Bicycle accidents are often serious and sometimes fatal for the bicyclist because a bicycle provides limited or no protection from the force or impact of a crash. If you or someone you love has been hurt in a bicycle accident, you need to understand your rights.
A Longmont personal injury lawyer from Hadfield Stieben & Doutt, LLC is here to help. We have a long history of fighting for bike riders who have suffered harm, and we’ll put our knowledge of the law to work for you. Give us a call or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation with a Longmont bicycle accident lawyer to learn more.
What Are Your Rights After a Bicycle Accident in Colorado?
According to Colorado Revised Statute § 42-4-1412, “a person riding a bicycle, electric-assisted bicycle, or electric scooter has all of the rights and duties applicable to the driver of any other vehicle.”
This means bicycle riders have a right to be treated safely on the roads. Unfortunately, sometimes drivers fail to exercise reasonable care, which can lead to devastating accidents that cause permanent or fatal injuries to bicyclists.
If you or someone you love has been harmed or wrongfully killed in Longmont, you have the right to pursue a claim for compensation for losses, including payment for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-80-101, there is a two-year statute of limitations for most personal injury claims and a three-year statute of limitations for auto and car accident claims under Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-80-102. You should act quickly in taking legal action to avoid having your claim time-barred.
How Can a Longmont Bicycle Accident Lawyer Help You?
A Longmont bicycle accident lawyer at Hadfield Stieben & Doutt, LLC can help you pursue a claim for damages after a bike crash.
While Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-21-111 establishes comparative fault rules and allows you to recover compensation even if you share the blame for the accident — as long as the other driver bears the majority of the responsibility — you will still have to prove the other driver was negligent or careless.
Our team can help you to make a strong case by:
- Gathering evidence from the scene of the bicycle accident
- Interviewing witnesses
- Obtaining camera footage from nearby security cameras or doorbell cameras
- Obtaining police reports from the crash investigation
- Obtaining cell phone records if distraction was an issue
- Obtaining records from trucking companies showing truck maintenance and driver hours on duty if a commercial vehicle was involved and resulted in a Longmont truck accident
- Getting a copy of toxicology reports if drunk driving was an issue
- Finding experts who can testify on your behalf about how the crash happened
- Helping you keep a pain diary to prove the extent of your pain
- Getting copies of medical records to prove your injuries are crash-related and to demonstrate the severity of your injuries
These are just some of the many different ways our firm will work to help you prove the driver who hit you was to blame. We can also negotiate with the driver’s insurer on your behalf to maximize your chances of a fair settlement, or we can go to court and bring our extensive litigation experience to your case.
Contact Hadfield Stieben & Doutt, LLC Today
If you’re ready to be represented by a Longmont bicycle accident lawyer with a long history of successful claims, our firm is here and prepared to fight for you. Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation and find out about the services we can offer as you pursue justice.