The aftermath of sustaining injuries in a bicycle crash can be a confusing and complex time. Are you dealing with considerable physical injuries or psychological trauma? Has the financial impact of your accident begun to take its toll?
If so, you may need the legal guidance and support of an experienced Duluth bicycle accident lawyer at Barrios & Virguez. Schedule your free consultation today. Learn more about what is next in the bicycle accident claims process for your case.
How a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Duluth Could Help You
Bicycle accidents in Duluth are often traumatic. It is more common than you might think for injury victims to find their entire lives turned upside down. When you have been through such a traumatizing event, having a dedicated Duluth bicycle accident attorney on your side could help in more ways than one.
While you focus on healing from your injuries, your attorney can work diligently on building a case against the liable party. Some of your Duluth bicycle accident lawyer’s most important responsibilities will include:
- Investigating the cause of your bicycle accident
- Gathering evidence to prove the liable party’s culpability
- Reviewing your damages to calculate the value of your bicycle accident insurance and civil claims
- Providing you with regular case status updates
- Being available to answer your questions and concerns as needed
- Drafting and filing your insurance claim with the liable party’s insurance company
- Negotiating with the insurer to obtain a fair and reasonable settlement
- Bringing your case to trial when your insurance settlement doesn’t cover your damages entirely
For a free legal consultation with a bicycle accidents lawyer serving Duluth, call 678-888-2222
Establishing Fault in a Duluth Bicycle Accident
One of your lawyer’s most important tasks will be establishing liability. One of the top ways bicycle accident victims in Duluth recover compensation for the damages is by proving that another party is liable for causing their injuries.
Bicycle accidents can occur in many ways. Here are some of the more common ways these accidents occur and the parties who may share liability respectively:
- Unsafe driving – Negligent driving can take many forms. Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, speeding, following too closely, driving while fatigued, and distracted driving or just a few examples.
- Dangerous roads – The parties responsible for road safety can be held accountable when potholes, missing street signs, unsecured road construction zones, and poor street planning cause bicycle accidents. Government agencies, government officials, municipalities, safety inspectors, contractors and subcontractors, and other third parties could share fault.
- Drunk driving – It goes without saying that the drunk driver should be held accountable when they cause a bicycle accident. However, if a local dram shop oversold or over-served alcohol to the driver when they were already intoxicated, this establishment could also be responsible for compensating you.
- Defective parts – Vehicle and bicycle parts can become worn out and run down. However, when they are defective or malfunction, negligence has occurred. Motor vehicle and bike dealerships and retailers, parts manufacturers, designers, producers, and distributors, safety inspectors, and other third parties could be at fault if your bicycle accident was caused by defective parts.
Duluth Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 678-888-2222
Bicycle Accident Claim Statute of Limitations
The statute of limitations for bicycle accident claims under O.C.G.A. §9-3-33 only allows for a maximum of two years to pass before expiring. That leaves little time for you to get your bicycle accident claim filed.
Two years may seem like plenty of time to pursue your case. However, when your Duluth bicycle accident attorney needs to open up an investigation, gather evidence, higher experts, deal with the insurance company, and build a powerful case against the liable party, two years can fly by sooner than you might have thought.
If you hope to avoid having your case barred from the Augusta civil court system, make sure you have an experienced bicycle accident attorney working on your case as soon as possible.
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What Are Your Bicycle Accident Damages Worth?
After being involved in a bicycle accident, your entire life may be affected. We are not only talking about the financial strain that comes with a serious and debilitating injury but also the ways your life has been affected as well. You have the right to be made whole. This means you should be compensated for every way your life has been impacted by your injuries.
Collectively, these damages are known as compensatory damages. Here are some of the more frequently awarded types of compensatory damages in bicycle accident claims:
Medical Expenses
Your bicycle accident injuries will likely result in considerable medical expenses. Even a minor injury can cause thousands of dollars of damages.
Fortunately, every single medical expense relating to your bicycle accident injuries can be recovered in your insurance and civil claims. Some of the more common healthcare costs you could seek in your claim include:
- Co-pays
- Transportation costs
- Therapy fees
- Costs of mental health counseling
- Prescription medication fees
- Costs of medical equipment
- Hospital bills
- Ambulance fees
- The cost of your future medical care
Wages and Earning Capacity
Bicycle accident victims will often need to take time off work to recuperate. In the worst cases, bicycle accident victims have reported the inability to go back to work or earn a living. When you suffer lost wages and a diminished earning capacity, you should be compensated accordingly.
Not only can you be repaid for your loss of income, but you can also seek compensation for the lack of contributions to your retirement savings accounts, loss of salary increases and bonuses, and the loss of other types of future potential earnings.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are not monetary and have no financial value. To be compensated for them, your lawyer will need to quantify each loss accordingly. They describe the ways your life has been affected by your bicycle accident injuries. Some examples include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Dismemberment
- Mental anguish
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
- Reputational damage
- Loss of enjoyment of life
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Get Help from a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Duluth
Working with a bicycle accident attorney may be more cost-effective than you thought. Do not let cost stop you from getting help. Our Duluth bicycle accident lawyers work on contingency, absorbing the risk of pursuing your case.
Find out if you have grounds for an insurance or civil claim when you contact Barrios & Virguez for a no-cost, risk-free consultation. You can reach us by phone or through our quick contact form to get started on your case as soon as today.
Call or text 678-888-2222 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form