Even when bike riders obey all the traffic laws and try to stay safe, negligent drivers still cause serious accidents. An attorney can help you pursue a lawsuit against the driver to get compensation.
Drivers are required to share the road with bike riders but often fail to do so out of indifference. When drivers are not looking out for bike riders, distractions create a more serious risk of injuries. Dooring accidents are also possible in bike lanes that run alongside parking lanes. You must have strong evidence to prove your claims and be awarded damages. Possible evidence might include photos, witnesses, and physical evidence from the accident scene. Your damages should include the economic and non-economic injuries and losses you experienced, and they must be calculated carefully to maximize compensation. Our attorneys can help you find the evidence you need, assess damages, and develop effective case strategies.
Bike riders deserve courtesy and respect from drivers in cars, and accidents should not be tolerated. Our Alabama bicycle accident lawyers can help hold negligent drivers accountable. Call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357 to get a free case assessment.
How Bicycle Accidents Can Happen in Alabama
One of the biggest reasons for bike accidents in Alabama is the indifference of drivers to bike riders. Traffic laws require drivers to share the road with bike riders and show them the same courtesy and respect they must show other drivers. However, many drivers fail to do so. When drivers pass by bike riders, they often do not bother to give the bike rider space. Drivers more often expect bike riders to yield the road to them instead. Our Alabama bicycle accident lawyers can help you hold indifferent drivers responsible for the harm they have caused.
Distracted driving is another significant cause of bike accidents. Distractions behind the wheel are increasingly becoming more and more prevalent, especially as the use of cell phones has pervaded our daily lives. When a driver is looking at their phone or reaching for something in their backseat, they are not looking at the road and might hit a bike rider.
Drivers in moving vehicles are not the only people who cause bike accidents. Many drivers cause accidents after they have parked their vehicles in parking lanes that run alongside bike lanes. Dooring accidents can happen when drivers swing their car doors open without checking if a bike rider is approaching. Often, the bike rider slams into the door because they cannot stop in time and suffer serious injuries.
Evidence You Need to Prove Liability in an Alabama Bicycle Accident Lawsuit
Lawsuits turn on evidence. The more evidence you have in your favor, the more likely you will win your case and get compensation for your damages. Evidence might come from almost anywhere, and many plaintiffs are unsure where to begin. Our Alabama bicycle accident attorneys have experience identifying and collecting evidence and can help you find what you need.
Taking photos is very common in accident cases, as many injured victims need the photos for insurance purposes. These photos can also be used as evidence of the accident in a personal injury lawsuit. Taking pictures helps preserve important details about the accident that might be in dispute at your trial. For example, the defendant might try to claim they were not at the accident, and we have the wrong person, but the photos clearly show the defendant and their car at the accident scene.
Multiple people often witness bike accidents, especially when accidents happen on busy roads with many other drivers, bikers, and pedestrians. Witnesses can provide testimony about any first-hand knowledge they have that pertains to the case. Eyewitnesses can testify about seeing the accident as it happened, although not all witnesses are eyewitnesses. For example, suppose we suspect the defendant was intoxicated during the accident. In that case, a person who saw them drinking before getting into their car and driving away may be called as a witness.
We should also consider having your bike introduced as evidence. Bicycles are often badly damaged after an accident with a vehicle. Your damaged bike might become important if the defendant tries to downplay the accident’s severity. A mangled bicycle can be very powerful evidence for a jury looking for some indication of just how bad things were.
Damages You Can Recover in a Bike Accident Lawsuit in Alabama
Damages are the losses and injuries sustained by a plaintiff. They might represent large sums of money lost because of the crash or painful experiences that are not necessarily connected to a predetermined value. Damages are sometimes hard to calculate, especially if you have a lot of bills or losses from the accident. Our Alabama bicycle accident lawyers have experience dealing with damages and can help you make sure nothing is overlooked.
Economic damages are connected to money. If your injuries cost you money, they may be counted among your economic damages. Perhaps the most significant economic damages include hefty medical bills. Bike riders hit by cars often sustain serious injuries and require extensive medical treatment. As such, they tend to have very high medical bills. You can also claim the value of your damaged bicycle, lost income if you cannot return to work, and other similar economic losses.
Non-economic damages are a bit more challenging to evaluate because they are not necessarily connected to money or an explicit value. Instead, non-economic damages are related to painful experiences. For example, mental and physical pain and suffering, humiliation, and damage to your reputation might be claimed as part of non-economic damages. The value of these damages is often based on how they impact your life. The greater the impact, the more valuable the damages.
Call Our Alabama Bicycle Accident Attorneys for Help Now
Riding a bike should not have to be a life-or-death decision, and negligent drivers must be held accountable for the harm they cause. Our Alabama bicycle accident attorneys can help you file a lawsuit to get compensation and justice for the pain you have endured. For a free case review, call Howe Law at (844) 876-4357.
