Bike riding is a great alternative to vehicle transportation, and many bike riders rely on their bikes to get around town. Unfortunately, vehicle drivers often disregard bicycles on the road and cause major collisions.
After a bicycle accident, you can sue the driver who hit you for compensation. In many cases, several drivers are involved in the accident, and injured bike riders can name one or multiple defendants in their lawsuits. Common causes of bike crashes might include a disregard for bike riders, dooring accidents, and speeding. Evidence for your case can be found in many places, depending on the details of your case. Photos and videos from the accident scene, witnesses, and your medical records should all be considered when searching for evidence. Damages are also unique to each case and might cover economic and non-economic losses.
You might be severely injured after a bike crash, and our Clarksville, TN bicycle accident attorneys can help you take legal action for compensation while you focus on recovering. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 to schedule a free case evaluation.
Liability for Bicycle Accidents in Clarksville, TN
Liability for bike accidents is often attributable to negligent drivers in vehicles. In many cases, drivers do not watch out for bike riders because they do not consider bikes valid vehicles worthy of sharing the road. In reality, drivers might be liable for serious collisions with bike riders and made to pay for the injured rider’s costly damages.
Multiple drivers are commonly involved in bike accidents, and each driver who contributed to the crash can be held liable for the injured bike rider’s damages. Proving each driver was negligent and should be held liable can be challenging, and we might need much more evidence to prove your claims.
If the driver involved in your accident was on the job, we might be able to sue their employer. The legal doctrine of respondeat superior allows us to hold employers vicariously liable for an employee’s negligent behavior even though the employer was not directly involved in your accident. For example, if a delivery driver on the job hits you, our Clarksville, TN bicycle accident attorneys can sue the driver and the delivery company that hired them.
Possible Causes of Bicycle Accident in Clarksville, TN
Although bikes are common on many roads and streets in Tennessee, drivers in vehicles still tend to disregard them and cause accidents. Our Clarksville, TN bicycle accident lawyers can help you hold these negligent drivers responsible for the harm and pain they caused you.
Unfortunately, there exists a dangerous disregard for bike riders. Drivers often do not view bikes as real vehicles, even though traffic laws require drivers to share the road with bike riders. As such, drivers sometimes ignore bike riders and only notice them after they strike them or cause an accident.
Another significant concern among bike riders is dooring accidents. Dooring accidents occur when people in vehicles open their car doors without checking for oncoming bike riders. If the door is opened quickly, and the bike rider is very close, they might not have time to stop, and they could crash into the door. These kinds of accidents often happen near parking lanes.
Speeding is a huge problem for several reasons. First, speeding makes it much harder for drivers to stop safely before striking a bike rider. Second, even if speeding is not the direct cause, it can make the accident and the bike rider’s injuries far more serious. Speeding drivers are a huge risk for bike riders, and many bike riders experience long-term injuries because of speeding drivers.
Finding Evidence for Your Clarksville, TN Bicycle Accident Lawsuit
Evidence is crucial to the success of your lawsuit, and our Clarksville, TN bicycle accident lawyers can help you find strong evidence to back up your claims. Much evidence might come directly from the area where the accident happened. For example, photos and videos recorded of the accident scene immediately after it happened can be incredibly useful. Often, these photos and videos are the only evidence of the accident scene, as they are usually quickly cleaned up by law enforcement.
People who saw the bike crash happen or have other firsthand knowledge relevant to the case can testify in court as witnesses. Witness testimony can be very persuasive to a jury as it often reinforces your claims that the defendant’s negligence caused the accident. The more witnesses that testify in your favor, the stronger your case.
We should also try to obtain copies of your medical records to provide evidence of your injuries to the court. Often, injured bike riders are somewhat recovered by the time the court date arrives, and juries cannot see how badly injured you were. Your medical records, and possibly a medical expert, can help us explain just how badly you were hurt.
Damages Available in Clarksville, TN Bicycle Accident Cases
The damages in your case are difficult to assess without the unique details and information surrounding your accident. Additionally, the compensation you might be awarded varies depending on whether you pursue a full trial or agree to a settlement. Often, the compensation available through a trial is greater, but trials are unpredictable. If you lose your case, you walk away with nothing.
A settlement is a bit less risky and helps many plaintiffs get compensation without a long trial. Unfortunately, settlements tend to involve somewhat less compensation as they result from compromises between the parties. However, strong evidence in your favor might give you the necessary leverage to get most, if not all, of your damages, covered.
Economic damages are tied to money and financial expenses. Medical bills, the value of damaged property, and lost wages due to missing work are common examples of economic damages. Non-economic damages are more amorphous and subjective. They encompass personal experiences like physical pain, mental suffering, humiliation, and more. Our Clarksville, TN bicycle accident lawyers can help you maximize compensation and hopefully get all your damages paid for.
Speak to Our Clarksville, TN Bicycle Accident Attorneys for Help
Bicycle accidents are often extremely dangerous for bike riders, while the negligent drivers who cause these accidents are physically unscathed. Our Clarksville, TN bicycle accident lawyers can help secure justice and compensation. For a free review of your case, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
