Despite your best efforts to be as safe as possible while riding your bike, a negligent driver might still cause an accident. You can speak to our attorneys about taking legal action against the driver for damages.
After a bicycle accident, you should document the scene by taking photos and videos if you can. Your primary focus should be getting medical attention and speaking to law enforcement about the crash. When you are ready, contact an attorney to discuss filing a lawsuit. You might recover economic and non-economic damages related to your injuries and losses from the accident. One or multiple drivers might be liable. To prove your claims, we need evidence. Much evidence might be found at the accident scene, while other valuable evidence might come from witnesses and police reports.
Bike accidents can be debilitating, and many injured victims spend a long time recovering. Our Gulfport, MS bicycle accident lawyers can help you get compensation so you can support yourself during your recovery. For a free evaluation of your situation, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
What You Should Do After a Bicycle Accident in Gulfport, MS
Immediately after a bicycle accident, you should try to document the scene. Taking photos and recording videos is a great way to preserve evidence and details about the crash that might be lost when the police clear the scene. However, if you are badly injured and cannot take any photos, our Gulfport, MS bicycle accident attorneys can help you find other valuable evidence to use in your lawsuit.
Your biggest concern immediately after a crash is getting medical attention. If you can, call 911 right away and have an ambulance and the police dispatched to the accident scene. Even if you feel like you do not need medical attention, a doctor should still examine you as you might have unseen internal injuries.
Injured bike riders should speak to the police at the scene or after they receive emergency medical treatment. The police should compile a crash report about the accident, which we can use later to find evidence. If the driver fled the scene after the crash, you must speak to the police so they can track down the driver and possibly arrest them on criminal charges.
When ready, you should speak to an attorney about filing a lawsuit against the driver who hit you. Bike accidents can be severe, especially for bike riders. Our team can help you file a lawsuit to get fair compensation for your injuries and explore other possible legal options.
Recoverable Damages in Gulfport, MS Bicycle Accident Lawsuits
Many bike accident victims suffer severe physical injuries, including broken bones, lacerations, head injuries, brain damage, back injuries, and spinal cord injuries. They might also experience severe mental and emotional trauma like PTSD, depression, anxiety, and other psychological issues. Our Gulfport, MS bicycle accident lawyers can help you assess these damages.
Because injuries can be so severe, damages are sometimes very high. Economic damages, including medical bills, property damage, and lost income from missing work, might add to a very large sum. Generally, the greater a plaintiff’s injuries, the greater their overall economic losses might be.
Non-economic damages can also be significant, although they are more subjective and unique to the plaintiff’s experiences. The aforementioned emotional trauma may be claimed in addition to the physical pain endured by the plaintiff. We can also claim humiliation and damage to your reputation if they apply in your case.
In a full trial, all your damages are on the table, and compensation might cover the full extent of your damages. In a settlement, there is no trial, and the parties reach a compromise where the defendant agrees to pay for some damages in exchange for the plaintiff dropping the case. How much of your damages are covered in a settlement depends on how we negotiate.
People Who Might Be Liable for a Gulfport, MS Bicycle Accident
There might be numerous potentially liable defendants in a bicycle accident case. It is important to discuss how your accident occurred and who was involved so our Gulfport, MS bicycle accident lawyers can help you figure out which party should be held responsible.
If your accident only involved one other vehicle, it is very likely that the driver of that vehicle caused the crash and should be made to cover your damages. Identifying the driver might be easy if the driver remained at the scene, exchanged information with you, and spoke to the police. If the driver fled the scene in a hit and run, we might need to wait for a police investigation to reveal the driver’s identity.
Roads can be very busy places, and it is unfortunately common for more than one vehicle and driver to be involved in a bike accident. You might have been caught up in a rear-ending incident between two other vehicles, or perhaps one driver sideswiped you and a second driver hit you after you fell from your bike. If more than one driver contributed to the accident, you can sue all of them in a single lawsuit.
Where to Find Evidence for Your Bicycle Accident Lawsuit in Gulfport, MS
If you cannot take the photos and videos mentioned before, do not worry. Even without photos and videos, witnesses can help us piece together the details of the accident. People who saw the accident happen or have first-hand knowledge pertaining to the crash can testify in court. Witness testimony is often very powerful and persuasive to juries.
While police reports are often inadmissible as evidence because they are considered hearsay, they might contain information we can use to locate other admissible evidence. Alternatively, our Gulfport, MS bicycle accident attorneys can try to get the police report admitted into evidence under an exception to the rule against hearsay if one applies.
Speak to Our Gulfport, MS Bicycle Accident Attorneys About a Free Case Review
If you were hurt in a bike collision with a vehicle, our Gulfport, MS bicycle accident lawyers can help you sue the driver or drivers for damages. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 for a free evaluation of the case.
