Reports | April 2, 2025 | Personal Injury

Yes, you can claim compensation for a bicycle accident. In fact, if you suffered an injury in a bike accident, you absolutely should claim compensation. Otherwise, you may pay out of your pocket for medical costs and other damages—and that would be downright unfair.

When someone hits a bicyclist or causes them to crash while evading a crash, that person should pay. At the very least, the at-fault party’s insurance company should cover your accident-related losses. One way or another, an injured cyclist must ensure their bills and non-economic damages are covered—and not by them.

Let a Gainesville bicycle accident lawyer deal with challenges arising during your case. Contact Bagen Law Today.

 

The First Step in Claiming Compensation for a Bike Accident: Hire a Lawyer

Life gets chaotic the moment you’re in a bike accident. If you try to handle your own insurance claim or lawsuit, life will not get much calmer anytime soon. That’s one of the many reasons to let a bicycle accident attorney lead your case.

Choose to let an attorney represent you after the bicycle accident because:

You Deserve an Advocate

Every injured cyclist deserves someone to fight for them because insurance companies may fight against you. An attorney will:

  • Explain your rights
  • Stand up for your rights
  • Insist that liable insurance companies handle your claim in good faith
  • Neutralize the bad-faith tactics insurers are known for
  • Fight for your financial recovery, whether in settlement negotiations or at trial

Everyone deserves somebody who has their back, cares for them, and is willing to fight tirelessly for their best interests. That’s what a bicycle accident attorney will be for you.

The Insurance Companies May Be Circling

Insurance companies do not always handle bike accident claims in the manner they should. Rather than evaluating your losses accurately and offering the compensation you deserve, one or more insurance companies may:

  • Offer you a lowball settlement offer before you’ve hired a lawyer
  • Pressure you to accept the lowball offer
  • Claim that you’re not entitled to compensation at all
  • Force you to appeal a claim denial
  • Contest your financial demands

These are just some of the bad-faith tactics attorneys regularly see from insurance companies. Let a lawyer deal with these and any other challenges arising during your case—you should be focused on recovery, not liable parties’ attempts to underpay you.

Your Case Will Require More Work Than You May Realize

Some bicycle accident survivors think that the claims process is relatively straightforward. They think that if they present documentation of their accident-related damages, they will get paid the compensation they deserve. Matters are rarely so easy.

You can be certain that your case will require:

  • An effective strategy
  • Physical work
  • Intellectual and cognitive work
  • A thick skin
  • High-stakes negotiations
  • Financial resources

Bicycle accident lawyers and their firms are uniquely equipped to provide everything your case will require. In addition to their effort, intellectual might, and financial resources, your lawyer will bring the priceless benefit of their experience.

You Can’t Afford to Jeopardize Your Health

Bike riders hit by motor vehicles are often in immense physical pain, grappling with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and teetering on the edge of even more catastrophic health complications.

Protect yourself from further stress, which you don’t need to face. Allow a lawyer to handle your bicycle accident case—including the unpleasant aspects these cases inevitably come with—while you make your health the most important thing.

Accepting a lawyer’s help is the bravest move you can make after an accident. Choose to trust someone more experienced than you. Your health and your financial security demand that you let a bicycle accident lawyer fight for the compensation you deserve.

Let Your Lawyer Get the Money You Deserve. You Just Follow These Simple Steps.

You did nothing to cause the bicycle accident that left you injured. You shouldn’t have to deal with any insurance claims or lawsuits resulting from that accident. Let an attorney be the lifeline you deserve. While they manage every detail of your case, all you will have to do is:

You should do your due diligence to find a bicycle accident lawyer that:

  • Has years of relevant experience
  • Has positive reviews from former clients
  • Lists bicycle accidents among their practice areas
  • Impresses you as you research their background
  • Leaves a positive impression during your consultation

If your lawyer meets these criteria, you have every reason to trust them. Once you have retained them to lead your case, follow their advice.

Be Available for Your Lawyer

Your lawyer will be working hard on your case. They can handle virtually everything your case requires—but they will occasionally need to reach you to:

  • Update you about how the case is going
  • Inform you of settlement offers
  • Advise you
  • Get your feedback
  • Have you take certain actions (like describing your pain and suffering or giving a statement about the accident)

A communicative lawyer is an attorney who cares. While your lawyer will want you to be focused on your recovery, they will also need to communicate. All you have to be is available.

Refer Insurance Representatives to Your Attorney

Insurance companies should know to contact your lawyer. That being said, if any insurance representatives contact you for any reason, simply refer them to your lawyer.

Statements you give to insurers can be used against you, so do not say much beyond “call my attorney.”

Trust Your Medical Providers 

Just as you should be confident in your attorney, you should trust in your doctors. Medical providers will play several critical roles in your case and your recovery. It’s important to follow their advice because:

  • Their goal will be for you to get better, and their advice will be aimed toward that goal
  • Liable parties may accuse you of exaggerating your injuries or failing to recover as quickly as you should—if you’re following your treatment plan, these accusations will ring hollow
  • Your attorney may need for you to reach a state of maximum medical improvement (MMI) before they can secure a settlement, and following your doctor’s advice is the surest way to reach MMI as soon as possible

Your health will be your lawyer’s foremost concern, too. They will also encourage you to follow your doctor’s advice.

Your lawyer will gladly take your case off your hands, and their list of responsibilities will be far longer than yours. Your lawyer will be healthy, experienced in bike accident cases, and eager to get justice for you. That’s exactly why you should accept their help.

How Attorneys Can Secure Compensation for Injured Bike Riders

Your lawyer will create a personalized game plan for your case. Each rider is injured in a different way by different parties, resulting in different injuries. It’s no wonder why your case plan should be unlike any other.

While your case plan will be specific to your case, it’s likely to include:

Collecting Evidence of Negligence

Your accident would not have happened unless someone was negligent—which can mean irresponsible, careless, or even reckless. Your attorney will obtain evidence showing whose negligence caused your bike accident.

Your legal team will leave no stone unturned as they work to prove who jeopardized your health.

Establishing Liability

“Liability” refers to who must pay for the cost of your bike accident, and this may include:

  • Any motorist who hit you or ran you from the road
  • A negligent motorist’s auto insurance company
  • Your insurance company
  • The city in which your accident happened (if dangerous road conditions, such as the lack of an adequate sidewalk or traffic signals contributed to the accident)

The details of your bike accident will determine who is liable for your accident-related damages.

Documenting Your Damages

Your accident-related damages must be crystal clear, in part because liable parties may dispute them. Your lawyer will document your damages in as much detail as they can, relying on all relevant:

  • Healthcare records: Your damages will be a key focus of your case. Healthcare records will show what injuries you have suffered, what symptoms those damages have caused, what treatments you’ve received (and will receive in the future), and how much your treatments will cost.
  • Financial statements: In addition to medical bills, your lawyer may also obtain bank statements proving your lost income, invoices for the repair or replacement of your bike, receipts for temporary transportation, and other relevant financial records.
  • Expert testimony: Your lawyer may rely on testimony from doctors, mental health professionals, and other experts to support your case.

Your lawyer will want to enter settlement negotiations, or trial, with the strongest hand possible. Having ample documentation of your damages will put them in a strong position.

Managing Insurance Companies

Your attorney will deal with insurance companies for you. This is a benefit to you, whether or not insurance companies handle your claim in bad faith. Your lawyer and their team will:

  • Take control of the claims process as soon as you hire them
  • Handle all calls with insurance representatives
  • Respond to all letters and other correspondence from insurance representatives
  • Appeal any denials of insurance claims
  • Stand between you and any bad-faith tactics from insurance companies

Insurance companies can be deceptive, dishonest, and difficult to deal with. Your attorney will represent you in all interactions with insurance companies, sparing you potential headaches and violations of your rights.

Pursuing a Settlement

Your lawyer will also seek a settlement from any parties who owe you compensation. This may include one or more insurance companies. Your attorney may obtain the settlement you deserve by:

  • Organizing documentation of your damages to show the full cost of the at-fault party’s negligence
  • Couching the documentation in a convincing argument for why you are entitled to compensation
  • Presenting their demands to liable parties
  • Countering any arguments liable parties make against your case
  • Insisting that liable parties pay the compensation you deserve (or face legal action)

Filing a lawsuit is often an option in bicycle accident cases. If your lawyer is effective in their initial negotiations, though, filing a lawsuit may not be necessary.

Should I Sue the Driver That Hit Me?

Most bike accidents do not lead to lawsuits. However, lawsuits exist for a reason. If insurance companies do not cover your accident-related damages, filing a lawsuit may become the right option for you.

If suing becomes a possibility, your attorney will determine who should be named in the suit.

Drivers’ Failures Are Often to Blame for Bike Accidents

Vehicle drivers must understand the risk factors for bike accidents. Drivers must also use extra caution during these times, which include:

  • In urban conditions (like busy city streets), where most fatal bike accidents happen
  • At nighttime, when more than half of bicyclist deaths happen
  • In poor weather conditions, which decreases visibility and increases the risk of hitting a bike rider
  • At busy intersections, where drivers can be more stressed, easily distracted, and more likely to hit a bicyclist
  • When there are many cyclists on the road

If a motorist caused your accident, they may be named as the primary defendant in a lawsuit.

Non-Motorists Can Be Liable for Bike Accidents, Too

Municipalities, bike manufacturers, motor vehicle manufacturers, and certain other parties can also be liable for bicycle collisions. Allow your lawyer to determine liability, pinpoint the best strategy for your case, and fight for justice on your behalf.

Injured Riders Deserve Compensation Covering All Their Damages

Bikes do not come with the safety features found in motor vehicles. For this reason, bicyclists are at a heightened risk for injuries of all kinds, including catastrophic health problems.

Regardless of the severity of your collision, you may face:

  • Physical pain
  • Emotional anguish
  • Psychological distress
  • Medical expenses
  • Lost income
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Bicycle repair costs
  • The cost of replacing a totaled bike
  • Temporary transportation costs

Your lawyer will also value the cost of any disabling injuries you suffer. Riders are at a heightened risk of such serious injuries, so your lawyer will be prepared for any long-term or permanent injuries you have suffered.

Do Your Research, Then Hire Your Bicycle Accident Attorney Today

Place “hiring a lawyer” at the top of your priority list. Even if you’re in the midst of recovery, you must find time to retain your attorney. Your case is that important, so don’t wait.