Common Injuries in Bicycle Accidents

Experienced Fort Worth Attorney Representing Victims of Serious Crashes

Bicycle accidents are sometimes more devastating than car or truck accidents. Bicyclists face numerous risks that people safely ensconced inside a larger vehicle do not. Often, bicyclists have no buffer from a larger vehicle. If you suffer some of the common injuries in bicycle accidents, you should hire a Fort Worth bicycle accident lawyer to advocate for you. Bill Berenson advances each client’s interests with tenacity and compassion.

Types of Common Injuries in Bicycle Accidents

In Texas, bicycle riders have the same obligations and rights as people who drive motor vehicles. Often, motorists do not understand or respect this and may not share the road as required. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has found that most serious collisions between cars and bicyclists can be blamed on driver behavior, such as failing to yield at an intersection, distracted driving, pulling out without checking, backing up without looking, drunk driving, or sideswiping bicyclists.

When a bicyclist’s body hits the ground, certain injuries are common. These include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, wrist bone fractures, facial injuries, lacerations, neurological damage, and ruptured discs. Often, these injuries are catastrophic, meaning that they can have lifelong consequences. Some of the most common injuries involve head trauma. Although helmets reduce the risk of traumatic brain injuries, they do not offer complete protection at high speeds.

You may be able to recover damages in a lawsuit based on negligence. This means that your attorney will need to prove that the driver owed you a duty of reasonable care to handle their vehicle safely, they failed to act safely in the situation, and this caused the accident and your injuries. For example, if a driver of a larger vehicle runs a red light and hits you, resulting in disc injuries, broken bones, and internal organ damage, it is likely that you would be able to show that the driver breached the duty to use reasonable care. This is because a reasonable driver would obey traffic signals and other applicable laws.

Damages

Damages that may be available after a bicycle accident include both economic and noneconomic losses. They may include medical bills, therapy costs, lost wages, out-of-pocket costs, pain and suffering, mental anguish, scarring and disfigurement, and property damage. Economic damages are tangible and are usually clearly documented. Noneconomic damages are intangible and can vary significantly, depending on how well your attorney explores your losses and conveys the story of what happened to you and the losses that you suffered.

The damages that you may be able to recover in a lawsuit hinge on the extent of your injuries. For example, if you were going at a low speed when you were hit by a driver of a larger vehicle, who was also traveling at a low speed, you might not need any medical treatment beyond what you receive in the emergency room. You might be able to recover a few days’ pay plus the cost of the visit to the emergency room.

On the other hand, if you suffer catastrophic injuries, you may be able to recover significantly greater compensation. For example, if you are hit by a driver who was speeding through a stop sign, you might be thrown off your bike at a high velocity. You might suffer traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord damage, which can involve substantial medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. You also may be able to obtain damages for replacement services for items of loss like household services. If you need to have alterations made to your home to be able to get around, it may be possible to hold a negligent driver accountable for the cost of those alterations.

Consult a Knowledgeable Fort Worth Attorney to Understand Your Options

If you suffered any of the common injuries in bicycle accidents, you may be able to recover damages by bringing a personal injury lawsuit against the driver who was responsible. Attorney Bill Berenson provides strong legal representation to bicyclists in Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, Arlington, Addison, Irving, Richardson, San Antonio, Austin, Lubbock, Frisco, and other areas of Tarrant, Dallas, Harris, Bexar, Collin, Denton, Hood, Lubbock, Parker, and Travis Counties. Call us at 888-801-8585 or complete our online form.