Table of Contents
- Why Do I Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
- Bicycle Accidents Caused by Negligent Motorists
- Cycling Accidents Caused by Dangerous Conditions
- What Types of Injuries Result from Bicycle Accidents?
- What Is the Colorado Bicycle Safety Act?
- Who Is Liable in a Bike Accident in Colorado?
- Contact Us Today
Why Do I Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
As a cyclist, you may think you have an open and shut case if you’ve been the victim of an auto accident. However, an experienced bicycle injury attorney can dramatically increase your chances of obtaining the compensation you deserve. All motor vehicles owe a duty of care to other vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians sharing the road.
Accidents involving bicyclists can involve high claim amounts because bikers are more likely to have higher medical bills, and longer periods of recovery and time off work to recuperate. Even so, insurance companies often employ tactics to avoid paying out claims. When they do pay, they try to settle for as little as possible. Having a personal injury lawyer near Fort Collins represent you helps you obtain full and fair compensation for your injuries, pain, and suffering.
Bicycle Accidents Caused by Negligent Motorists
Motor vehicle accidents between bicyclists and motor vehicles often occur because the driver of the car does not see the cyclist. This tends to happen even if the cyclist is riding legally on the street, sidewalk, or in the bike lane. Some examples of negligent vehicle operation leading to bicycle injuries include:
- The negligent crossing of the vehicle through a bike lane
- Distracted driving
- Failure to see a cyclist crossing the intersection
- Failure to see a cyclist riding on the sidewalk
- Failure to see a cyclist in the bike lane while opening a car door
Cycling Accidents Caused by Dangerous Conditions
If you are injured on your bicycle on someone else’s property, you may have a claim against a landowner. Landowners often fail to maintain roadways and parking lots. Common types of surface hazards include:
- Potholes
- Poor signage
- Failure to remove ice or snow
- Blind corners
- Unmarked hazards or drop-offs
- Poor design of a road or parking lot
What Types of Injuries Result from Bicycle Accidents?
Bicycle accidents can cause serious injuries, even if riders are wearing a helmet. Some common types of injuries resulting from bicycle accidents include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries:Â A serious bicycle accident can result in traumatic brain injuries, with symptoms that may include headaches, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, disrupted sleep patterns, depression, and more. Seek medical attention right away if you experience any of these symptoms after a bike accident.
- Spinal Cord Injuries: Spinal cord injuries occur as a result of trauma to the vertebrae. Spinal cord injury symptoms may include extreme back pain, pressure in the back, neck, or head, weakness, incoordination or paralysis, numbness, loss of bladder or bowel control, or more.
- Broken Bones:Â Broken bones commonly occur from a bicycle accident. These injuries may require medical hardware to be installed to heal the bone.
- Rotator Cuff Injuries: It’s not uncommon for cyclists to experience a torn rotator cuff after an accident due to flying over the handlebars and landing on their arm or shoulder.
What Is the Colorado Bicycle Safety Act?
The Colorado Bicycle Safety Act took effect in August 2009. The Act was constructed to help clarify the relationship between cyclists and motorists on Colorado roadways. The Act includes the responsibilities of both parties, which are:
- Motorists must allow at least three feet of space when they pass a bicyclist
- Bicyclists who are riding side by side should move into a single-file formation when motorists approach
- Bicyclists are permitted to ride as far right in the right-hand lane as possible
- Motorists shall not threaten, crowd, swerve, or throw things at bicyclists
Who Is Liable in a Bike Accident in Fort Collins, Colorado?
Colorado bicycle accidents can be just as complicated as motorcycle accidents. Determining liability often requires a motorcycle accident attorney near Fort Collins by your side. The Colorado tort system states that an injured bicyclist may file a claim for damages against an at-fault driver’s insurance company if a variety of conditions are met. As an injured bicyclist, you may file if the driver owed you a duty of care, violated their duty of care, and committed negligence, their negligence proximately caused your injuries, and you suffered harm as a result. Our bicycle accident lawyers can help you navigate through these complex matters.
Should I Use My Medical Payments Coverage (Med-Pay)?
Clients are often hesitant to submit medical expenses under their Med-Pay policy. Some fear that if they submit the medical bills, then the insurance company will increase their rates or decline to renew their insurance policy. Thankfully, the Colorado Division of Insurance forbids insurance companies from penalizing injured people who use Med-Pay. This includes raising their insurance rates or refusing to renew a policy because an injured person submitted medical bills to Med-Pay.
What is Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage?
Uninsured or Underinsured Motorist Coverage, also called UM/UIM Coverage, is insurance coverage that you purchase to protect yourself from being in an accident with someone who has no insurance or only very little insurance. UM / UIM Coverage is especially important in Colorado, where some liability policies only total $25,000, and there are many uninsured motorists. UM / UIM coverage must be offered to purchasers of liability insurance. The amount of UM / UIM coverage can range from $25,000 to over $300,000.
UM / UIM typically works as follows. If a motorist with only $25,000 in insurance coverage causes you $50,000 in medical expenses, then you would first collect the $25,000 from the at-fault motorist. Once those funds were collected, you would then submit a claim under your UM / UIM coverage for the rest of your damages.
Our Attorneys Fight for Bicyclists’ Rights in Fort Collins
If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident, you may have several ways to obtain compensation. If you were injured due to the negligence of a motor vehicle driver, you might have claims against their insurance as well as your own uninsured or underinsured motor vehicle insurance. In some cases, homeowners’ policies or general liability policies can apply to your claim as well.
The accomplished injury attorneys at Hadfield Stieben Doutt serve injured bicyclists and their loved ones in Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. We produce results, and you don’t owe us any legal fees unless we recover money for you. Contact us today to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.