Bike Injury Attorney in Chattanooga, TN
Chattanooga is a beautiful place to get out and explore on your bike. Bicycling is not only an environmentally friendly and affordable way to travel but with Tennessee’s gorgeous climate, it’s also a lot of fun. Unfortunately, not all bike rides end with good memories. Sometimes on the road, cyclists and motorists collide. When they do, it’s almost always the cyclist who leaves the accident with severe injuries.
Other than a helmet, cyclists have very little protection from a crash, and a fall off a bicycle during the accident can make injuries even worse. If you or a family member were hit by a car while riding your bike, you should speak to a Chattanooga bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible.
At Davis Firm, LLC, our experienced Chattanooga bicycle accident lawyer can review your case for free and go over all your legal options. Our goal is to fight for the full and fair compensation you need to recover after a serious bike accident. Call us today to get started on your claim.
How Our Chattanooga Bicycle Accident Lawyers Can Help
Too often, cyclists are hesitant to contact an attorney after an accident. They may be worried that the driver will try to blame them, or they are concerned about how much a lawyer will charge. The truth is: When serious injuries are present, those hurt should always seek legal representation.
One of the biggest benefits a Chattanooga bicycle accident lawyer can offer is when dealing with the insurance companies. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, and paying out on large settlements doesn’t help their bottom line. Due to this, they often offer accident victims low-ball settlements that will barely touch the cost of their injuries. They use tactics to try to get the accident victim to admit fault, and because they know accident victims typically aren’t familiar with the law, too often they get away with it.
Attorneys don’t fall for insurance company tricks. In fact, simply having an attorney by your side often gets the insurance company to take your case more seriously because they know you do.
Our Chattanooga bicycle accident attorneys will manage every aspect of the case for you. We will collect evidence such as eyewitness testimony, accident scene analysis, medical reports, and anything else that will support your case. Best of all, our team will do this while you rest and focus on your recovery, which is the only thing you should have to do after an accident.
Compensation After a Bicycle Injury
In Chattanooga, when one person acts negligently and that negligence hurts another person, the injured victim can claim compensation for damages. There are two main types of compensation in Tennessee: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are meant to reimburse you for any expenses you paid out-of-pocket. This type of compensation has an actual dollar value and can include items such as medical bills, loss of income, loss of future earning capacity, and long-term care. Any bills or receipts you have related to your injury are considered economic damages.
Non-economic damages are the losses you suffered as a result of the accident that do not have a dollar value. These damages include pain and suffering, disfigurement or impairment, loss of enjoyment of life, and more. These types of damages are not as easy to calculate because they don’t have a monetary value. Calculating these damages is another way a Chattanooga bicycle accident attorney can help.
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident
The first few moments after a bicycle accident are very scary. You may be dealing with serious injuries and don’t know what to do. Our legal team works to educate bicyclists about their rights and inform them of what to do in the event of an accident.
One of the most important things to do is to wait at the scene for the police to arrive. Telling the police what happened will ensure your version of events makes it into the police report. This can help verify injuries later on. In addition, the police may issue a ticket to the driver at the scene, which can help your personal injury claim in the future.
Next, it’s important to get the contact information of the driver and anyone who witnessed the accident. While obtaining the driver’s contact information, you should also get the driver’s license number, license plate number, and their insurance information. The police report may also contain this information.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Speaking to a doctor immediately will ensure you get the treatment you need right from the start, and it will help document signs of further injuries.
The doctor’s report will document many aspects of the accident, but you should also write down whatever you remember from the crash. Write down how it happened, where it happened, and when the accident occurred. Make note of road, traffic, and weather conditions. Of course, you want to document all injuries suffered as well, and even take pictures of them if you are able to do so.
Lastly, you may think most of the evidence pertaining to the accident remains at the scene, but that’s not true. A damaged bike or helmet and even the clothes you were wearing at the time could provide evidence of how the crash happened, and how badly you were hurt. Preserve all of this. Don’t get your helmet or bike repaired until your legal team has had time to examine them as evidence.
Common Types of Bicycle Accidents
Anytime bicycles interact with motorists, there’s a chance a bicycle accident could occur. However, there are some types of bicycle accidents that are more common than others. These include:
- Dooring, when a driver or passenger opens a car door into the path of a bicyclist
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Exiting from a private drive
- Motorists overtaking the bicyclist
- Drivers turning left
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Road defects
- Accidents due to defective bicycles or parts
Our experienced Chattanooga bicycle accident lawyers will investigate the cause of your crash to determine who should be held liable. If necessary, we may enlist the help of experts to examine the scene and reconstruct the crash to prove fault.
Types of Bicycle Accident Injuries
Unfortunately, the injuries after a bicycle accident are typically very serious. They include:
- Fractured bones, particularly the clavicle, legs, elbows, hands, and wrists
- Traumatic brain injury
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Dental injuries
- Facial injuries
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Knee injuries
- Ankle injuries
These injuries are not only painful but typically costly to treat. A reliable personal injury attorney at Davis Firm, LLC in Chattanooga can help accident victims pursue compensation to cover the costs and ease the financial burden of the accident.
Contact a Chattanooga Bike Accident Attorney Now
If you’ve been in a bicycle accident, don’t try to hold responsible parties liable on your own. Instead, trust your case to a qualified bicycle accident lawyer in Chattanooga.
At Davis Firm, LLC, we’ll fight for your rights throughout the entire process, from negotiating with the insurance companies to arguing your case in court, if necessary. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation, and let our team get started helping you.