Bicycle accidents can be extremely dangerous, causing life-altering injuries to Nashville victims. If you were recently injured in a bike accident in Nashville, turn to an experienced lawyer to help you get the compensation you deserve.
Immediately after a bicycle accident in Nashville, there are several things victims should do. First, alert emergency services to get the necessary care. Next, call an attorney. Your Nashville lawyer can immediately begin investigating an accident and building a case against a negligent driver. Using police reports, medical records, photographs, eyewitness statements, and other evidence, your attorney can prove a negligent driver’s fault in a Nashville compensation claim. Once a lawsuit is successful, Nashville bike accident victims can recover the economic and non-economic damages they need to heal from their injuries.
Our lawyers are dedicated to helping bike accident victims throughout Nashville hold negligent drivers accountable. For a free case evaluation with the Nashville bicycle accident attorneys at Howe Law, call today at (844) 876-4357.
Calls to Make After a Nashville Bicycle Accident
After a bicycle accident in Nashville, there are certain parties victims should inform right away. First, call emergency services. That includes Nashville police officers and medical professionals. Then, place a call to an experienced Nashville bicycle accident attorney. Your lawyer can immediately begin investigating your accident and inform you of your options for compensation in Nashville.
Emergency Services
Immediately after a bicycle accident, Nashville victims should call emergency services. Since bikes offer very little protection to riders, accidents involving passenger cars or other vehicles often result in serious injuries to victims. That is why it is vital to call Nashville police officers after a crash. Once they arrive, law enforcement officials can create a police report detailing an accident’s events and a victim’s injuries. This report can contain crucial information regarding a negligent driver’s actions, which is why calling the police after a bicycle accident is essential.
While police officers complete a crash report, you can get the medical care you need from emergency medical services. Calling an ambulance and going to the hospital after a Nashville bicycle accident is crucial. Since victims often sustain severe injuries that require compensation, it is important to document damages immediately. These medical records can be helpful evidence in a future compensation claim against a negligent driver.
An Attorney
Once you get the care you need after a Nashville bike accident, call a lawyer. An experienced Nashville bicycle accident attorney can begin investigating your crash and gathering evidence right away. Your attorney can also explain the various paths to compensation available to you as a bike accident victim. Acting quickly is important as Nashville bike accident victims have just one year to file a lawsuit against a negligent driver.
Tennessee is a fault state for car accidents, meaning victims can choose to file a lawsuit against a negligent driver or file a claim with an at-fault party’s liability insurance. Navigating insurance claims can be stressful and less fruitful than Nashville victims may hope. Generally, an experienced attorney will advise victims to file a lawsuit to recover total compensation for all losses incurred because of a negligent driver’s actions.
Proving Fault in a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit in Nashville
Contrary to what some victims might believe, proving fault in a Nashville bicycle accident lawsuit is no easy task. Although it may seem obvious that a passenger car driver would be at-fault, not a bicyclist, common sense does not cut it. Instead, your Nashville bicycle accident lawyer must prove a negligent driver’s fault in a lawsuit.
Once you have identified that at-fault party in a recent bicycle accident, it is time to start compiling evidence. Using the police report created by Nashville law enforcement officials, your attorney can begin piecing together an accident’s events. Security camera footage, photographs, eyewitness testimony, and medical records can be invaluable evidence against a defendant in a Nashville bike accident lawsuit.
Proving that a negligent driver caused a crash and not a plaintiff is essential. Tennessee is a modified comparative negligence state, which can pose challenges for victims during a lawsuit. If victims share fault for their injuries, they can see their damages reduced proportion to their liability. This often impacts bicyclists who did not wear a helmet when required and sustained a head injury during a bike accident. Tennessee’s comparative negligence laws can also impact victims in other ways, making it difficult for them to recover sufficient compensation. To learn how comparative negligence can impact your case, and prevent that from happening, enlist an experienced Nashville bicycle accident attorney to represent you.
Compensation for Nashville Bicycle Accident Victims
In Nashville, bicycle accident injuries range from broken bones to traumatic brain injuries. Because these injuries are often so severe, victims stand to recover significant compensation in a lawsuit against a negligent driver. Damages are never guaranteed, so it is important to have a skilled lawyer in your corner.
The first and most basic type of compensation Nashville bike accident victims can recover is for financial losses. Victims often require expensive medical treatment after a collision. Serious injuries can prevent victims from returning to work, resulting in overwhelming lost wages. Economic damages can compensate victims for those financial losses and any other out-of-pocket expenses caused by a negligent driver.
Of course, victims’ losses are not just limited to their finances. Nashville bicycle accident victims can experience serious emotional difficulties in the aftermath of a crash. Certain injuries can reduce a victim’s quality of life, and the trauma from a bike accident can cause anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Because of this, victims can recover non-economic damages when they file a Nashville bike accident lawsuit. For most cases, non-economic damages are capped at $750,000 in Tennessee. One major exception to this is if a victim sustains a catastrophic injury. In that case, non-economic damages are capped at one million dollars. To learn whether or not your injuries qualify you for greater non-economic damages, speak to a Nashville bicycle accident attorney today.
Call Our Nashville Bicycle Accident Attorneys Today
If you were recently injured in a bicycle accident, our lawyers can help. For a free case evaluation with the Nashville bicycle accident attorneys at Howe Law, call today at (844) 876-4357.
