez | Old West Austin | Pemberton Heights | Steiner Ranch | Circle C Ranch | Barton Creek | Avery Ranch | Clarksville | Travis Country.